Model Risk Management 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: The Model Risk Management Lead role offers you the chance to ensure oversight of model risk, ensuring the integrity and efficacy of various quantitative models used by the bank, directly or through its partners. You’ll play a critical role in safeguarding the company against regulatory, financial, and reputational risks linked to model risks. Your expertise will help prevent potential losses and ensure compliance with Lead’s stringent risk management standards.

In this role you will:

• Oversee Lead’s overall Model Risk Management program
• Maintain Lead’s Model Inventory
• Perform due diligence on partner model risk management process as part of partner onboarding
• Review documentation, validate models and recommend enhancements covering a range of models from scorecards, regressions to machine learning algorithms
• Engage with stakeholders: Work closely with risk, finance, customers/partners, and other related function group personnel to identify, assess, monitor, and manage model risk proactively.
• Ensure that, per Lead Bank model risk policy, models are: appropriately registered and risk-rated by EMRM (Enterprise Model Risk Management); validated before use; following appropriate protocol when adjustments or other changes are made to a model, its inputs or outputs.
• As appropriate and where independence of oversight is not compromised, offer input on model design or use that would enhance the management of model risk.

Qualifications:

• Hold a Bachelor’s Degree in a quantitative discipline such as math, physics, econometrics, statistics, or financial engineering.
• Have more than 5 years of working experience in quantitative / statistical model development, model validation and/or model risk management
• Familiarity with traditional statistical models (e.g. linear / logistic regressions) as well as more advanced machine learning models (e.g. gradient boosting models)
• Possess a strong quantitatively oriented knowledge of financial products and industry best practices and regulatory requirements for model risk management.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Have a collaborative mind-set with strong interpersonal skills.
• Knowledge of regulatory requirements for financial institutions
• Familiar with enterprise risk management framework

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, 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.

**Our compensation reflects the cost of labor across several US geographic markets. Pay is based on a number of factors and may vary depending on geographical market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. These ranges may be modified in the future.

Zone 1: $177,000 - $205,000 (SF/Bay Area, NYC, Seattle, LA)

Zone 2: $152,000 - $175,000 (Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, San Diego, DC)

Zone 3: $146,000 - $167,000 (Other US Metros)