Staff Product Manager, Risk Modeling
WFA Digital Insight
The demand for skilled product managers in risk modeling has grown significantly, with a 25% increase in job postings over the past year. As the financial ecosystem continues to evolve, companies like Plaid are at the forefront of innovation, making this role an exciting opportunity for those passionate about fintech and digital payments. With the rise of online transactions, the need for robust risk modeling and detection has never been more pressing, and candidates with expertise in machine learning and data analysis are in high demand. Before applying, candidates should be aware of the complexities of working in a rapidly changing regulatory environment and the importance of balancing risk mitigation with customer experience.
Job Description
About the Role
As a Staff Product Manager, Risk Modeling at Plaid, you will be responsible for managing the company's internal risk platform, focusing on detection, scoring, and real-time decisioning. Your primary goal will be to ensure the integrity of Plaid's network and authentication surfaces by keeping bad actors, synthetic and stolen identities, and low-quality data-partner traffic at bay. This is a critical role, as the foundation of every other Plaid product depends on the platform you will be managing.The risk modeling team is at the heart of Plaid's mission to empower financial freedom for everyone. By protecting the integrity of the platform, you will play a key role in enabling thousands of developers to create innovative financial products and services. Your work will have a direct impact on the millions of people who rely on Plaid-powered tools to manage their financial lives.
You will work closely with cross-functional teams, including Data Science, Engineering, and Operations, to define the roadmap for network health and risk detection. Your expertise in risk modeling, detection, and mitigation will be instrumental in driving the development of Plaid's internal risk platform.
What You Will Do
- Define and prioritize the DS/MLE roadmap for network-health detection, articulating model investment needs and owning precision/recall tradeoff decisions
- Develop and own the data-driven framework for real-time block-vs-allow decisions, balancing network quality against customer and commercial impact
- Aggregate requirements across risk engineering, fraud & abuse operations, and data partners into a single prioritized roadmap
- Define how to measure Network Health and set the team's OKRs (risky-traffic detection/step-up, ATO reduction, Authentication correctness)
- Partner with company leadership to set clear, data-backed thresholds for when to allow, step up, or block traffic
- Get hands-on with data, running light investigations, pulling signals, and grounding product decisions in evidence
- Span multiple risk problem categories simultaneously, including data-partner supply risk, authentication risk/correctness, and AQO
- Own one coherent roadmap across all three risk categories
- Define and recommend Plaid's risk-versus-conversion posture, ensuring alignment with company goals and objectives
What We Are Looking For
- 6+ years of experience in product management, ideally in internal risk, trust & safety, fraud, or identity platforms
- Hands-on technical depth in detection signals, precision/recall tradeoffs, and light data analysis/investigation
- Experience building ML-based products/insights, with a strong understanding of risk decisioning, KYC, synthetic/stolen-identity detection, and ATO
- Proven partnership with Data Science/MLE teams on risk models, with a track record of driving successful product outcomes
- Experience with risk decisioning frameworks, including block-vs-allow decisions and real-time decisioning
- Strong product requirements and cross-functional alignment, with the ability to drive consensus and outcomes
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders
- A strong understanding of the fintech industry and the importance of risk modeling in digital payments
Nice to Have
- Experience in a sophisticated internal risk organization at a large fintech/bank/marketplace
- Former risk analyst/DS/investigator who moved into product management, with familiarity with bank data/open finance
- Experience with cloud-based technologies and agile development methodologies
- A background in computer science, mathematics, or a related field, with a strong foundation in programming and data analysis
Benefits and Perks
- Competitive salary and equity package
- Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance
- Flexible PTO policy and remote work options
- Professional development opportunities, including training and conference sponsorships
- Access to a comprehensive benefits package, including 401(k) matching and employee assistance programs
- A dynamic and supportive work environment, with a team of experienced professionals who are passionate about fintech and digital payments
- The opportunity to work on a critical product that has a direct impact on the financial lives of millions of people
- A culture that values innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning, with a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion
How to Stand Out
- Develop a strong understanding of risk modeling and detection, including the latest techniques and technologies in the field
- Build a portfolio of your work, including case studies and examples of your experience with risk decisioning and ML-based products
- Prepare to talk about your experience with data analysis and investigation, including your ability to ground product decisions in evidence
- Research Plaid's mission and values, and be prepared to discuss how your skills and experience align with the company's goals and objectives
- Practice your communication and collaboration skills, including your ability to work effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders
- Be prepared to discuss your experience with agile development methodologies and cloud-based technologies, including your ability to drive successful product outcomes in a fast-paced environment
- Consider highlighting any experience you have with fintech or digital payments, including your understanding of the regulatory environment and the importance of risk modeling in these industries
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