Fraud Operations Director - Investigations & Intelligence

Pathward; United States; Hybrid; USD 72,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Pathward is seeking a senior leader to run end-to-end fraud operations, overseeing alert operations, investigations, and intelligence to form a coherent lifecycle. You will set the operational rhythm, drive escalation and risk management, and partner with governance for QA and regulatory readiness.

With 10+ years in fraud and investigations, you will direct managers, own detection rule improvements, and ensure timely SAR/CTR referrals.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Professional certification such as Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and/or Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) strongly preferred.
• Typically requires 10 or more years of related fraud, investigations, or financial-crimes experience, including several years leading teams and managing through subordinate managers or supervisors.
• Demonstrated experience owning fraud operations, Level 2 investigations, and/or fraud intelligence in a bank, processor, or comparably regulated environment, including exposure to regulatory examinations (e.g., OCC) and audit engagements.
• Strategic and operational leadership across the full fraud lifecycle, with the ability to translate program objectives into daily execution and measurable outcomes.
• Deep knowledge of fraud typologies, investigative standards, card and ACH ecosystems, alerting and case management platforms (e.g., Actimize), and SAR/CTR referral requirements.
• Strong people leadership, including developing managers, building scalable structures, and setting performance and quality standards.
• Sound judgment under pressure with the ability to prioritize competing queues, manage escalations, and balance risk-based approaches with regulatory expectations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, including executive-, audit-, and regulator‑ready reporting and documentation.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end fraud lifecycle from alerts to investigations and intelligence into a single operating model.
• Set and maintain the operational rhythm — alert volumes, queue health, SLA, escalation management, and risk response.
• Direct the Manager, Fraud Alert Operations and the Manager, Fraud Investigations as peer managers.
• Set Level 2 investigative standards, case review expectations, documentation and evidence discipline.
• Own fraud intelligence, including typology development and detection rule improvements.
• Ensure SAR- and CTR-eligible activity referrals to BSA/AML are timely.
• Establish and report KPIs and KRIs to the SVP and governance forums.
• Partner on QA/QC themes, audit evidence, and control improvements.
• Mentor and develop talent, including hiring and performance management.
• Represent fraud operations in governance committees and OCC examinations.

Job description

Pathward is seeking a senior leader to run end-to-end fraud operations, overseeing alert operations, investigations, and intelligence to form a coherent lifecycle. You will set the operational rhythm, drive escalation and risk management, and partner with governance for QA and regulatory readiness.

With 10+ years in fraud and investigations, you will direct managers, own detection rule improvements, and ensure timely SAR/CTR referrals.