Risk Escalation Team Lead

Straive; Hyderabad; On-site; INR 1,800,000 - 3,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Straive is seeking an experienced Team Lead - Risk Escalations to oversee risk, fraud detection, and compliance operations in a fintech environment. You will mentor a team of analysts, manage escalation workflows, and drive strategies to reduce payment failures and fraud losses.

Role requires deep AML knowledge, leadership, and the ability to coordinate with banking partners and regulators. The position focuses on strengthening risk controls and compliance across global frameworks.

Qualifications

• Experience: 5+ years in risk management, fraud investigations, or compliance in financial services/fintech.
• Domain expertise: AML policies, high‑value fraud detection, dispute resolution, chargeback protocols.
• Technical: proficiency with risk software, compliance monitoring platforms, fraud engines, Jira/Asana/SQL.
• Leadership: proven ability to manage operational teams and communicate risk to leadership and partners.
• Education: Bachelor’s in Finance/Risk/Economics/Criminology; CAMS/CFE preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of Risk Escalation Analysts to high performance.
• Oversee case assignments, queue health, and SLA adherence.
• Conduct 1:1s, audits, and training on emerging fraud vectors and compliance.
• Act as final escalation point for complex risk investigations and regulatory issues.
• Analyze failed payments and trends to develop proactive fraud rules.
• Partner with product/engineering to optimize risk platforms and workflows.
• Design and update SOPs to strengthen controls for regulatory audits.

Skills

Team leadership

Risk management

Fraud investigations

Compliance monitoring

Stakeholder communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Risk Management, Economics, or Criminology

CAMS (preferred)

CFE (preferred)

Tools

Jira

Asana

SQL

Risk dashboards

Job description

We are seeking an experienced and strategic Team Lead - Risk Escalations to oversee our risk, fraud detection, and compliance operations. In this role, you will combine high-level operational leadership with deep subject matter expertise in financial risk, AML compliance, and fraud mitigation. You will directly manage and mentor a team of risk analysts, oversee critical escalation workflows, drive strategy to reduce payment failures and fraud loss, and ensure seamless coordination with banking partners and regulatory frameworks.

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced and strategic Team Lead - Risk Escalations to oversee our risk, fraud detection, and compliance operations.

Responsibilities

• Team Leadership & Operations Management
• Directly lead, mentor, and coach a team of Risk Escalation Analysts, fostering a high-performance culture focused on accuracy, speed, and continuous improvement.
• Manage case assignment workflows, monitor queue health, and balance team capacity to ensure swift resolution of high-priority risk alerts and strict adherence to SLAs.
• Conduct regular 1:1 check-ins, quality audits, performance reviews, and training programs on emerging fraud vectors and compliance standards.
• Act as the final internal escalation point for complex, high-value risk investigations, severe compliance violations, and multi-faceted fraud schemes.
• Analyze failed payments, transaction anomalies, and systemic risk trends to identify underlying patterns and develop proactive fraud prevention rules.
• Partner with product and engineering teams to optimize risk assessment platforms, automated detection systems, and workflow tracking tools.
• Compliance, Regulatory & Stakeholder Coordination
• Serve as the primary liaison to partner financial institutions, banking networks, legal counsel, and internal compliance teams for critical risk matters.
• Ensure all team investigations and documentation strictly comply with global financial regulations, Anti-Money Laundering (AML) policies, KYC mandates, and internal risk frameworks.
• Design, implement, and update Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to strengthen security controls and reporting accuracy for regulatory audits.

Qualifications

• Experience: Minimum 5+ years of experience in risk management, fraud investigations, or compliance monitoring within financial services, fintech, or payment processing—including 1+ years in a supervisory, team lead, or senior mentor role.
• Domain Expertise: Deep knowledge of AML policies, high-value fraud detection, dispute resolution, chargeback protocols, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Technical Skills: Proficiency with modern risk assessment software, compliance monitoring platforms, fraud engine tools, and workflow management systems (e.g., Jira, Asana, SQL, internal risk dashboards).
• Leadership & Communication: Exceptional leadership skills with a proven track record of managing operational teams, driving performance metrics, and communicating complex risk scenarios clearly to senior leadership and external banking partners.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Risk Management, Economics, Criminology, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience). Preferred certifications: CAMS (Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist) or CFE (Certified Fraud Examiner).

Required Skills

• Experience in risk management, fraud investigations, or compliance monitoring.
• Deep knowledge of AML policies and fraud detection.
• Proficiency with risk assessment software and compliance monitoring platforms.
• Exceptional leadership and communication skills.

Preferred Skills

• CAMS (Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist) or CFE (Certified Fraud Examiner).