Job Posting: Underwriter - Mentom Payments
Position Title:: Underwriter
Hiring Company:: Mentom Payments
Contact:: Jordan Stewart, jordan@mentompayments.com
Location:: El Segundo, CA - In-person.
About Us::
Job Description:
What You Will Be Doing
As an Underwriter, you will play a key role in protecting the integrity of our merchant portfolio by
identifying and preventing potentially fraudulent or high-risk merchant accounts during the onboarding
process. The Underwriter will process applications in accordance with sound credit-granting principles
that are in compliance with company and sponsor bank policies & procedures. The Underwriter is
accountable for effectively interacting with merchants, sales representatives, and management to
achieve timely judgment of applications while limiting loss and protecting the company against fraud
and other risks. The right person for this role should have a solid understanding of card network rules,
Anti-Money Laundering (AML) requirements, Know Your Customer (KYC), and Payments Card Industry
(PCI) compliance. Successful candidates for the role will have a minimum of 3 years of experience in
payments, fintech, or other financial services.
While underwriting is the primary focus, a working knowledge of merchant support, risk indicators,
fraud mitigation, and compliance protocols is a plus.
Key Responsibilities:
- You will monitor and underwrite accounts daily to identify and predict fraudulent behavior that may result in loss;
- Gather due diligence data from various locations, including third-party vendor websites, the internet, the client obtained data, etc., to make approval/denial decisions within guidelines;
- Read and analyze credit reports, merchant processing statements, bank statements, and financial statements to determine merchant's ability to support the exposure associated with their business type and requested parameters;
- Make sound decisions regarding risk exposure within approval thresholds aligned and governed by sponsor banks, card networks, and internal credit underwriting policies and procedures;
- Help manage Mentom’s portfolio by developing a deep understanding of risk across industries, geographies, and operating models;
- Adhere and build upon Mentom’s underwriting policy to ensure we are proactively mitigating exposure in a scalable manner;
- Identify potential procedural gaps for areas of improvement in current systems or policies, and work with cross-functional teams, including engineering, to implement changes;
- Participate in monthly, quarterly, and annual business reviews in accordance with our risk & underwriting handbook.
About You
- 3+ years experience in underwriting, risk, or compliance role for a sizable merchant portfolio owned by a Bank, PSP, MSP, PayFac, or ISO;
- Demonstrated payment industry expertise including omnichannel payment acceptance, merchant acquiring, credit card processing, network compliance, payment facilitation, and ISO models;
- Strong understanding of merchant underwriting best practices including KYC, AML, MATCH, and OFAC requirements;
- Proven track record of leveraging technology and data services to drive improved underwriting scalability, onboarding efficiency, low loss ratios, and write-offs;
- Effective interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate across teams, stay organized, and maintain a keen eye for detail.
- Excellent verbal, written, organizational, leadership, and collaborative decision-making skills;
- Comfort working independently in an environment that may require you to juggle multiple priorities.
- Ability to thrive under pressure with a high level of autonomy and responsibility.
What We Offer
We offer a comprehensive benefits program including:
- Comprehensive Health Plan: Including Medical, Dental, and Vision
- Paid Time Off: In addition to most federal holidays, we offer up to 14 days per calendar year to support work-life balance.
- 401K: save for retirement with pre-tax contributions to a 401k plan.
- Professional Development: Access to training and development programs to enhance your skills and advance your career.
- Flexible Work Environment: Opportunities for flexible work arrangements.