Director, Payments and Risk Operations

Buildertrend

$175K — $200K *
US-AnywhereRemote in United States
Finance & Insurance
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 7+ years leading payments risk in SaaS, marketplace, or fintech environments
  • 3+ years hands-on experience in payment processing and fraud operations
  • Experience with AI-driven decision systems and automation
  • Growth-oriented approach to risk management and decision-making
  • Strong operational judgment with scalable risk development expertise
  • Player-coach leadership style with strategy and detail-oriented skills
  • Exceptional communication and relationship-building with cross-functional teams

Responsibilities

  • Own and evolve payments risk and operations strategy from onboarding to portfolio management
  • Build scalable fraud prevention and loss mitigation processes
  • Implement AI-powered fraud and risk platforms for operational efficiency
  • Lead and develop a high-performing payments risk team
  • Partner with Product and Engineering to embed risk controls in payment processes
  • Create risk analytics and reporting for real-time operational insights
  • Collaborate with Compliance and other departments to refine risk frameworks and governance

Benefits

  • Comprehensive health coverage including medical, dental, and vision
  • 401(k) plan with matching contributions
  • Generous paid time off and 11 paid holidays
  • Parental leave and sabbaticals for major life events
  • Volunteer time off to support community engagement
  • Wellness programs and onsite fitness center access
  • Flexible hybrid or remote work opportunities
  • Technology reimbursement to assist with remote work setup
  • Complimentary daily lunches at HQ and monthly team events
Full Job Description
Compensation: $175,000 - $200,000
Location: United States - Remote

The job

As the Director, Payments and Risk Operations at Buildertrend, you'll help shape how contractors move money with confidence while supporting our mission to change the way the world builds. You'll own payments risk and operations, balancing smart risk decisions with business growth so our customers can get paid faster, reduce friction, and keep projects moving. This role gives you the opportunity to influence commercialization strategy, scale operations through AI and automation, and build a high-performing team that drives measurable business results. Within your first year, you'll establish a scalable risk operation that improves customer experience, strengthens decision making, and supports Buildertrend's continued growth.

What you will do
  • Own and evolve Buildertrend's end-to-end payments risk and operations strategy, including merchant onboarding, underwriting, transaction monitoring, disputes, servicing, and portfolio management.
  • Build and strengthen fraud prevention and loss mitigation capabilities by creating scalable processes, continuous feedback loops, and AI-assisted solutions that improve decision making and operational efficiency.
  • Evaluate, implement, and optimize AI-powered fraud and risk platforms to scale operations through automation while maintaining a high-quality customer experience.
  • Lead and develop a high-performing payments risk and operations team, building the structure, processes, and capabilities needed to support long-term growth.
  • Partner with Product and Engineering to embed risk controls into payment experiences, onboarding journeys, payout configurations, APIs, and risk tooling, serving as the primary risk leader throughout product development.
  • Develop risk analytics and reporting that provide real-time operational insights and portfolio-level visibility, enabling leaders to make informed business and financial decisions.
  • Partner closely with Compliance, Product Security, Engineering, Finance, Revenue, the General Manager, and the Senior Manager of Compliance to refine risk appetite, loss thresholds, and governance frameworks while ensuring alignment with regulatory requirements, sponsor bank expectations, and network rules.
  • Embrace using AI as a tool to enhance your work, while remaining open to learning, applying critical thinking, and owning the quality of your final work.


Who you are and what you need
  • 7+ years of progressive experience leading payments risk within a vertical SaaS, marketplace, or fintech environment, with a track record of building and owning risk strategies that support business goals.
  • 3+ years of recent hands-on risk experience across payment processing, ACH and check disbursements - including underwriting, transaction monitoring, fraud prevention, and chargeback operations.
  • Experience designing and implementing AI-powered decisioning systems, automation, or fraud platforms that improve efficiency and strengthen risk management.
  • A growth-oriented approach to risk management, with the ability to evaluate risk and reward, make data-driven decisions, and translate risk insights into meaningful financial and operational outcomes.
  • Strong operational judgment with experience building scalable, efficient risk functions and optimizing processes without relying on large, specialized teams.
  • A player-coach leadership style, with the ability to set strategy, dive into operational details when needed, and develop high-performing teams.
  • Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with experience influencing Product, Engineering, Finance, Compliance, and other cross-functional leaders to deliver practical, scalable solutions.


We are giving you:
  • Exceptional health packages, including medical, dental, and vision coverage, plus life insurance and short- and long-term disability benefits
  • A 401(k) plan with Buildertrend matching contributions to help you plan for the future
  • Generous paid time off, 11 paid holidays, plus personal days to make sure you have time to recharge
  • Parental leave and paid sabbaticals to support you during life's big moments
  • Volunteer time off because giving back matters
  • Wellness program and onsite fitness center to keep you feeling your best
  • Opportunities for hybrid or remote work to give you the flexibility you need
  • Technology reimbursement to help cover costs for the tech you need to do your job from home
  • Free daily lunches when you're at our HQ office, plus monthly events to connect with your team


#LI-REMOTE

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