As Head of Fraud, you'll lead Cleo's fraud strategy across our business, with a primary focus on the US that will increase in scope as we launch in new geographies. You'll be the senior voice on fraud across the company: setting direction, owning execution, and serving as the figurehead for everything fraud-related across debit, credit, identity, and operational risk.
This is a hands‑on, first‑line‑of‑defense role. You'll bring the experience and judgement to make confident decisions on US card regulations, KYC requirements, and the regulatory nuances that matter at scale—and you'll be deep in the detail, working closely with Credit, Product, Engineering, and Operations to shape how fraud risk is measured, managed, and reduced day to day.
Key Responsibilities
Lead Cleo's fraud strategy across all three vectors: transaction fraud (debit and credit), identity fraud (ATO, synthetic identities, KYC), and operational fraud (chargeback management, dispute investigation)
Set the long‑term direction for fraud at Cleo, shaping how we detect, prevent, and respond to risk as we scale across markets
Define and own the shared frameworks that sit between fraud and credit — clear definitions, boundary conditions, and a single source of truth for how we measure fraud and dispute outcomes
Own the analytical case behind fraud guardrails and thresholds — quantifying loss exposure, justifying targets in basis points, and articulating the trade‑offs between fraud loss, decline rates, and customer experience
Lead investigations and post‑incident analysis — pulling apart what worked, what didn't, and what we change as a result
Lead vendor evaluation and selection for fraud detection and KYC tools — you'll know the market and have strong views on what works
Own chargeback processes and fraud investigation workflows, ensuring our operational fraud function is tight, scalable, and fit for the next phase of growth
Quantify the impact of fraud controls across the full cost stack: fraud loss, decline rate, customer service load, and customer friction — and use that to make informed buy‑vs‑build and policy decisions
Ensure compliance with US card regulations, BSA/AML requirements, and FCA expectations as the UK market comes into scope
Report fraud performance and risk posture to senior leadership; contribute to board‑level risk conversations
What We're Looking For
Must Haves:
First‑line‑of‑defense fraud experience — you've done the thing, not just overseen it
Experience across both debit and credit transaction fraud
Identity fraud expertise: ATO, synthetic identities, KYC platform management
Operational fraud experience: chargeback investigation and management
Strong analytical and quantitative skills — comfortable defending a guardrail or threshold with data, not just intuition
Track record of working closely with credit risk teams and aligning on shared metrics, definitions, and trade‑offs
US market fraud experience — familiar with US card regulations, CFPB, and the regulatory differences vs. UK
Background in fintech with lending or credit products (not just pure payments)
Vendor evaluation experience — you know the fraud tooling landscape and can make strong buy vs. build decisions
Track record of shaping fraud strategy and frameworks at scale
Senior gravitas and consensus‑building ability — you can align product, ops, credit, and compliance teams
10+ years in fraud or financial crime
Nice to Have
UK fraud and FCA regulatory knowledge
Disputes and chargeback management experience in a card‑oriented business
What do you get for all your hard work?
A competitive compensation package (base + equity) with 3‑yearly reviews, aligned to our termly OKR planning cycles
The salary bandings for this role are:
US Remote: $200,000 - $300,000,
Work at one of the fastest‑growing tech startups, backed by top VC firms, Balderton & EQT Ventures
A clear progression plan. We want you to keep growing. That means trying new things, leading others, challenging the status quo and owning your impact. Always with our complete support.
Flexibility. We can't fight for the world's financial health if we're not healthy ourselves. We work with everyone to make sure they have the balance they need to do their best work
Work where you work best. We're a globally distributed team. If you live in London we have a hybrid approach, we'd love you to spend one day a week or more in our beautiful office. If you're outside of London, we'll encourage you to spend a couple of days with us a few times per year. And we'll cover your travel costs, naturally.
Other Benefits
Benefits may vary based on location - the below are in the UK:
Company‑wide performance reviews every 4 months
Generous pay increases for high‑performing team members
Equity top‑ups for team members getting promoted
25 days annual leave a year + public holidays (+ an additional day for every year you spend at Cleo, up to 30 days)
6% employer‑matched pension in the UK
Private Medical Insurance via Vitality, dental cover, and life assurance
Enhanced parental leave
1 month paid sabbatical after 4 years at Cleo
Regular socials and activities, online and in‑person
We'll pay for your OpenAI subscription
Online mental health support via Spill
Workplace Nursery Scheme
And many more!
Compensation range
United States: $200,000 - $300,000 gross annually*
Other locations: Compensation will be discussed during the interview process
*Final compensation will be determined based on the candidate's qualifications, skills, and previous experience
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