CDD Risk Analyst, Event Driven Reviews

Adyen; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Adyen seeks a CDD Risk Analyst to join the Global Merchant Operations team in Chicago. You will conduct deep-dive investigations into merchant risk events, assess adherence to the risk appetite, and coordinate with AML, Fraud, and Compliance to drive decisive risk actions.

Strong data literacy and experience with SQL/Tableau/Looker are valued as you analyze transaction data and merchant structures. This role requires influence across functions in a fast-paced, global fintech environment.

Qualifications

• 4–6 years of Merchant Risk, Underwriting, Risk Appetite Assessment, Integrity/Trust & Safety, or Complex Investigations.
• Strong knowledge of the global payments value chain and risk exposures.
• Experience evaluating non-financial crime risks and regulatory licensing.
• Ability to make high-stakes decisions with solid evidence.
• Comfort working in an international, matrixed environment and influencing cross-functional leaders.
• ACAMS or Financial Economic Crimes certifications are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Conduct deep-dive investigations on merchants triggered by automated monitoring, adverse media, or escalations.
• Evaluate whether merchants stay within Adyen’s Risk Appetite Framework.
• Dissect corporate structures and ownership to identify risk triggers.
• Execute risk actions from enhanced monitoring to offboarding workflows.
• Collaborate with AML, Fraud, Compliance, Credit Risk, Legal and Sales to align risk determinations.
• Develop and maintain EDR standards, SOPs, and internal training.

Skills

Merchant risk

Underwriting

Risk appetite

Integrity/Trust & Safety

Complex investigations

Cross-functional influence

Executive stakeholder management

Tools

SQL

Tableau

Looker

Job description

Adyen provides payments, data, and financial products in a single solution for customers like Meta, Uber, H&M, and Microsoft - making us the financial technology platform of choice. At Adyen, everything we do is engineered for ambition.

For our teams, we create an environment with opportunities for our people to succeed, backed by the culture and support to ensure they are enabled to truly own their careers. We are motivated individuals who tackle unique technical challenges at scale and solve them as a team. Together, we deliver innovative and ethical solutions that help businesses achieve their ambitions faster.

About the Team:

As a CDD Risk Analyst, you will be focused on Event Driven Reviews (EDRs) , playing a critical frontline role in Adyen’s Global Merchant Operations Department. Unlike periodic scheduled reviews, Event-Driven Reviews are triggered dynamically by material changes in merchant risk profiles, transaction and chargeback anomalies, adverse media, regulatory alerts, corporate restructurings, or potential integrity escalations across our acquiring, issuing, and banking products. You will execute deep-dive investigative reviews into heightened risk events, evaluating whether merchant activity remains in line with Adyen’s Risk Appetite. Working closely with AML, Fraud, Sanctions, Payment Risk, Credit Risk, Product, and Commercial teams, you will safeguard the platform while ensuring minimal operational friction for legitimate business growth.

What you’ll do:

• Conduct comprehensive, deep-dive investigations on merchants triggered by automated monitoring, adverse media, portfolio alerts, scheme notices, or commercial escalations, evaluating sudden shifts in business models, operational footprint, transaction patterns, or ownership structure.
• Evaluate whether existing merchants remain within Adyen’s Risk Appetite Framework, identifying and assessing non-financial crime risks such as high-risk/prohibited business practices, regulatory licensing gaps, excessive scheme compliance exposures, and corporate reputational risks.
• Dissect complex corporate structures, ultimate beneficial ownership (UBOs), product lines, delivery models, and counterparty relationships to uncover the root causes of risk triggers and establish clear risk rationales.
• Formulate and execute decisive risk actions, ranging from implementing enhanced operational monitoring and contract amendments to initiating formal offboarding workflows when a merchant breaches Adyen’s risk threshold.
• Act as the strategic bridge between First and Second Lines of Defense, partnering with Underwriting, Credit Risk, Legal, Compliance, AML/Screening, Fraud, and Account Management to align on complex risk determinations and holistic portfolio health.
• Continuously evolve and maintain EDR standards, decision frameworks, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and internal training to institutionalize best practices across global operational hubs.
• Articulate nuanced, high-stakes risk decisions and evidence-backed rationales clearly to senior internal leadership, scheme representatives, regulators, and merchant executive teams.

