Head of Risk

Step; San Mateo (CA); On-site; USD 230,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote-first

Stock options

Health, dental, vision

401(k) with Safe Harbor

Generous paid leave

Company-provided tech package

Job summary

Step, a remote-first fintech, seeks a Head of Risk to lead risk decisioning and fraud mitigation while preserving a seamless customer experience. You will partner with Product, Engineering, Compliance, and Data to scale risk operations for growth.

You will guide a multi-disciplinary team to reduce losses, improve model accuracy, and embed risk-aware decisioning across the product lifecycle. This is a high-impact role with remote and hybrid options.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of risk leadership with analytics focus.
• Experience in Fintech or Banking with high-risk consumer tech.
• Proven ability to balance fraud mitigation with user experience.
• Strong cross-functional partnering with Product, Data, Engineering and Compliance.

Responsibilities

• Lead Step's Risk strategy balancing fraud mitigation with user experience.
• Partner with Data Science, Product, Engineering, and Compliance to embed risk-aware decisioning into the product lifecycle.
• Own Step's fraud loss outcomes by partnering with Finance to balance revenue growth against risk overhead and costs.
• Scale the Risk organization to meet hyper-growth demands with automated, technical-first solutions.
• Drive continuous improvement of risk models to minimize false positives and enhance precision.
• Foster a customer-centric risk culture across teams and decision points.

Skills

Risk leadership

Data analytics

Fintech risk

Fraud prevention

Cross-functional collaboration

People management

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

About Step

Step's mission is to improve the financial future of the next generation. Millions of people use our banking and borrowing products to manage, build, and grow their money. Now that we're part of Beast Industries – the company behind MrBeast – we're poised for a new phase of growth to deliver financial literacy and tools at massive scale.

About the Role

We're looking for a Head of Risk to lead our Risk team, partnering with Product, Engineering, Compliance and Data teams to own risk decisioning, scaling risk operations and minimizing fraud losses. You'll lead our high-performing risk team to drive decisions covering transactional risk, first party fraud, targeted fraud attacks, ATO risk and is no stranger to making difficult decisions delivering both great customer experiences, while also mitigating fraud. As part of Beast Industries, MrBeast's family of companies, Step is positioned to scale significantly over the next 12-24 months, and deliver best in class risk controls and protection will be critical to support that growth.

In this role, you will:

• Lead Step's Risk strategy that balances aggressive fraud mitigation with a frictionless, world-class user experience
• Champion cross-functional partnership with Data Science, Product, Engineering, and Compliance to embed risk-aware decisioning into the product lifecycle
• Own Step's fraud loss outcomes by partnering with Finance to balance revenue growth against risk overhead and operational costs
• Scale the Risk organization to meet hyper-growth demands, prioritizing automated, technical-first solutions to improve operational efficiency
• Drive continuous improvement of risk prediction models to minimize false positives and enhance precision in high-stakes environments
• Execute a customer-centric risk culture that views every mitigation effort through the lens of user trust and retention

You might thrive in this role if you have:

• 10+ years of high-impact risk leadership, with a strong preference for candidates offering expertise in risk analytics and/or data science
• Proven track record of analytical leadership, using data to navigate complex challenges and drive strategic business results
• Extensive experience within Fintech or Banking, specifically managing high-risk consumer technology environments and payment platforms
• Demonstrated success in neutralising transactional fraud while maintaining full accountability for fraud losses.
• Expertise in developing defense strategies against sophisticated attack vectors, including first-party and friendly fraud
• History of collaborating with Product teams to deliver seamless, "good-customer" experiences without compromising security
• Proactive, outcome-oriented mindset with a deep commitment to advocating for the customer at every decision point
• Mastery of cross-functional influence, building consensus and alignment across disparate internal teams and stakeholders
• Extensive experience building and mentoring multi-disciplinary teams across Risk Ops, Analytics, Disputes, and Investigations

Logistics

Location: Remote (US) or San Mateo, CA, with occasional travel for team offsites and key meetings
Reports to: Chief Operating Officer
Education: Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience

How we're different

We stand for the side hustlers, the creators, the freelancers, and the investors — people who are not afraid to take on challenges, especially when it comes to their finances. Step is focused on disrupting the banking industry by delivering a differentiated, mobile-first consumer experience, and we operate like the customers we serve: customer obsessed, acting as owners, moving with urgency, and breaking the norm.
Step is a wholly owned subsidiary of Beast Industries, the media and entertainment company founded by Jimmy Donaldson (MrBeast), the most-watched person in the world. Beast Industries spans digital media, consumer products, philanthropy, and new ventures, with an audience reach no consumer company has ever had — and Step is tasked with turning that reach into financial literacy and tools for the next generation at massive scale. With Beast's distribution and brand behind it, Step is positioned to scale significantly over the next 12 months, and joining now means helping shape that trajectory from the inside.

Come work with us!

Step is a remote-first company building banking for the next generation. We offer competitive compensation and stock options, generous medical, dental, vision, and company-paid life insurance, a 401k plan with Safe Harbor company matching, a flexible vacation policy and paid company holidays, 12 weeks paid parental leave with flexible return to work, and a company-provided technology package. If you're looking to join a fast-growing company with a strong mission and vision that puts people first, we want to meet you!

Step is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Step is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities throughout the application and interview process. If you need an accommodation, please let us know at [e-mail] and we'll work with you to provide appropriate support.