Risk Investigator II

Payfirma Corporation; Toronto; On-site; CAD 80,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Flexible work environment

Team events & culture

Career development & training

Work-life balance

Job summary

KORT Payments is hiring a Risk Investigator II in Toronto to perform complex merchant investigations and time‑sensitive operational risk work across the U.S. merchant portfolio. You will partner with Credit, Compliance/AML, Operations, and external stakeholders to translate findings into actionable remediation and escalation plans.

You will monitor activity, conduct EDD, and communicate clearly with merchants while keeping detailed case notes and supporting urgent decisions for Risk leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in finance, risk, compliance, or a related field.
• 4+ years of experience in merchant risk investigations, transaction monitoring, payments fraud, or related risk roles.
• Experience assessing high‑risk and card‑not‑present merchant models and identifying risk indicators.
• Experience with risk‑based EDD, KYB/KYC reviews, and documentation of unusual activity.

Responsibilities

• Monitor transaction activity, portfolio alerts, and risk reporting to detect fraud or changes.
• Conduct complex merchant and partner investigations using multiple data sources.
• Perform risk‑based EDD and targeted merchant reviews when ownership or activity changes.
• Investigate payment‑network and sponsor‑bank matters; organize evidence and deadlines.

Skills

Merchant risk investigations

Transaction monitoring

Payments fraud

Enhanced due diligence

Risk management

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Job description

Risk Investigator II

WHO WE ARE

Welcome to KORT Payments, where innovation meets excellence! We specialize in providing a state-of-the‑art omnichannel payments platform designed to make business transactions a breeze. Our mission? To empower businesses with top‑notch capabilities in compliance, risk management, and payment processing. Our trailblazing, enterprise‑grade platform, coupled with a veteran management team, ensures we stay ahead of the curve in delivering unparalleled service and satisfaction.

As we continue to grow across North America, we’re excited to bring our proven solutions and innovative approach to new industries, while operating under the KORT Payments banner alongside Merrco, Payfirma and Barnet.

LOCATION

Toronto

EMPLOYMENT TYPE

Full‑time, salaried, new role

SALARY RANGE

$80,000 - $90,000

Actual compensation will be determined based on location, experience, and role requirements, and will comply with applicable local pay transparency laws.

WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING

The Risk Investigator II is an experienced individual contributor within the Risk team, responsible for complex merchant investigations and time‑sensitive operational risk work across KORT’s U.S. merchant portfolio. Reporting to the Director of Risk, this role combines advanced transaction and portfolio monitoring with risk‑based enhanced due diligence (EDD), payment‑network and sponsor‑bank support, operational escalations, and clear communication with merchants and business partners. You will assess high‑risk and card‑not‑present merchants, translate findings into practical recommendations, and partner with Credit, Compliance/AML, Operations, Collections, Reporting, and external stakeholders. Final decisions on material reserve changes, account restrictions, closures, and other high‑impact actions remain with Risk leadership, while potentially unusual activity is escalated through the appropriate Compliance referral process.

• Monitor transaction activity, portfolio alerts, and relevant risk reporting to identify potential fraud or misuse and material changes in chargebacks, disputes, refunds, declines, authorization behavior, transaction velocity, ticket size, or processing volume
• Conduct complex merchant and partner investigations using processing history, underwriting records, websites and customer journeys, public records, adverse information, related‑account linkages, and reserve or financial‑exposure data
• Perform or coordinate risk‑based EDD and targeted merchant reviews when ownership, banking information, websites, products, business models, geography, financial condition, or processing behavior materially changes; partner with Credit when renewed underwriting is required
• Investigate time‑sensitive payment‑network and sponsor‑bank matters; organize evidence, track required deadlines, assess merchant responses, and prepare clear recommendations for remediation or escalation
• Compare actual activity with the approved merchant profile, including products and services, sales channels, transaction patterns, customer geography, fulfillment practices, disclosures, and financial exposure; recommend proportionate monitoring, remediation, account controls, or escalation
• Manage clear and timely communications with merchants and business partners regarding account reviews, documentation requests, funding‑related questions, remediation expectations, and next steps, while escalating sensitive or high‑impact decisions to management
• Review complex merchant profile and account‑change requests and support funding or reserve‑related decisions by validating authority, documentation, account status, financial exposure, downstream refund or chargeback risk, and applicable approval requirements
• Maintain accurate case notes, tickets, evidence, and follow‑up dates; support retrospective risk reviews and elevate potentially unusual activity through established Compliance channels; ensure high‑priority matters have a documented owner, next step, and escalation path
• Identify recurring merchant, partner, system, and process gaps; develop procedures, checklists, decision tools, and reporting improvements; and provide quality assurance, cross‑training, and practical guidance to less‑experienced Risk staff

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in finance, risk, compliance, criminal justice, business, accounting, or a related field
• 4+ years of experience in merchant risk investigations, transaction monitoring, payments fraud, acquiring operations, enhanced due diligence, or a related financial‑services risk function; merchant acquiring, ISO, or payment‑facilitator experience is strongly preferred
• Demonstrated experience assessing high‑risk and card‑not‑present merchant models, including recurring billing, subscription services, digital commerce, direct marketing, or other complex business models, and distinguishing expected activity from meaningful risk indicators
• Hands‑on experience with risk‑based EDD, KYB/KYC reviews, ownership and related‑entity analysis, adverse‑information research, merchant profile changes, and documented escalation of potentially unusual activity
• Working knowledge of payment‑network and sponsor‑bank monitoring, reporting, remediation, and compliance requirements
• Strong analytical ability across processing data, fraud, chargebacks, disputes, refunds, declines, authorizations, reserves, financial exposure, financial statements, bank documentation, websites, and other external information sources
• Excellent written and verbal communication, disciplined case documentation, sound escalation judgment, and the ability to manage multiple time‑sensitive investigations; knowledge of U.S. payments risk considerations is preferred

LIFE AT KORT PAYMENTS

We believe work should be fulfilling and fun! Here’s a peek into what life with us is like:

Culture:

• Fearlessness: Encourage continuous learning, innovation, taking chances, and pushing boundaries
• Accountability: Take ownership and be accountable to yourself, the company, partners, and clients
• Collaboration: Leverage diverse perspectives and work as a team to get the job done
• Transparency: Empower success through open communication, honesty, and inclusion

Perks and Benefits:

• Comprehensive Benefits Package: We’ve got you covered with health, dental, and vision plans
• Flexible and Inclusive Work Environment: We understand the importance of work‑life balance and provide the flexibility you need to thrive
• Fun Events: From team‑building activities to company‑wide celebrations, we love to have fun and recognize our hard work
• Professional Growth: We support your career development with ongoing learning opportunities and the chance to take on new challenges
• Work Hard, Play Hard: Enjoy a dynamic environment where your contributions are valued and your potential is unleashed