Risk Program Lead

Lead is a fintech building banking infrastructure for embedded financial products and services. We operate an FDIC-insured bank headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. Additionally, we have offices in San Francisco, Sunnyvale, and New York City, where our technical, product, design, and legal teams operate.

We are built for a constantly evolving financial landscape, where new ventures and technological advancements emerge daily. Guided by a team of entrepreneurs and technologists with decades of experience navigating intricate banking and payments regulations, Lead blends regulatory and technological expertise to help our fintech partners scale their operations with compliance and creativity.

Simply put, Lead offers the essential attributes that every fintech seeks in a partner bank. First, unparalleled technical expertise from a distinguished team of developers with an extensive understanding of the banking and payments systems. Second, oversight expertise, automated compliance systems, and bespoke program management to navigate the ever-shifting regulatory landscape. Finally, a commitment to transparency and operational rigor to ensure everyone’s money does what it’s supposed to do.

Role Description:

We are looking for a Risk Program Lead to own and mature a portfolio of enterprise risk programs that are critical to Lead Bank’s strategy. This strategic role provides leadership and oversight across Fintech partner risk management, enterprise risk management, vendor management, and risk governance for our strategic third‑party partnerships and internal programs. The Risk Program Lead will set the strategy and execute on these programs, ensuring they are risk‑based, nimble, scalable, and exam‑ready, while staying tightly integrated with Program Management, Compliance, Financial Crimes, Information Security, Legal, Finance, and other stakeholders. The Risk Program Lead will also be responsible for helping to shape the risk narrative for our Fintech portfolio, driving consistent execution across programs, and identifying new opportunities for value, control uplift, and process improvement.

In this role you will:

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of program owners and analysts, tasked with managing Lead’s Fintech partner risk management, enterprise risk management, vendor management, and risk governance programs

• Determine and execute the roadmap and success metrics for Enterprise Risk programs supporting BaaS and non‑BaaS activities, ensuring they are aligned to regulatory expectations and Lead’s risk appetite and work with Risk leadership to track metrics and curate program goals

• Oversee fintech partner risk management programs, including BaaS partner risk assessments, annual enterprise risk assessments, and vendor reviews, ensuring consistent risk ratings, documentation, and reporting across a number of risk domains

• Oversee risk governance programs such as issue management, regulatory exam and third‑party audit response, ensuring the Bank continues to mature its abilities to perform root cause analysis, ensuring timely and well‑controlled execution

• Execute and further develop a host of ambitious OKRs, designed to enhance existing risk programs, build new ones, and generally mature the risk management landscape at Lead

• Drive the maintenance and development of quantitative risk metrics throughout the Enterprise

• Partner closely with Program Management and other cross‑functional stakeholders to embed Enterprise Risk programs into the Fintech partner lifecycle (onboarding, ongoing oversight, expansions, and offboarding)

• Represent and speak to all aspects of the Enterprise Risk program within key forums and committees, synthesizing program outputs into clear, decision‑useful risk narratives

• Build strong relationships with senior and executive leadership, serving as a thought partner on complex or emerging risks across our BaaS and traditional banking businesses

• Continuously evaluate and improve Enterprise Risk tooling, processes, and documentation to drive scalability, clarity of ownership, and exam/audit readiness

• Oversee and coordinate risk reporting to senior management and Board risk committees

• Perform other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

• 7-10 years of experience in designing and leading Enterprise Risk or Compliance Management programs for a financial services firm (preferably a bank). Should possess experience and/or familiarity with the following domains: risk & control frameworks, risk assessments, third party risk management, governance, exam & audit management, reporting to management & board level committees, representing complex risk programs to auditors/examiners

• Experience building & running similar risk programs at a Fintech where products carry considerable consumer compliance risk is strongly preferred

• Expertise in effectively managing a growing team of managers and analysts with broad and diverse backgrounds and skill sets

• Strong relationship-management skills and ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with team members at all levels of the organization, including senior & executive management

• Ability to successfully oversee numerous programs at once, ensuring effective day-to-day operations while simultaneously executing on strategic goals

• Possess significant adaptability and flexibility, to be able to design and execute to changing conditions and priorities

• Ability to operate successfully where projects and/or goals may be self directed or open-ended

• Proven ability to direct a team and develop talent

What we offer:

At Lead, we design our benefits to support company culture and principles, to foster an efficient and inspiring work environment, and to create the conditions for our team to give their best in both work and life

• Competitive compensation, including opportunities for equity grants and cash bonus, based on experience, geographic location, and role

• Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, 401k Matching, and other wellness benefits, including FSA, HSA and HRA

• Paid parental leave

• Flexible vacation policy, including PTO and paid holidays

• A fun and challenging team environment in a dynamic industry with ample opportunities for career growth

*Lead Bank is proud to have an inclusive culture committed to ensuring equal employment opportunity in all employment decisions regardless of race, color, gender, national origin, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, veteran status or any other legally protected status.

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

*Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

*Pursuant to the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

- Zone 1: $185,000 - $239,000 (SF/Bay Area, NYC, Seattle)

- Zone 2: $171,000 - $221,000 (Los Angeles, Chicago, Austin, Denver, Boston, Washington DC, San Diego, Philadelphia, Portland, Sacramento, Miami)

- Zone 3: $163,000 - $211,000 (Other US Metros)