Merchant Risk Data Analyst at Upgrade

Upgrade helps customers move in the right direction with affordable and responsible financial products. Since 2017, we’ve helped over 7.5 million customers access over $42 billion in consumer credit. With a relentless focus on improving our customers' financial well-being, we build products that put more money in their pocket and support their journey toward a better financial future. We’re backed by some of the most prominent technology investors and were most recently valued at $7.3B.We’re consistently recognized for our collaborative and inclusive culture. Most recently, we were named one of the World’s Top Fintech Companies by CNBC, Best Places to Work by Built In, Best Places to Work by the San Francisco Business Times, America’s Greatest Workplaces by Newsweek, Best Startup Employer by Forbes, and Healthiest Employers by Phoenix Business Journal. We’re looking for new team members who get excited about designing and delivering new and better products. Come join us and help build a better financial future for millions of people.About the Role:Upgrade is looking for a Merchant Risk Data Analyst to transform how we identify and mitigate merchant risk through data analysis and visualization. You'll combine merchant risk expertise with analytical skills to build predictive models, automated monitoring triggers, and actionable insights that protect our platform from fraud, compliance violations, and operational failures.You'll turn millions of transactional data points into strategic risk decisions, applying analytical rigor to catch problems early and safeguard our merchants, borrowers, and business. What You'll Do:Data Analysis & Predictive ModelingAnalyze large volumes of transactional data to identify merchant risk patterns and trendsBuild predictive models to forecast merchant fraud, financial distress, compliance issues, and operational red flagsDevelop risk scoring methodologies that prioritize high-risk merchants for proactive reviewConduct historical trend analysis to understand how merchant risk evolves over time and across verticalsIdentify leading indicators of merchant misconduct, project abandonment, chargebacks, and borrower harmAutomated Risk Monitoring & Trigger DevelopmentDesign automated merchant risk triggers based on transactional behavior and performance metricsCreate early-warning systems for financial distress, fraud patterns, compliance violations, and operational deteriorationOptimize trigger logic to balance detection accuracy with operational efficiencyCollaborate with Engineering and Product to operationalize triggers into monitoring workflowsMonitor trigger performance and adjust thresholds based on investigation outcomesTableau Reporting & VisualizationBuild and maintain Tableau dashboards for merchant investigations using transactional data, WIP trends, chargeback patterns, and complaint analysisCreate visualizations that empower the Merchant Risk team to investigate merchants quickly and effectivelyDevelop performance metrics reporting for team productivity, investigation outcomes, and risk mitigation effectivenessDesign executive-level reporting on merchant risk trends and portfolio healthEnsure dashboards are intuitive, accurate, and actionableStrategic Insights & CollaborationPartner with Merchant Risk Managers and analysts to understand investigation needs and data gapsProvide data-driven recommendations to improve risk detection and investigation efficiencyCollaborate with Sales, Credit, Compliance, FinCrimes, and Product teams on risk strategyPresent findings and recommendations to leadership in clear, compelling formatsStay current on merchant risk trends, fraud schemes, and industry best practices What We Look For:Required:3+ years merchant risk experience in fraud detection, compliance monitoring, underwriting, or risk operations (fintech, payments, or lending preferred)Strong SQL skills for querying large datasets and performing complex data analysisProficiency in Tableau (or similar BI tools) for building dashboards and visualizationsExperience with predictive modeling and statistical analysis (regression, classification, clustering)Excel/Google Sheets expertise for data manipulation, pivot tables, and analysisDeep merchant risk knowledge: fraud patterns, financial distress indicators, compliance red flags, operational issues, borrower harm signalsAnalytical mindset with strong attention to detail and ability to spot patterns in complex dataClear communication to translate analytical findings for non-technical audiencesPreferred:Experience with Python or R for data analysis and modelingFamiliarity with machine learning techniques and model validationKnowledge of merchant underwriting, credit risk, or transaction monitoringExperience with WIP (Work-in-Progress) data in project-based lendingBackground in home improvement, solar, elective medical, or other merchant verticalsUnderstanding of regulatory requirements (UDAAP, state licensing, consumer protection)Prior experience building automated alerting systems or risk triggersWhat We Offer You: Competitive salary and stock option plan100% paid coverage of medical, dental, and vision insurance Flexible PTOCompetitive 401(k) Opportunities for professional growth and development   Paid parental leaveHealth & wellness initiatives #BI-Hybrid   #LI-HybridFor California residents: Upgrade's California Notice at Collection and Privacy Policy describes our practices regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of the personal information of job applicants.We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. Upgrade does not accept unsolicited resumes from staffing agencies, search firms, or any third parties. Any resume submitted to any employee of Upgrade without a prior written agreement in place will be considered the property of Upgrade, and Upgrade will not be obligated to pay any referral or placement fee. Agencies must obtain advance written approval from Upgrade's Talent Acquisition department to submit resumes and only in conjunction with a valid, fully executed agreement. English is required for all positions, as it involves interacting with staff at Upgrade's offices worldwide.