Fraud Investigations Manager

Job Purpose:

The Fraud Investigations Manager will establish and lead a comprehensive investigations capability covering various domains of fraud, including but not limited to identity, financial, loss prevention, cybersecurity, platform abuse, fraud rings, and organized crime. The Fraud Investigations Manager develops strategies, policies, and procedures for fraud prevention and oversees fraud prevention team operations to analyze cases of theft, forgeries, and legal claims regarding client losses. This position also identifies weaknesses in current processes, reveals inconsistencies, and recommends enhancements, and produces evidence and information useful in apprehending fraud suspects for court trials. Broad financial industry best-practice fraud prevention and resolution experience is required. This position must meet or exceed the objectives and service levels set for identifying, reducing, and resolving fraudulent activity that involves the Bank. Experience with fraud case management systems and the evaluation of such systems is required for success, with a high degree of focus on fraud alert management.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Operations Management: Ensure production goals and service level agreements (SLAs) are maintained. Effectively manage capacity plan for Investigation inventory, including agent tuning and case aging. Actively strive to identify and implement continuous process improvements to increase efficiencies, reduce cost and minimize risk while ensuring minimal member impact and continued compliance with regulations. Define and implement standard operation procedures for fraud investigations, ensuring consistency and efficiency across teams.
• Reporting: Performs daily review, monitoring and analysis of various reports, logs and transaction data to identify potentially fraudulent transactions. Completes Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) relating to fraud causes, ensuring they are properly documented with related narrative and supporting documentation.
• Quality Control: Analyze data using quality monitoring report/data management to compile and track performance at department and individual level. Ensure quality assurance for all investigation cases, including referrals to BSA team. Perform staff reviews in accordance with bank schedules.
• Performance Management: Develop and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) using scorecards to assess the effectiveness of fraud investigations and identify areas for improvement. Have thorough understanding of fraud-related data and create reports for comprehensive analysis while providing high quality reporting to management. Identify operational strategies to mitigate fraud losses.
• Team Leadership: Plays a positive role in the development and growth of assigned department staff through excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, along with strong delegation skills assuring a highly cross-trained staff.
  1. This role will foster a positive and engaging work environment for each team member by promoting skill development, coaching for improvement and growth, inspiring others through your words and actions, ensuring positive employee morale throughout American Riviera Bank, by embracing our mission, vision and core values.
  2. Performs personnel actions including performance appraisals, disciplinary actions, and interviewing candidates for employment; supervises the daily activities of the department including, but not limited to, effective delegation of assignments, developing work schedules and providing necessary training.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop and implement strategies and initiatives to combat fraud effectively. Build and maintain strong relationship with all internal departments, other financial institutions, law enforcement and vendors.
• Project Management: Participate in projects, training and educational sessions related to department functions or as determined by management.
• Client Experience: Proactively provide great client service for impacted victims of fraud. Responsible for handling escalations, exception items and resolving complex issues.
• Represent bank in contacts with business and trade associations, clients, and regulatory agencies. Attend business functions and industry conferences, and otherwise promote the bank's image.
• Develop and maintain an understanding of the pertinent regulatory requirements and risks inherent to job responsibilities, establish, and maintain control activities that mitigate those risks consistent with the Bank's risk appetite, and ensure operational integrity and compliance with applicable regulations.
• Assists the Chief Risk Officer in implementing cost controls for the department and monitors expenses and mitigates fraud loss to ensure compliance with budget.
• Consistently applies superior decision making techniques pertaining to inquiries, approvals and requests as they apply to existing policies and procedures, keeping within assigned approval limits and using these instances as learning tools for employee development.
• Assumes responsibility for special projects; gathers data and prepares reports for Senior Management, audits and other personnel.
• Processes, solves and answers complex customer transactions, problems or inquiries.
• Answers telephones, answers questions and directs callers to proper Bank personnel.
• Assumes responsibility for various department functions in the absence of staff members or in overload situations.
• Travel as required.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

General:

• Treats people with respect; keeps commitments; inspires the trust of others; works ethically and with integrity; upholds organizational values; accepts responsibility for own actions.
• Completes administrative tasks correctly and on time; supports the Bank's goals and values; benefits the Bank through outside activities.
• Comply with all applicable OSHA safety standards, including:
• Read the workplace safety and health poster at the jobsite.
• Report hazardous conditions to your supervisor and/or HR
• Report any job-related injury or illness to your supervisor and/or HR, and seek treatment promptly.

