Officer, Merchant Underwriter

RESPONSIBILITIES Merchant Risk Assessment & Onboarding Conduct thorough KYC/KYB checks (CR12, KRA PIN, Director IDs). Analyze financial statements and bank records to determine financial viability. Perform targeted digital audits or site visits for high-risk merchants or those with historical chargeback ratios exceeding 1%. Review and assign accurate Merchant Category Codes (MCC) based on risk profiles. Coordinate with Risk and Compliance departments to ensure all anti-money laundering (AML) and fraud checks are cleared. Decision Making & Risk Mitigation Approve, decline, or recommend conditional approvals for merchant accounts. Establish transaction limits, settlement cycles, and rolling reserves. Negotiate risk terms with Sales teams without compromising bank security. Compliance & Regulatory Oversight Screen applicants against AML/CFT sanctions lists (FRC, OFAC, UN) and MATCH / VMSS. Ensure merchant compliance with PCI DSS data security standards. Maintain detailed audit trails for every underwriting decision. Portfolio Monitoring & Reporting Monitor for "Transaction Laundering" and suspicious volume spikes. Investigate accounts with high chargeback ratios and initiate terminations if needed. Escalate high-risk trends to the Manager, Card Operations, Manager, Specialist Merchant Sales and Head Card, Payments Monitor dormant Terminals and recommend actions to various sales teams and Merchant analysts KEY RELATIONSHIP Internal: Card Operations Team, Merchant Acquiring team, E-commerce team, Sales, Fraud Investigation Unit, Finance, Legal, and IT. External: Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), FRC, Card Schemes (Visa, MasterCard, CUP, Payment Processors, Merchants (as needed) Payment Processors, Merchants (as needed), and Merchants Requirements QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics, Business, Law, or a related field. Minimum 2-3 years’ experience in risk management or merchant underwriting. Deep knowledge of Kenyan regulatory frameworks (POCAMLA, CBK Guidelines). SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES Strong analytical and investigative skills. High attention to detail and accuracy. Proficiency in risk-scoring models and data analysis tools. Ability to work independently and meet tight onboarding deadlines. Strong communication and interpersonal skills.