Head of Risk US
Nubank
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Job summary
Nu is seeking a Head of Risk US to oversee all risk disciplines in its US operation, reporting to the executive team and interfacing with regulators. The role requires deep US regulatory knowledge and a hands-on leadership style to build a scalable risk function in a fast-growing fintech.
You will lead risk governance, partner with Engineering and Legal, and drive a proactive risk culture across risk, compliance, and business units in a hybrid Miami-based setup.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (MBA, MSc Finance, JD) preferred.
- 15+ years of risk management experience in financial services, with significant US market exposure.
- Deep expertise in the US regulatory environment (OCC, Fed, FDIC) and direct regulator engagement.
- Background in financial institutions, fintechs, or challenger banks preferred.
- Experience building or significantly transforming a risk function from early/mid-stage to a mature framework.
- Solid understanding of all risk disciplines: credit, market, liquidity, operational, financial crime, and compliance.
Responsibilities
- Develop and lead a comprehensive risk management framework for the US operation across credit, market, liquidity, operational, financial crime, and compliance risk.
- Establish risk appetite, limits, metrics, dashboards, and early warning indicators; report to US Board Risk Management Committee.
- Serve as primary independent risk voice with US regulators and maintain regulator relationships.
- Oversee day-to-day management of the US risk surface; align with global heads on risk disciplines.
- Lead and develop the US risk team and collaborate with engineering, Legal, Compliance, and Finance to embed risk awareness.
Skills
Education
Job description
Nu serves more than 140 million customers, guided by a mission to fight complexity and empower people. The company has been leading an industry transformation through innovative products and human-centered services.
Proprietary technology and data at scale power Nu’s digital platform, built to promote financial access, advancement, and transparency. Its business model thrives on customer love and lower costs, feeding a flywheel of growth and profitability. Visit our Institutional Page
The Global Risk function at Nu is structured around two dimensions: country risk officers (horizontal) and global functional heads by risk discipline (vertical). This matrix creates a \"risk surface\" that allows the organization to scale efficiently without duplicating senior expertise across geographies.
The Head of Risk US will lead the US risk surface, owning all risk disciplines locally while maintaining close coordination with global functional heads: Global Credit Risk, the Global Market and Liquidity Head, and other risk domain leads.
The US risk team is in its early stages, with existing members covering Compliance, Financial Crime/AML, Regulatory, and is expected to grow in line with the business. This is a build-from-scratch opportunity for a senior executive who thrives in dynamic, high-growth environments.
The Head of Risk US is a senior executive responsible for the effective and independent oversight of all risk disciplines within Nu's US operation.
The role requires a leader who understands the US regulatory landscape deeply, can engage independently with regulators and senior governance bodies, and is capable of building a high-performing risk function in a fast-moving fintech environment.
This is a high-visibility, high-impact position that will interact frequently with the US Board/Risk Committee, senior regulators, and Nu's executive leadership team.
Risk Framework & Governance
Build and lead a comprehensive risk management framework for the US operation, covering credit, market, liquidity, operational, financial crime, and compliance risk.
Develop a risk appetite framework and limit structure aligned with the US Board's stated risk tolerance, ensuring all business lines operate within defined parameters.
Establish robust risk metrics, reporting dashboards, and early warning indicators to monitor exposures and elevate material issues in a timely manner.
Serve as Secretary to the US Board Risk Management Committee; prepare and circulate agendas and minutes.
Participate as a permanent member of key senior management committees including the Risk Committee, ALCO, Compliance Committee, and New Product Approval Committee.
Regulatory Engagement
Serve as the primary independent risk voice in all interactions with US regulators, engaging with confidence and autonomy.
Ensure Nu's control environment consistently meets and anticipates regulatory expectations in a rapidly evolving US regulatory landscape.
Develop and maintain relationships with regulators, demonstrating transparency, preparedness, and a mature risk culture.
Risk Surface Management
Oversee the day-to-day management of the US risk surface, coordinating with global functional heads on credit, market/liquidity, operational, and financial crime risk.
Apply Nu's \"target friction\" philosophy: prioritize controls based on materiality, avoiding uniform friction in favor of risk-proportionate management that enables business growth.
Monitor operational loss events, cyber incidents, and key risk indicators, ensuring mitigation strategies are in place and effective.
Team & Stakeholder Leadership
Lead and develop the US risk team, fostering a culture of high standards, intellectual rigor, and ownership.
Build a strong working relationship with engineering and technology teams to ensure risk infrastructure is prioritized and developed appropriately.
Collaborate cross-functionally with the US Country Manager, Legal, Compliance, and Finance to embed risk awareness across the organization.
Act as a business partner to the US leadership team — risk as an enabler, not a blocker.
Professional Experience & Education
Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree (MBA, MSc Finance, JD) or professional certification (CFA, FRM) preferred.
15+ years of experience in risk management within financial services, with a significant portion of that in the US market.
Deep expertise in the US regulatory environment (OCC, Fed, FDIC); experience engaging directly with regulators at a senior level is essential.
Background in financial institutions, fintechs, or challenger banks strongly preferred. Candidates with exclusive experience at large traditional banks without demonstrated adaptability may not be the right fit for this stage of growth.
Experience building or significantly transforming a risk function from an early/mid-stage into a mature framework.
Solid understanding of all risk disciplines: credit, market, liquidity, operational, financial crime, and compliance — with particular depth in the control environment (AML/BSA, operational risk, cyber).
Credit risk expertise is valued but not the primary focus; Nu's global credit function provides strong support in this area.
Competencies & Attributes
Comfort with ambiguity and a proven ability to build structure from scratch in fast-moving environments — \"generating balance based on chaos.\"
Hands-on leader who is present on the ground and willing to be deeply involved in operational realities, not just strategic oversight.
Independent thought leader capable of engaging directly with boards and regulators without relying on hierarchical support for every interaction.
Strong stakeholder management skills, particularly with engineering/technology teams — able to translate risk requirements into development priorities and negotiate trade-offs effectively.
Risk philosophy aligned with Nu's approach: sees friction as a tool to be applied proportionally to materiality, not a default stance. Views risk as a business partner.
Highly adaptive: able to respond quickly to changes in the regulatory landscape and reprioritize accordingly.
Intellectually curious, data-driven, and committed to continuous learning.
Location
Miami, US
Washington, US
Work model
Expected: Hybrid 2-3 times/week: Our hybrid work model brings us to the office at least twice a week, on strategic days designed to maximize team connection and collaboration. For more details, visit https://building.nubank.com/nu-hybrid-work-model/
Opportunity of earning equity at Nu
Medical Insurance
Dental and Vision Insurance
Life Insurance and AD&D
Extended maternity and paternity leaves
Nucleo - Our learning platform of courses
NuLanguage - Our language learning program
NuCare - Our mental health and wellness assistance program
401K Saving Plans - Health Saving Account and Flexible Spending Account
Work-from-home Allowance
Relocation Assistance Package, if applicable.
Our recruitment process may involve the use of artificial intelligence–enabled tools, such as automated interview transcription and analysis, to support the evaluation process. Artificial intelligence is not used to make final hiring decisions; all decisions are made by human reviewers. To maintain a consistent and fair process for every candidate, Nu does not provide individualized technical feedback. See how our policy works here
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