Director of Fraud Operations

Ascensus is the leading independent technology and service platform powering savings plans across America, providing products and expertise that help nearly 16 million people save for a better today and tomorrow.

The Director of Fraud Operations is a strategic and operational leader responsible for designing, implementing, and overseeing the organization’s fraud prevention, detection, and investigation programs. This role optimizes fraud-fighting processes, leverages data and technology to reduce risk, and ensures compliance with regulatory requirements while delivering an exceptional client experience. This role requires deep fraud experience with strong leadership, analytical, and operational excellence skills.

There is only one position. Preference is for successful candidate to be hybrid close to our Dresher, PA or Newton, MA locations. Remote candidates on the East Coast may be considered.

Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership:

• Identify emerging fraud trends and drive proactive measures to mitigate risks.
• Partner with senior leadership to align fraud strategies with business objectives, customer experience goals, and regulatory compliance.
• Work closely across teams to embed fraud risk management into new features and processes.
• Represent Fraud Operations in cross-functional initiatives, incident reviews, and crisis-response efforts.
• Working with Product Teams, drive the implementation and adoption of fraud improvements
• Primary point of contact for key Institutional Partners discussing Fraud controls, prevention, and any incidents impacting their clients.

Operational Management:

• Build and refine workflows for case management, decisioning, and escalations, ensuring efficient and high-quality outcomes.
• Oversee vendor relationships and third-party fraud solutions; evaluate new tools, models, and technologies.

Fraud Detection & Analytics:

• Collaborate with teams outside of the Risk/Fraud team to enhance fraud models, rules, machine learning systems, and real-time monitoring.
• Use data-driven insights to identify vulnerabilities, optimize controls, and improve detection accuracy while minimizing false positives.
• Establish operational KPIs, dashboards, and reporting to monitor performance and guide strategic decisions.

Risk & Compliance:

• Ensure compliance with relevant regulations (e.g., AML/KYC, Reg E, PCI, FFIEC) where applicable.
• Partner with Legal, Compliance, InfoSec, and Service teams to maintain a strong internal control environment.
• Lead internal and external audits related to fraud operations.

Continuous Improvement:

• Implement best-in-class operational practices, automation, and process enhancements to reduce manual effort and improve outcomes.
• Stay informed on industry trends, fraud typologies, regulatory changes, and emerging technologies.

• Responsible for protecting, securing, and proper handling of all confidential data held by Ascensus to ensure against unauthorized access, improper transmission, and/or unapproved disclosure of information that could result in harm to Ascensus or our clients.
• At Ascensus we are guided by our Core Values of People Matter, Quality First and Integrity Always®. They inspire us every day to prioritize an environment of respect for those we serve and one another and should be visible in your actions on a day-to-day.

Supervision:  

• Lead and mentor the fraud operations teams to monitor and uncover potential fraud issues, and remediate fraudulent activities
• Coach, develop, and act as a conduit between the business and Fraud/Risk teams to create team and developmental opportunities for team members
• Hold team accountable to all goals and service expectations to achieve and exceed all key performance goals

Requirements:

• 8–12+ years of experience in fraud prevention, risk management, or trust & safety—preferably within fintech, banking, e-commerce, payments, or a similar environment.    Bachelor's degree in business, Finance, Criminology, Data Analytics, or related field; advanced degree a plus.
• 5+ years of management experience leading operational/service teams
• Strong understanding of fraud operations workflows, identity verification, transaction monitoring, dispute management, and investigation techniques.
• Proficiency with fraud platforms, case management systems, rule engines, and/or machine learning-based detection tools.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex data and develop actionable insights.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and executive-level presentation skills.
• Experience scaling fraud operations in a high-growth environment.
• Familiarity with regulatory frameworks such as KYC, AML, OFAC, Reg E, PSD2, or industry-specific requirements.
• Background in loss forecasting, model governance, or fraud analytics.

The national average salary range for this role is $150-$200k in base pay, exclusive of any bonuses and benefits. This base salary range represents the low and high end of the salary range for this position. Actual salary offered will vary and may be above or below the range based on various factors including but not limited to location, experience, performance, and internal pay alignment. We do not anticipate that candidates hired will begin at the top of the range however, from time to time, it may occur on a case-by-case basis.  Other rewards and benefits may include: 401(k) match, Medical, Dental, Vision, Paid-Time-Off, etc.  For more information, please visit careers.ascensus.com/#Benefits. 

For all virtual remote positions, in order to ensure associates can effectively perform their job duties with no distractions, we require an uninterrupted virtual workspace and there is also an expectation of family care being in place during business hours. Additionally, there is an internet work speed requirement of 25 Mbps or better for individual use. If more than one person is utilizing the same internet connection in the same household or building, then a stronger connection is required. If you are unsure of your internet speed, please check with your service provider. Note: For call center roles specifically, it is a requirement to either hardwire your equipment directly to the internet router or ensure your workstation is in close proximity to the router. Please ensure that you are able to meet these expectations before applying.

Be aware of employment fraud. All email communications from Ascensus or its hiring managers originate from @ascensus.com or @futureplan.com email addresses. We will never ask you for payment or require you to purchase any equipment. If you are suspicious or unsure about validity of a job posting, we strongly encourage you to apply directly through our website.