Merchant and Network Compliance Manager

Skills

About the Role

You will serve as the primary owner of inbound payment network and acquiring bank escalations, managing investigations end-to-end from intake through resolution and formal partner response. You will investigate and remediate brand risk violations, restricted and illegal product inquiries, account data compromise events, complex surcharge matters, and payment service provider escalations across banks and their merchant base. You will prepare and deliver evidence packages, remediation plans, and formal written responses to Visa, Mastercard, Amex, and acquiring bank partners under strict deadlines. You will manage acquirer-driven escalations involving suspicious merchant activity, MCC classification, and merchant governance issues across multiple bank partners. You will conduct merchant due diligence, apply network rule interpretation, and assess compliance posture to determine appropriate remediation strategy. You will support network and acquiring bank audits end-to-end, including evidence preparation, coordination, and closeout documentation. You will identify recurring escalation patterns and contribute to scalable control improvements, AI-enabled workflow enhancements, and standardized SOPs. You will maintain accurate case records, tracking, and reporting to support audit readiness and leadership visibility.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in compliance, risk, or a related function in financial services or payments, or equivalent work experience
• Working knowledge of payment network rules and regulations across Visa, Mastercard, and/or Amex, with the ability to interpret and apply rule language to specific merchant and partner situations
• Experience managing partner-facing escalations and communications, including preparation of evidence packages and formal responses under time-sensitive deadlines
• Solid understanding of merchant acquiring risk, including brand risk, prohibited merchant categories, MCC classification, account data compromise, and surcharging compliance
• Familiarity with BSA/AML, sanctions, and broader financial crimes compliance frameworks
• Strong organizational and analytical skills with the ability to manage multiple active escalations, prioritize effectively, and meet strict deadlines
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage credibly with internal stakeholders and external bank and network partners
• Sound judgment when navigating complex, ambiguous escalations with significant financial or partner-relationship consequences
• Comfort operating in a fast-paced, evolving environment where partner expectations and network rules shift frequently
• Industry certifications (CAMS, CFE, CFCS, CRCM) are a plus

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary owner of inbound payment network and acquiring bank escalations, managing investigations end-to-end from intake through resolution and formal partner response.
• Investigate and remediate brand risk violations, restricted and illegal product inquiries, account data compromise events, complex surcharge matters, and payment service provider escalations across bank-acquired and partner merchants.
• Prepare and deliver evidence packages, remediation plans, and formal written responses to Visa, Mastercard, Amex, and acquiring bank partners under strict deadlines.
• Manage acquirer-driven escalations involving suspicious merchant activity, MCC classification, and merchant governance issues across multiple bank partners, each with distinct requirements and escalation paths.
• Conduct merchant due diligence, apply network rule interpretation, and assess compliance posture to determine appropriate remediation strategy.
• Support network and acquiring bank audits end-to-end, including evidence preparation, coordination, and closeout documentation.
• Identify recurring escalation patterns and contribute to scalable control improvements, AI-enabled workflow enhancements, and standardized SOPs.
• Maintain accurate case records, tracking, and reporting to support audit readiness and leadership visibility.

Benefits

• Remote work
• Medical insurance
• Flexible time off
• Retirement savings plans
• Modern family planning