Risk Operations Analyst (Founding Team)
Location: San Francisco, CA or Phoenix, AZ (In-Office) Seniority: Mid-Senior Analyst Reports to: Head of Risk (ex-Stripe, Mercury, Circle, PayPal)
The Mission
Our client is building the financial infrastructure for the $900B US Public Education budget. They provide the charge card, reimbursement engine, and vendor marketplace that give families access to state Education Savings Account (ESA) funds, which average $7.5k per child per year. Backed by $16M from top-tier VCs, the company recently rejected an acquisition offer because they are committed to rebuilding the education system to ensure parents have full control over their children's learning experience.
The Team
You will be joining an in-person company, working together in the office.
- The Founders: The founders are engineers who have run their own alternative school together. One previously worked as a Quant at Goldman Sachs, and the other built the computer vision system for the largest smart warehousing company globally, serving 1M customers/day at age 19.
- The Core Team: You will work alongside top talent, including a founding engineer who did AI research at MILA and at Elon Musk’s SpaceX school, a Head of Risk from Mercury, Stripe, and Circle, and a Payments Engineer from Microsoft and Goldman Sachs. The team also includes the former Deputy Director at a state ESA department and leading school choice advocates.
The Challenge: "Good Actor Fraud"
Unlike traditional fintech roles focused on external criminals, the primary challenge here is "good actor fraud". This involves families who inadvertently spend on ineligible items without realizing it due to complex state rules. The risk function is mission-critical to the program’s regulatory standing and requires a focus on education rather than just enforcement.
The Role
Reporting directly to one of the most experienced fintech risk leaders in the US - you will build the analytics and processes that keep the ESA card program safe and scalable.
- Monitor & Investigate: Analyze charge card transactions to identify patterns of ineligible spend and emerging risk signals in real time.
- Automate via AI Agents: Design and deploy AI-assisted workflows where agents streamline compliance processes and reduce manual review.
- Manage the Credit Cycle: Underwrite and monitor a unique charge card portfolio that accounts for the cyclical nature of state fund disbursements.
- SQL-Heavy Analysis: Write complex analytical queries independently to surface insights from raw data.
- Customer Advocacy: Communicate with families with empathy when a transaction is flagged, focusing on resolution and education.
Requirements
Your Profile
- Experience: 2–5 years in risk, credit analysis, or fraud operations.
- Technical Skills: Expert-level SQL skills for independent, ad-hoc data analysis.
- Product Mindset: Experience building risk frameworks from scratch (0-to-1) rather than just maintaining them.
- Credit Depth: Strong understanding of underwriting models, portfolio monitoring, and vintage analysis.
- Pedigree: Prior risk experience at a leading fintech like Stripe, Mercury, Goldman, or Chime.
- Education: Quantitative background (Stats, Econometrics, Math, or CS) from a top-tier university.
Benefits
Commitment, Compensation & Benefits
This will be a big commitment, and we're aiming high. It needs to be something you are energised about taking on, or this isn't the team for you.
- Competitive Salary: $100,000 – $135,000 per year, commensurate with experience.
- Generous Founding Equity: We compensate you well with equity.
- Top-Tier Backing: We've raised $16M from top-tier VCs and angels.
- Relocation Support: You are willing to relocate to San Francisco, CA, or Phoenix, AZ, and travel to visit customers. We're an in-person company and are in the office together.
- Comprehensive Visa Sponsorship: If you do not have a visa, we can support you.
- Unmatched Impact: The rare opportunity to directly shape how the $900B US Public Education budget is being opened up for parents to take control of their portion (avg. $7.5k/kid/year).