Hybrid Senior Risk Advisor, Debit Card – Digital Payments

at Vanguard

• Job title: Senior Risk Advisor, Debit Card – Digital Payments
• Job type: Full Time
• Experience level: Senior
• Salary: Not specified
• Degree requirement: Bachelor's Degree
• Tech skills: Ruby on Rails
• Location requirements: Hybrid, Malvern, United States

About the role

• Senior Risk Advisor providing risk advisory support for Vanguard’s payment capabilities including debit cards and digital payment models. Collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure compliance and resilience.

Responsibilities

• Provide risk guidance, oversight, and assurance services to enterprise and divisional partners based on Vanguard’s operational and strategic risk framework, with a focus on transactional and payment‑related risks.
• Ensures the development and implementation of effective divisional risk controls across card programs and digital payment capabilities.
• Lead and assist the business in the development, implementation, and management of longer‑term risk management strategies aligned to new and evolving payment capabilities, including next‑generation payment rails and enabling technologies, in accordance with department objectives and enterprise risk policies.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with enterprise and divisional stakeholders to understand ongoing and evolving risk needs related to transactional products.
• Act as a trusted thought partner to the business, balancing innovation, customer experience, and risk management.
• Ability to translate complex, technical risk considerations—including payments operations, fraud, transaction monitoring, and regulatory expectations—into clear, decision‑oriented guidance for senior leaders.
• Lead and manage the efficiency and effectiveness of risk management within the business.
• Set measurable goals and evaluate opportunities to raise standards, increase quality, and strengthen overall risk management practices related to payment operations.
• Measure success in identifying, assessing, and managing payments‑related risk exposure and advise on prioritization of existing and emerging risks.
• Experience partnering with cross‑functional teams (product, technology, operations, legal, compliance) and third‑party vendors to support the design, launch, and ongoing oversight of payment products in complex, highly regulated environments.
• Work with the business to mitigate risk and optimize process efficiency across debit card and digital payment operations.
• Provide consultative support as new products, services, processes, and procedures are developed.
• Assess the design and effectiveness of existing controls supporting payment products and transaction flows, leveraging industry best practices to recommend enhancements as needed.
• Apply enterprise risk management concepts consistently when evaluating and communicating payment‑related risk exposures.

Requirements

• Minimum of eight years related work experience in payments risk or digital payments, with hands‑on involvement in debit card programs and/or transactional product launches.
• Undergraduate degree or equivalent combination of training and experience.
• Graduate degree preferred.
• Strong understanding of debit card and payments ecosystems, including issuer, processor, network, and sponsor bank models, and associated third‑party risk considerations.
• Demonstrated experience providing risk advisory support across payments operations, including fraud prevention, transaction monitoring, dispute handling, and consumer protection.
• Proven ability to partner effectively with product, technology, operations, legal, and compliance teams to drive sound risk decisions in regulated environments.
• Ability to clearly communicate complex payments and risk topics to senior stakeholders and support execution through influence rather than authority.
• Relevant payments or risk certifications (e.g., NACHA) a plus.

Benefits

• Flexible working model
• Professional development opportunities