Risk Analyst

Overview

Are you ready to go uP?

• We are named in Top Workplaces NYC for 2024
• We are one of the winners of USPAACC’s Fast 100 Asian American Business awards
• We are recognized as one of the Top 5000 in Inc. Magazine’s Fastest Growing Private Companies
• We were a finalist for Best ISO of the Year by ETA in 2024
• We were awarded as a Growth Accelerator on the CO-100, an exclusive list that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce recognizes as America s top 100 small and medium sized businesses

• You want to work at a minority owned Fintech company that empowers small to medium-sized businesses
• You are passionate to serve and support our local community and their growth
• You get on-the-job training to get you familiar with the industry and the role
• You get medical, vision, and dental coverage, generous PTO, and 401k
• We offer periodic performance review for potential salary increase

Compensation: This is an exempt position, with a monthly salary of $4,500 during the probationary period. Upon successful completion of the probationary period, the base rate will increase to $5,000 per month.

Role

Summary:

The Risk Analyst role is a fully onsite position, 5 days a week, in our Houston office. The Risk Analyst will be responsible for identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks related to merchant accounts, transactional behavior, and potential fraud. Additionally, the Risk Analyst will play a key role in supporting the underwriting team by evaluating new merchant applications and assisting with risk-based decision-making during the onboarding process.

• Monitor daily merchant processing activity for suspicious behavior, anomalies, and potential fraud indicators.
• Analyze transaction trends, chargebacks, reserves, and credit exposure to assess and manage ongoing risk.
• Conduct reviews and investigations of high-risk merchants, including those flagged in MATCH/TMF or associated with card brand violations.
• Assist the underwriting team in evaluating new merchant applications by assessing risk exposure based on business model, financials, processing volume, and industry type.
• Help structure deals by recommending appropriate reserve levels, rolling reserves, or processing limits.
• Review supporting documentation including bank statements, processing statements, financials, and business models to assess risk at onboarding and during merchant lifecycle reviews.
• Collaborate with Underwriting, Compliance, Legal, and Account Management teams on complex merchant approvals or escalations.
• Recommend mitigation strategies such as account holds, reserve changes, or termination of high-risk merchants.
• Prepare reports and presentations for internal stakeholders and regulators on portfolio risk exposure and trends.
• Contribute to the enhancement of internal risk models, monitoring tools, and underwriting guidelines.
• Stay informed on card brand rules (Visa, Mastercard), industry regulations, and emerging fraud trends.

• Must be authorized to work in the US at the time of hire. We are an E-Verify employer!
• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics, Business, Risk Management, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• 3-5 years of experience in risk analysis, underwriting, or compliance within payment processing or financial services
• Bilingual proficiency in Mandarin is preferred.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Experience evaluating credit risk, fraud, and merchant business models.
• Familiarity with chargeback management, MATCH lists, BIN violations, and reserve structures.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency in Excel; experience with SQL or risk analytics platforms is a plus.

• Prior experience supporting or working within an underwriting team.
• Familiarity with high-risk verticals and how to structure deals to mitigate exposure.
• Knowledge of compliance requirements including PCI-DSS, KYC, AML, and card brand guidelines.
• Bilingual proficiency in Mandarin-Chinese

Since 2003, Universal Processing has dedicated itself to growing the unique needs of small and medium-sized businesses by…