Director of Risk Operations
Koalafi, Arlington, VA, United States
Director Of Risk Operations
At Koalafi, we believe in a world where no one has to put an important purchase on hold. That's why we're making it easier for more people to pay for big purchases over time. Retailers across the country rely on us to offer flexible lease-to-own financing to their non-prime consumers, while increasing sales and strengthening customer loyalty. Their 2M+ customers love us because we provide a flexible way for them to make payments and give them an opportunity to improve their credit. Our 200+ Koalafi teammates enjoy inspiring and challenging work that accelerates their careers. Interested in learning more about how we're transforming the financing experience and joining our team? The Opportunity
As Director of Risk Operations, you will own end-to-end operational fraud prevention and risk review across both our merchant and customer portfolios. You will lead a team of six Fraud Investigators, setting the direction, building the processes, and developing the capabilities that allow Koalafi to scale its fraud prevention function as the business grows. This is a hands-on leadership role at a company of ~220 people, meaning you will be both a strategic owner and an active contributor. You'll be expected to roll up your sleeves diving into complex investigations, designing workflows, writing documentation, and coaching your team while simultaneously thinking about how the function needs to evolve over the next 12-24 months. The right person for this role sees process excellence and technology adoption not as administrative overhead, but as the core levers for building a fraud operation that punches above its weight. You are genuinely excited about AI and actively experimenting with how it can be applied to fraud workflows not as a future aspiration, but as something you are doing right now. What You'll Own
Merchant Underwriting Merchant Fraud Reviews Proactive Customer-Level Fraud Reviews Reactive Customer-Level Fraud Reviews Post-Funding Account-Level Reviews How You'll Lead
Team leadership Process development Training Quality assurance Cross-functional collaboration Escalation management AI and Technology
This role requires more than comfort with technology it requires genuine curiosity and initiative in applying AI to fraud operations. You will: Actively experiment with AI tools (including large language models, automation platforms, and agentic workflows) to identify opportunities to improve investigator efficiency and decision quality Lead the evaluation and adoption of new fraud prevention technologies and third-party tools Work with Fraud Analytics and Engineering to scope and prioritize tooling investments that support the team Bring a point of view on where AI can realistically augment or automate portions of the fraud review workflow and be willing to build and test those ideas, not just propose them About You
Experience
6+ years of experience in fraud operations, fraud investigations, or risk management within a financial services or fintech environment 2+ years of people management experience, with a track record of developing individual contributors Direct experience with merchant fraud, point-of-sale financing, or B2B2C financial products strongly preferred Familiarity with consumer regulatory requirements relevant to fraud and disputes (CFPB, FCRA, Reg E, UDAAP) Skills and Orientation
Strong process improvement orientation you find poorly documented, inconsistent workflows genuinely uncomfortable and are motivated to fix them Excellent written communication skills; you write clear, structured documentation that others can easily follow Sharp pattern recognition and investigative instincts you can identify what's anomalous and pursue it methodically Comfortable making and defending judgment calls in ambiguous situations with incomplete information Data literate you can work with Excel and basic reporting tools to monitor team performance and identify trends; SQL familiarity is a plus Collaborative and low-ego; this is a small company and you'll need to work effectively across functions without a large support structure Mindset
Genuinely excited about AI and actively experimenting with how it applies to your domain not waiting to be told, but exploring on your own Orientation toward building scalable systems rather than heroic individual effort Strong sense of ethics and confidentiality you understand the sensitivity of the information this role handles Comfortable having difficult conversations with merchants, internal stakeholders, and leadership Motivated by catching fraud and building something that makes that easier over time Why Choose Koalafi
A career at Koalafi means opportunities to tackle exciting challenges every single day. We take pride in a culture of innovation, trust, and ownership. You'll get outside your comfort zone, build meaningful relationships, and most of all, take charge of projects that ultimately help people get the things they need most. Benefits
At Koalafi, you will have a direct impact on our products and help shape the company's success. We offer competitive compensation & benefits packages to keep you at your best: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage 20 PTO days + 11 paid holidays 401(k) retirement with company matching Student Loan & Tuition Reimbursement Commuter assistance Parental leave (maternal + paternal) Inclusion and Associate Engagement Programs Who We Are & What We Value
We focus on what's most important We set clear expectations and deliver We embrace challenges to reach our full potential We ask, "How can this be better?" We move fast together
