VP, Risk Management

Today, through BHN’s single global platform, businesses of all kinds can tap into the world’s largest network of branded payment solutions. BHN helps businesses grow revenue, increase loyalty, motivate and reward their teams, disburse funds and engage consumers. Branded payment solutions include the issuance and distribution of gift cards, egifts, corporate payouts and rewards, along with the technology to deliver these products in seamless, integrated ways. BHN’s network spans the globe with more than 400,000 consumer touchpoints. Learn more at BHN.com.

Blackhawk’s vision is to create meaningful connections between global consumers and brands, leveraging innovative payment technology.  The world leader in store value payments for gifting is extending that leadership to other payment solutions including employee reward and recognition, consumer promotions, digital wallets, digital payments, and alternative acceptance tenders. 

As we expand our payment platform into new markets and new use cases, the risk typology evolves and staying abreast of emerging vulnerabilities across our payment ecosystem is a strategic imperative for profitable growth.  Blackhawk payments includes card issuing, acquiring, physical and digital card distribution, merchandising, funds transfers, digital wallet services, crypto redemption, retail cash load, eGift, eCommerce enablement, and extensive API services for broad partner enablement.  We use a variety of risk mitigation technologies to reduce fraud and loss exposure across our platform and on behalf of our global partners.  The head of payment risk management will report to the chief product officer and lead a cross functional organization dedicated to profitably growing the Blackhawk payment network.  The role will also establish Blackhawk Network Risk Management as a competitive advantage globally.

Critical for this role will be to define and operationalize risk management frameworks across our global platforms, as well as embed a commercially oriented, risk management culture into BHN products, services, and business units. 

Key activities will include:

• Establishing an advisory & consulting practice to proactively assess vulnerabilities and mitigate risk exposure related to current and new business or services.
• Defining polices, corporate KPI’s and targets for acceptable loss ratios, in alignment with industry best practice and business objectives.
• Minimizing user friction for regulatory compliance and risk mitigation.
• Optimizing risk operations inclusive of chargebacks, incident investigations, step up reviews and client servicing.
• Defining requirements for proper risk tooling, monitoring, data analytics and industry partnerships.
• Establishing protocols and processes to rapidly respond to immediate or evolving risk events.
• Adding experienced and effective risk management professionals to our risk team.

Principle Scope, Responsibilities and Key Results Areas

• Developing partnerships with Product or Business Unit Leader, to identify, mitigate, monitor, and report on risks impacting their business and product lines.
• Actively monitor and report on business and product line risk profiles, highlighting risks that warrant most attention, including providing executive risk reporting to Senior Management.
• Providing insight/monitoring improvements on the control environments.
• Driving and embedding risk culture throughout the Product organization to further evolve Product Risk oversight.
• Monitor risk profile of Product or Business Unit Leader area of responsibility and drive applicable reporting through the establishment, maintenance, and monitoring of Key Risk Indicators (KRIs) to assist management in the early identification of risks and trends
• Ensure appropriate alignment vis-à-vis our agile ceremonies with other Policies, Frameworks, Processes and Procedures
• Work with Product management to understand the product roadmap and pipeline to identify initiatives that should be channeled through a risk assessment process.
• Conduct postmortems on key initiatives/product launches to obtain product lifecycle view and better understand the performance of the product against KPIs and identify risks since product launch, their root cause, and action plan. (e.g., client feedback, fraud, etc.)

• 12 or more years of work experience with a bachelor’s degree or 8-10 years of experience with an Advanced Degree (e.g. Masters, MBA, JD, MD) or 6+ years of work experience with a PhD
• Advanced knowledge, skill and understanding in applying risk management practices specifically as it relates risk taxonomies, risk appetite, risk assessment, scoring, mitigation, acceptance
• Experience in building high performing teams or leading organizations of 100+ staff.
• Experience in the payments industry and financial services, payment products and services, and of wider economic / competitive landscape
• Excellent interpersonal, presentation, communication, and facilitation skills, plus ability to work independently and effectively in a continually changing environment
• Clear thinker with strong technical and data analysis skills and problem-solving skills
• Proven ability to develop strong relationships and work with all organizational levels
• Experience in identifying, assessing, managing, and reporting risks

Salary Range for California Residents Only: $214,280.00 to $300,000.00

Salary Range for Illinois Residents Only: $180,210.00 to $252,300.00

Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, certifications, etc. In addition to your salary, Blackhawk Network offers benefits including 401k with employer match, medical, dental, vision, 12 paid holidays in the year 2024, 1 hour of sick pay accrual for every 30 hours worked, parental leave, life insurance, disability insurance, accident and illness insurance, health and dependent care flexible spending accounts, wellness benefits, and flexible time off for all full-time employees. 

Blackhawk Network provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.  Blackhawk Network believes that diversity leads to strength. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Blackhawk Network encourages applicants with previous criminal records to apply to all positions and, pursuant to the San Francisco and Los Angeles Fair Chance Acts (and other “Fair Chance” laws), Blackhawk Network will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.  For Philadelphia applicants or jobs, please see a copy of Philadelphia’s ordinance on this topic by clicking this link: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/philadelphia/latest/philadelphia_pa/0-0-0-280104.