Job Description
We are seeking a seasoned fraud professional to lead the strategy, execution, and continuous optimization of fraud controls across debit cards, ACH-like products, and real-time payment rails (e.g., Zelle, RTP, Bill Pay). This role will own the end-to-end real-time decisioning ecosystem—including fraud rules, detection capabilities, risk assessments, and customer experience trade-offs—while partnering cross-functionally with Product, Engineering, Risk, and Operations to deliver scalable, modern fraud prevention solutions. The ideal candidate brings deep domain expertise in debit and real-time payments fraud, strong technical acumen in rules engines and analytics, and a proven ability to lead teams, influence stakeholders, and communicate complex risk narratives to senior leadership.
Key Responsibilities Set Fraud Strategy & Coverage:
Define fraud prevention strategy across debit and real-time payment channels, including risk appetite and control coverage. Own Real-Time Decisioning:
Design and manage fraud rules, decision logic, and detection strategies within real-time decisioning platforms. Lead Platform & Capability Build:
Drive enhancements and implementation of fraud rules engines and decisioning platforms in partnership with engineering. Optimize Performance Outcomes:
Monitor and improve fraud detection, false positives, and client friction through ongoing control tuning and performance management. Leverage Data & Models:
Use analytics and model insights to identify trends, refine strategies, and improve detection effectiveness. Partner Cross-Functionally:
Collaborate with Product, Engineering, Risk, and Operations to embed fraud controls into customer journeys and new product launches. Influence Senior Stakeholders:
Communicate fraud risk, performance, and trade-offs clearly through strong executive storytelling. Lead & Develop Team:
Build and manage a high-performing team of fraud strategy and analytics professionals. Ensure Strong Governance:
Maintain disciplined control testing, monitoring, and adherence to risk and regulatory standards. Qualifications Required Experience 10 + years in fraud risk, payments risk, or financial crimes Deep expertise in: Debit card fraud (CNP and CP) Real-time payments (Zelle, RTP, P2P, Bill Pay and other emerging payments) 5+ years of people management experience leading high-performing teams Proven experience managing real-time fraud decisioning environments and rules strategies Strong experience partnering across Product, Engineering, Risk, and Operations Bachelor's degree in Statistics, Mathematics, Data Science, Finance, Computer Science, or a related field. Graduate degree preferred. Technical & Analytical Skills Expertise in fraud rules engines / decisioning platforms Strong analytical capabilities (data analysis, segmentation, performance optimization) Working knowledge of fraud models / machine learning concepts and model governance Ability to translate data into actionable fraud strategies and business decisions Strong experience with analytical tools such as Python, R, SAS, SQL, and platforms such as Tableau or Power BI. Leadership & Communication Strong stakeholder management with ability to influence senior leaders Excellent communication and executive storytelling skills Highly collaborative with a track record of driving alignment across teams Special Factors Sponsorship Vanguard is offering visa sponsorship for this position. About Vanguard At Vanguard, we don't just have a mission—we're on a mission. To work for the long-term financial wellbeing of our clients. To lead through product and services that transform our clients' lives. To learn and develop our skills as individuals and as a team. From Malvern to Melbourne, our mission drives us forward and inspires us to be our best. How We Work Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for the majority of our crew members, designed to capture the benefits of enhanced flexibility while enabling in-person learning, collaboration, and connection. We believe our mission-driven and highly collaborative culture is a critical enabler to support long-term client outcomes and enrich the employee experience. Vanguard, one of the world's leading investment management companies, serves individual investors, institutions, employer-sponsored retirement plans, and financial professionals. We have a diverse and talented crew with a culture that promotes teamwork, along with an unwavering focus on serving our clients' best interests. This website uses "cookies" to distinguish you from other users. A cookie is a small file of letters and numbers placed on your computer or device. This helps us to provide you with a good experience when you browse our website and also allows us to improve our site and services. The cookies are stored locally on your computer or mobile device. To accept cookies you can continue browsing as normal. Or you can go to our Privacy Policy to read more information and learn how to change your preferences.
