Merchant and Network Compliance Manager

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 Square-acquired 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
• 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

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

Nice-to-Haves

• Industry certifications (CAMS, CFE, CFCS, CRCM)