Chief Risk Officer

The CRO is a Bank-only executive with no concurrent Sezzle Inc. position and reports to the President of Sezzle Bank and to the Board Risk and Compliance Committee.

What You'll Do:

Risk Governance & Framework

• Define enterprise-wide risk management strategies, policies, and the risk appetite framework; work with the Board and the Board Risk and Compliance Committee to establish the Bank's risk culture, appetite, and limits.

• Identify, assess, measure, manage, monitor, and report on risk across the Bank, and ensure compliance with Board-approved policies, tolerances, and risk limits.

• Identify emerging areas of risk, including potential risks associated with proposed new products and services, and ensure business strategies align with regulatory rules, guidance, and supervisory expectations.

• Develop and maintain a model governance framework that includes independent model validation.

• Participate in ALCO as the independent second-line risk perspective.

Regulatory & Examination Relationship

• Serve as the Bank's primary relationship manager for the OCC Examiner-in-Charge, coordinating with the Bank's President.

• Communicate with regulators and address regulatory inquiries and examination activities.

• Serve as the Bank's designated CRA Officer: administer the CRA Strategic Plan, monitor the Bank's progress against its CRA performance commitments, and ensure CRA examination readiness.

Second-Line Oversight

• Oversee the Bank's Chief Compliance Officer and the second-line compliance risk management function, including complaints handling and emerging regulatory and consumer compliance requirements.

• Oversee the Bank's BSA Officer; ensure BSA/AML/OFAC policies, procedures, risk assessments, and controls are properly designed and operationally effective.

• Oversee the Bank's Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) to ensure information assets, sensitive customer data, and technologies are protected; ensure the CISO reports routinely to the Board or the appropriate Board committee.

Board & Business Partnership

• Serve as the primary source for all risk program communication and reporting to the Board and the Board Risk and Compliance Committee.

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with business line management, effectively communicating emerging and present risk elements and issues.

• Provide support and insight to the Bank's audit program, including addressing audit findings and remediation efforts.

What We Look For:

• 15–20+ years of banking or financial services experience, with significant time in risk management, credit, compliance, or audit.

• Minimum 7–10 years in a senior risk leadership role (CRO, SVP Risk, or equivalent) at a regulated financial institution.

• Extensive experience managing a risk organization in a regulated banking environment, including direct experience with federal banking regulators (OCC, FDIC, or Federal Reserve) and the examination process.

• Deep knowledge of enterprise risk management frameworks, banking regulatory requirements, and second-line governance.

• Experience managing compliance, BSA/AML, OFAC, CRA, and cybersecurity risk programs.

• Strong communication skills with Board-level risk reporting experience.

• Demonstrated experience working with Claude or equivalent large language model tools is required; candidates must be comfortable leveraging AI to enhance productivity, research, and communication.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, Accounting, or Mathematics; Master's degree preferred.

• FRM (GARP), CERP (ABA), CAMS, CRCM, or CPA certification highly valued.

• Experience with model risk governance and CECL/stress testing frameworks.

• Prior experience with de novo bank formation or building a second-line risk function from the ground up.

About You:

• You exhibit strong character. You do what you say you'll do and you do the right thing, even when no one is watching. You're a strong team member and secure enough to give others credit.

• You communicate openly and honestly. You listen well, speak candidly, and stay open-minded. You hold yourself accountable, and when you disagree with a decision, you say so respectfully. Once the call is made, you commit fully.

• You act like an owner. You put customers, merchants, and shareholders at the center of what you do. You bring solutions, not just problems. You seek out responsibility, work hard and smart, and move quickly, knowing that most decisions can be reversed.

• You get things done. You're a doer, not just a planner. No task is beneath you, and you're always willing to roll up your sleeves and dig in. You take work from idea to finished, and you don't wait for someone else to pick up the slack.

• You're driven to succeed. You're passionate, tenacious, and competitive. You hold yourself and others to a high bar, fix problems so they stay fixed, and keep going through setbacks.

• You have fun. You enjoy working with your teammates, keep a sense of humor, and keep work issues in perspective.

What Makes Working at Sezzle Awesome:

At Sezzle, we are more than just brilliant engineers, passionate data enthusiasts, out-of-the-box thinkers, and determined innovators. We believe in surrounding ourselves with only the best and the brightest individuals. Our culture is not defined by a certain set of perks designed to give the illusion of the traditional startup culture, but rather, it is the visible example living in every employee that we hire.

Compensation:

Compensation is market-competitive and commensurate with experience. Specific compensation offered to a candidate will be dependent on factors such as education, experience, qualifications, and alignment with market data.

Perks & Benefits:

• Unlimited PTO, volunteer hours and sabbatical

• Life, STD/LTD, medical, dental and vision insurance

• Highly discounted LifeTime gym membership

• 401k with match

• Collaborative fun co-workers

• The opportunity to join the fastest growing FinTech alongside a team of motivated and driven individuals

Sezzle's Employee Privacy Policy:

At Sezzle, we care about protecting your personal information. When you apply for a position with us, any data you share as part of the application process is handled in accordance with our Employee Privacy Policy, which also covers applicants. We encourage you to review it to understand how your information is collected, used, and safeguarded. You can read the full policy here: https://legal.sezzle.com/state-employee-privacy-policy .

CCPA Disclosure:

Sezzle Inc. is committed to protecting the privacy of our job applicants. In compliance with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), we inform California residents about the personal information we may collect, the purposes for its collection, and your rights under the CCPA. For details about the categories of personal information we collect and your rights under the CCPA, please visit Sezzle's Employee Privacy Policy: https://legal.sezzle.com/state-employee-privacy-policy . By submitting your application, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this CCPA disclosure.

Equal Employment Opportunity:

Sezzle Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other legally protected status. Sezzle recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting our mission.

• All Other Remote

Source: We Work Remotely