Compliance

• Complies with all bank policies and procedures and all applicable government regulations including, but not limited deposit and loan regulations, staying current and knowledgeable of all policies, procedures and regulations related to the job functions and completing all assigned training on time, requesting additional training as needed to be proficient in all job responsibilities; cooperating with internal and external auditors and bank examiners by providing full cooperation and timely delivery of requested documentation and information; and reporting concerns about compliance to the Chief Risk Officer to enable prompt remediation.
• Complies with Bank policies and procedures relating to the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), and Anti Money Laundering (AML) and Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) guidance. Maintain ongoing subject matter expertise regarding Fraud and regulations including a thorough understanding of state and federal laws and regulations related to bank compliance including UCC, FACTA, Reg. CC, Reg. E, UCC, Check 21, Bank Secrecy Act, Anti-Money Laundering laws, Mastercard/Visa and other card related regulations appropriate to the position.
• Adheres to privacy and information security policies, and ensure all sensitive internal and external customer information is properly secured and safeguarded. Use secure methods delivering client and/or confidential data by email.
• Demonstrates knowledge of and adherence to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) policy; shows respect and sensitivity for cultural differences; educates others on the value of diversity; promotes working environment free of harassment of any type; and maintains a diverse workforce.

Qualifications:

These specifications are general guidelines based on the minimum experience normally considered essential to the satisfactory performance of this position. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required to perform the position in a satisfactory manner. Individual abilities may result in some deviation from these guidelines.

• Bachelor's degree from a 4-year college or university in Criminal Justice or related field; or 5 of related experience and/or training; or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
• At least 7 years of progressive experience or demonstrated advanced knowledge of fraud management, compliance, or other security work within a financial institution, or equivalent combination of education and experiences emphasizing fraud management. Educational experience, through in-house training sessions, formal school or financial industry related curriculum, should be applicable to the financial industry, or regulatory or law enforcement agency.
• One or more of the following certifications (prompt pursuit of or equivalent) preferred; Professional Certified Investigator (PCI), Certified Fraud Investigator (CFI), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS), Bank Secrecy Act Compliance Specialist (BSACS), Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager (CRCM).
• Advanced knowledge of related state and federal banking compliance regulations, Bank operational policies and procedures, and the Bank's products and services.
• Proven ability to effectively train and instruct others in a formal classroom or one-on-one environment.
• Ability to read, analyze and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, and technical procedures.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills, with the ability to provide leadership, supervision and training for a team of three or more employees using positive supervisory techniques to ensure maximum productivity; demonstrated ability in organization and delegation skills.
• Advanced skills in computer terminal and personal computer operation; host computer system; word processing, spreadsheet and specialty software programs.
• Intermediate typing skills to meet production needs of the position.
• Intermediate math skills; ability to calculate interest, commissions, proportions, and percentages; balance accounts; add, subtract, multiply and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions and decimals; locate routine mathematical errors; compute rate, ratio and percent, including the drafting and interpretation of bar graphs.
• Exceptional verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to apply common sense required to interpret, resolve, and document fraud management and related issues, train and evaluate staff, speak clearly to clients and employees, and perform other related tasks, speak clearly to customers and employees.
• Thorough understanding of management procedures; ability to plan department or Bank activities (setting objectives, developing strategies, budgeting, and developing policies and procedures); initiative to organize various functions necessary to accomplish department or Bank activities; effectively staff (selecting, training and developing employees); directing employees towards the desired objectives (delegating, motivating, resolving problems); controlling the function (developing performance standards, measuring results, taking corrective action and rewarding employees as appropriate).
• Ability to deal with complex problems involving multiple facets and variables in non-standardized situations.
• Ability to work with no supervision while performing duties.
• Current driver's license and a vehicle with appropriate insurance coverage if required to drive in the course of performing assigned duties and responsibilities.

Working Conditions & Physical Requirements:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

The employee will be situated in an office type setting in which he or she is free to move about at will. It may include some minor annoyances such as noise, odors, drafts, etc.

The employee in the course of performing this position spends time writing, typing, speaking, listening, lifting (up to 20 pounds), driving, carrying, sitting, pulling, walking, standing, squatting, kneeling and reaching.

The employee for this position may operate any or all of the following: telephone, cell phone, copy and fax machines, adding machine (calculator), scanner and image systems, personal computer and related printers, or other equipment as directed.

Prolonged sitting throughout the workday with occasional mobility required. Occasionally long work hours may be required to accomplish tasks.

Minimal travel throughout the United States to increase knowledge and skills in fraud management by car or public conveyance. Minimal travel locally by car or public conveyance to resolve fraud management issues and attend meetings.

Carry and respond to mobile phone seven days a week. May need to diagnose fraud management issues remotely and occasionally may need to travel to site to assist, advice, or correct fraud management issues either by car or public conveyance.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.