Risk Analyst

Acquiring – Risk & Fraud & Transaction Monitoring Must have Merchant Acquiring experience
About the job We are looking for an Analyst to join our Portfolio Risk Management team. The successful candidate will play a critical role in protecting the business from financial crime, operational risk, and reputational exposure. You'll be part of a team managing a portfolio of merchants across a range of sectors and sizes, monitor transactional behaviour, investigate suspicious activity, and ensure compliance with AML, KYC/KYB, and card scheme requirements. This role sits at the intersection of fraud prevention, risk assessment, and regulatory compliance. You'll collaborate closely with teams across Risk and Compliance, Operations, Sales and our external partners to support safe, scalable, and efficient growth. What You'll Be Doing Risk & Portfolio Management

• Support the management of a portfolio of small, medium, and large merchants, assessing risk exposure and ensuring adherence to onboarding and risk‑mitigation strategies.
• Monitor settlements, refunds, chargebacks, and transaction patterns to identify anomalies or emerging risks.
• Adjust risk parameters and make informed decisions to protect the business while supporting commercial opportunity.
• Conduct detailed financial and market analysis to identify key risks and calculate potential exposure Behavioural Analytics & Financial Crime Detection
• Review transactions using 3rd party and own
• monitoring systems to identify unusual patterns or potentially fraudulent activity.
• Analyse customer behaviour and merchant activity to detect risks and assess suspicious behaviour.
• Conduct in‑depth investigations into flagged transactions, escalating cases where appropriate.
• Manage escalated alerts within in‑house fraud tools and contribute to the writing and optimisation of fraud rules.
• Complete Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) when required. Compliance & Regulatory Oversight
• Ensure compliance with AML laws, local regulations, and internal KYC/KYB guidelines.
• Support the underwriting team as needed to perform periodic customer reviews
• Use third‑party systems, data and tooling (including credit reference agencies) to support risk, fraud, and AML assessments whilst policing card scheme compliance across the portfolio
• Stay up to date with industry trends, regulatory changes, and emerging threats Cross‑Functional Collaboration & Stakeholder Management
• Collaborate with risk and compliance colleagues, and other teams across the business to support investigations, collaborate on risk decisions and manage at risk situations
• Liaise with merchants, partners, Customer Service, Sales, and Compliance teams to resolve issues and provide guidance.
• Maintain strong, long‑term relationships with internal and external stakeholders, influencing strategic risk decisions Training, Projects & Continuous Improvement
• Support training and development across the Risk team and wider business.
• Contribute to strategic projects aimed at improving risk frameworks, tools, and processes.
• Provide practical, commercially aware solutions that help the company grow safely and efficiently. Skills & Experience You'll Bring
• Minimum 3 years' experience in Risk, Fraud, Transaction Monitoring, or Underwriting.
• Strong understanding of card scheme rules, AML requirements, and transaction monitoring processes.
• Experience using credit reference agencies and third‑party fraud/AML tools.
• Proven analytical ability with strong numeracy, quantitative skills, and attention to detail.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills.
• Ability to work under pressure, manage changing priorities, and multitask effectively.
• Calm, patient approach to handling complaints and complex situations.
• Strong negotiation skills and the ability to influence stakeholders.
• Capacity to work independently and collaboratively within a team.
• Experience managing credit portfolios—experience with sports clubs is a plus.
• Flexible, decisive, and quick‑thinking in fast‑moving environments.