VP/Director of Merchant Underwriting
As the VP/Director of Merchant Underwriting, you will act as the guardian of ClarityPay's financial integrity, managing the critical intersection of commercial growth and merchant acquiring risk. In this role, you will define how we assess, onboard, and monitor enterprise merchants, ensuring that our rapid expansion is built on a foundation of prudent credit and fraud risk management.
You will be responsible for underwriting merchants specifically for non-delivery, reputational, settlement, chargeback, and dispute exposure. Your primary objective is to mitigate the counterparty risk inherent in our business modelspecifically the risk of unrecoverable funds due to merchant insolvency or operational failure. This is a highly quantitative and strategic role; you will leverage advanced financial and statistical modeling to quantify risks and devise creative mitigation strategiessuch as holdbacks, delayed settlements, or covenantsthat allow us to say "yes" to business while protecting our downside. You will work cross-functionally with Commercial, Legal, and Credit leadership to structure deals that balance commercial success with rigorous risk control.
Key Responsibilities
- Own the underwriting framework for merchant acquiring risk.
- Devise industry-leading practices to mitigate identified risks.
- Lead the engagement with merchant teams to verify financial data.
- Utilize extensive data analytics and financial modeling.
- Play a central role in deal teams, working closely with Commercial, Legal, and Credit Risk leadership.
- Devise and implement ongoing monitoring mechanisms.
- Build and mentor a high-performing underwriting team.
What We're Looking For
- 7-10+ years of experience in Merchant Underwriting, Commercial Credit Risk, and/or Counterparty Risk Management.
- Proficiency in SQL for data extraction and querying, and experience using Python for statistical risk modeling and financial analysis.
- Comfortable tearing apart financial statements to assess liquidity and solvency.
- Proven experience in creating and enforcing covenants, collateral requirements, and risk mitigation solutions.
- A track record of balancing risk vs. reward.
- Exceptional ability to lead nuanced conversations with senior stakeholders.
- Experience building teams or frameworks from the ground up.
- [Desired] Experience leveraging Generative AI tools to scale analysis.
What We Offer
- Competitive compensation and equity package.
- Comprehensive benefits (medical, dental, vision).
- Collaborative office culture with a strong product mindset.
- Opportunities to grow, lead, and shape the future of consumer finance.
- 401k program
Ready to redefine consumer lending with us? Apply today and join a passionate team committed to making financial clarity a reality.
Salary Range: $175K - $200K per year, based on experience and qualifications.
Please email mj@claritypay.com if you are interested along with a resume.
ClarityPay is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran, marital status, or any other legally protected status.