At Koalafi, we believe in a world where no one has to put an important purchase on hold. That's why we're making it easier for more people to pay for big purchases over time. Retailers across the country rely on us to offer flexible lease-to-own financing to their non-prime consumers, while increasing sales and strengthening customer loyalty. Their 2M+ customers love us because we provide a flexible way for them to make payments and give them an opportunity to improve their credit. Our 200+ Koalafi teammates enjoy inspiring and challenging work that accelerates their careers. Interested in learning more about how we're transforming the financing experience and joining our team? The Opportunity
As Director of Risk Operations, you will own end-to-end operational fraud prevention and risk review across both our merchant and customer portfolios. You will lead a team of six Fraud Investigators, setting the direction, building the processes, and developing the capabilities that allow Koalafi to scale its fraud prevention function as the business grows. This is a hands-on leadership role at a company of ~220 people, meaning you will be both a strategic owner and an active contributor. You'll be expected to roll up your sleeves diving into complex investigations, designing workflows, writing documentation, and coaching your team while simultaneously thinking about how the function needs to evolve over the next 12-24 months. The right person for this role sees process excellence and technology adoption not as administrative overhead, but as the core levers for building a fraud operation that punches above its weight. You are genuinely excited about AI and actively experimenting with how it can be applied to fraud workflows not as a future aspiration, but as something you are doing right now. What You'll Own
Merchant Underwriting Merchant Fraud Reviews Proactive Customer-Level Fraud Reviews Reactive Customer-Level Fraud Reviews Post-Funding Account-Level Reviews How You'll Lead
Team leadership Process development Training Quality assurance Cross-functional collaboration Escalation management AI and Technology
This role requires more than comfort with technology it requires genuine curiosity and initiative in applying AI to fraud operations. You will: Actively experiment with AI tools (including large language models, automation platforms, and agentic workflows) to identify opportunities to improve investigator efficiency and decision quality Lead the evaluation and adoption of new fraud prevention technologies and third-party tools Work with Fraud Analytics and Engineering to scope and prioritize tooling investments that support the team Bring a point of view on where AI can realistically augment or automate portions of the fraud review workflow and be willing to build and test those ideas, not just propose them About You
Experience
6+ years of experience in fraud operations, fraud investigations, or risk management within a financial services or fintech environment 2+ years of people management experience, with a track record of developing individual contributors Direct experience with merchant fraud, point-of-sale financing, or B2B2C financial products strongly preferred Familiarity with consumer regulatory requirements relevant to fraud and disputes (CFPB, FCRA, Reg E, UDAAP) Skills and Orientation
Strong process improvement orientation you find poorly documented, inconsistent workflows genuinely uncomfortable and are motivated to fix them Excellent written communication skills; you write clear, structured documentation that others can easily follow Sharp pattern recognition and investigative instincts you can identify what's anomalous and pursue it methodically Comfortable making and defending judgment calls in ambiguous situations with incomplete information Data literate you can work with Excel and basic reporting tools to monitor team performance and identify trends; SQL familiarity is a plus Collaborative and low-ego; this is a small company and you'll need to work effectively across functions without a large support structure Mindset
Genuinely excited about AI and actively experimenting with how it applies to your domain not waiting to be told, but exploring on your own Orientation toward building scalable systems rather than heroic individual effort Strong sense of ethics and confidentiality you understand the sensitivity of the information this role handles Comfortable having difficult conversations with merchants, internal stakeholders, and leadership Motivated by catching fraud and building something that makes that easier over time Why Choose Koalafi
A career at Koalafi means opportunities to tackle exciting challenges every single day. We take pride in a culture of innovation, trust, and ownership. You'll get outside your comfort zone, build meaningful relationships, and most of all, take charge of projects that ultimately help people get the things they need most. Benefits
At Koalafi, you will have a direct impact on our products and help shape the company's success. We offer competitive compensation & benefits packages to keep you at your best: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage 20 PTO days + 11 paid holidays 401(k) retirement with company matching Student Loan & Tuition Reimbursement Commuter assistance Parental leave (maternal + paternal) Inclusion and Associate Engagement Programs Who We Are & What We Value
We focus on what's most important We set clear expectations and deliver We embrace challenges to reach our full potential We ask, "How can this be better?" We move fast together