Who you are:

• 4–6 years of experience in Merchant Risk, Underwriting, Risk Appetite Assessment, Integrity/Trust & Safety, or Complex Investigations within a global Payment Service Provider (PSP), Acquiring/Issuing Bank, high-growth FinTech platform or Financial Economic Crimes.
• Comprehensive understanding of the global payments value chain (acquiring, issuing, schemes/card networks, banking products), including payment methods, scheme compliance frameworks, and associated credit/operational risk exposures.
• Proven track record in evaluating non-financial crime risks, such as high-risk/prohibited business models, regulatory licensing compliance, brand and reputational risks, merchant misrepresentation, and contractual non-compliance.
• High comfort level operating in grey areas with a proven willingness to make and defend difficult, high-stakes decisions (e.g., dynamic risk mitigation, merchant termination/offboarding) backed by solid evidence and business rationale.
• Strong data literacy (experience with SQL, Tableau, Looker, or any similar BI tools is preferred), and skilled at leveraging transaction datasets, portfolio metrics, and risk signals to uncover systemic trends and design scalable detection logic.
• A self-starter with high ownership who thrives in an international, matrixed environment, comfortably influencing cross-functional leaders (Underwriting, Legal, Compliance, Account Management) and engaging executive merchant stakeholders.
• You challenge the status quo constructively, thrive in a fast-paced environment with rapid feedback loops, and embody the Adyen Formula, believing that winning as a team is more important than ego.
• You have a strong risk-driven mindset, exceptional professional judgment, and the ability to conduct holistic risk assessments.
• You are someone who does not wait for step-by-step playbooks—you proactively create direction, conclude on integrity risks, risk appetite, mitigating factors and execute action plans end-to-end.
• You work with high energy, positive mindset and intentional attitude, ensuring we do our best daily.
• You will be a gatekeeper, identifying, assessing, looking for mitigating measures and helping business and senior management in the customer decision making process.
• ACAMS or Financial Economic Crimes related certifications are a plus.

Total rewards & compensation

The annual base salary range for this role is $85,000 - $110,000. Compensation is based on factors including qualifications, experience, and location. Total compensation package includes equity (RSUs), 401(k), health, dental, vision, and more.

This role is based in our Chicago office. We're an office-first company and expect employees to work in-office at least 3 days a week on average. This approach helps strike a balance between bringing people together for in-person collaboration and learning from each other, while also supporting flexibility.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Adyen

We actively seek different perspectives to sharpen our ideas. Our unique culture is a product of our diverse backgrounds and experiences. No matter who you are or where you’re from, you’re welcome to your true self at Adyen.

If you need accommodations or support during the recruitment process to perform at your best, you’ll have the opportunity to let our team know in your application. We encourage people from all backgrounds and abilities to apply.

What’s next?

Ensuring a smooth and enjoyable candidate experience is critical for us. We aim to get back to you regarding your application within 5 business days. Our interview process tends to take about 4 weeks to complete, but may fluctuate depending on the role. If you have specific time constraints, please communicate them with your recruiter, and we’ll do our best to accommodate them where possible.

EEO statement

Adyen is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, national origin, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, marital status or any legally protected status. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

You must be work authorized in the United States without the need for new visa sponsorship. The company can support visa transfers but will not sponsor individuals for H-1B CAP applications.

The way we work is guided by the eight principles of the Adyen Formula. Learn more here.

To build the world's most customer-focused financial technology platform, we need as many different perspectives as possible. We’re looking for people from all sorts of backgrounds to contribute.