Business Risk & Control Officer

Block is one company built from many blocks, all united by the same purpose of economic empowerment. The blocks that form our foundational teams — People, Finance, Counsel, Hardware, Information Security, Platform Infrastructure Engineering, and more — provide support and guidance at the corporate level. They work across business groups and around the globe, spanning time zones and disciplines to develop inclusive People policies, forecast finances, give legal counsel, safeguard systems, nurture new initiatives, and more. Every challenge creates possibilities, and we need different perspectives to see them all. Bring yours to Block.

The Role

The Business Risk & Control Officer (BRCO) ensures SFS moves at fintech speed while maintaining bank-level safety and soundness. This role embeds risk thinking into the first line of defense by designing scalable, automated, and well-controlled processes that support SFS's growth trajectory and Block's broader ecosystem.

Reporting directly to the CEO, the BRCO acts as a horizontal integrator across Product, Credit, and Operations, bridging silos and driving front-to-back accountability. The ideal candidate will be equally comfortable shaping enterprise-level risk strategy, presenting to the Board, and driving tactical process improvements on the front lines.

This role focuses on three primary mandates:

• (50%) Risk, Control & Issue Management: Building and embedding robust first-line control frameworks.
• (35%) Process Improvement & Industrialization: Optimizing and automating business processes for scale and efficiency.
• (15%) Fintech Services Strategy: Supporting future-state operating models and external fintech partnerships.

You Will

Risk, Control & Issue Management (50%)

• Establish and maintain a comprehensive front-to-back Process–Risk–Control (PRC) framework across all business and product functions.
• Partner with Product, Credit, and Operations to embed risk assessment, control design, and testing into daily business execution.
• Maintain process inventories, control documentation, and standardized testing methodologies.
• Coordinate with the Chief Risk Officer and Compliance to ensure alignment across credit, operational, compliance, and cybersecurity risks.
• Lead the issue management process: identify, categorize, and track operational risk issues from discovery through closure, ensuring accountability and timely remediation.
• Produce regular risk reporting for executive management and quarterly updates to the Board on issue trends, control performance, and emerging risks.
• Partner with business leaders to conduct product risk assessments for new or enhanced offerings and ensure appropriate sign-off before launch.

Process Improvement & Industrialization (35%)

• Lead continuous improvement efforts to reduce operational complexity and risk while enhancing scalability.
• Identify manual or inefficient processes and develop automation or reengineering solutions with clear ROI and risk reduction.
• Facilitate end-to-end process walkthroughs and challenge current state designs to ensure clear ownership and effective execution.
• Develop and implement standard operating procedures (SOPs) to drive consistency and operational leverage as volumes grow.
• Partner with Finance to monitor operational expense performance and identify efficiency opportunities.
• Evaluate and oversee the use of AI and emerging technologies to streamline operations and improve decision-making.

Fintech Services Strategy (15%)

• Partner with the Chief Banking Officer to shape SFS's future business model, including Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) offerings and external fintech partnerships.
• Develop risk and control frameworks for third-party fintech services, ensuring compliance with banking regulatory standards.
• Design and advise on operating models that appropriately separate Block business lines from external fintech activity while maintaining sound risk management principles.

You Have

• 12+ years of professional experience in banking, financial services, or fintech, with 5+ years in risk management, operations, or control leadership.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Operations, or related field required.
• Deep understanding of first-line risk and control frameworks and practical experience embedding them into fast-moving, technology-enabled environments.
• Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in both strategic and hands-on roles, balancing detail orientation with executive-level communication.
• Proven success working cross-functionally with Product, Risk, and Operations teams in highly matrixed organizations.
• Strong understanding of regulatory expectations for operational risk, AI/ML governance, model risk, and third-party/vendor oversight.
• Excellent analytical, communication, and relationship-building skills with the ability to influence across all levels.
• Experience engaging with auditors and regulators preferred.

We're working to build a more inclusive economy where our customers have equal access to opportunity, and we strive to live by these same values in building our workplace. Block is an equal opportunity employer evaluating all employees and job applicants without regard to identity or any legally protected class. We will consider qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records for employment in accordance with state and local laws and “fair chance” ordinances.

We believe in being fair, and are committed to an inclusive interview experience, including providing reasonable accommodations to disabled applicants throughout the recruitment process. We encourage applicants to share any needed accommodations with their recruiter, who will treat these requests as confidentially as possible. Want to learn more about what we're doing to build a workplace that is fair and square? Check out our I+D page.

While there is no specific deadline to apply for this role, U.S. roles are typically open for an average of 55 days before being filled by a successful candidate. Please refer to the date listed at the top of this job page for when this role was first posted.