Credit Card Underwriting Manager

Powering the next generation of global finance

About Us

Founded in 2018, Bakkt, Inc. is a regulated financial technology company building infrastructure for the future of finance. Bakkt's platform serves financial institutions, fintechs, and consumer finance products — providing the compliance, security, and scale required to deliver trusted financial services at a global level. Through its core business pillars, Bakkt powers institutional-grade trading capabilities, AI-enabled programmable finance, and cross-border payment infrastructure.

Job Summary

We are seeking a seasoned and strategic Credit Card Underwriting Manager to establish and own the comprehensive credit risk framework for our new credit card program. This critical, high-impact role will be responsible for managing application quality, designing automated and manual decisioning processes, owning the administration and performance of the Loan Origination Platform, and setting the program's overall credit risk strategy. The manager is accountable for protecting the program from credit and fraud losses, ensuring strict regulatory compliance, and proactively managing the credit risk profile and the through the door quality of the portfolio.

Reporting Structure

• Direct Report to Head of Credit Card

Primary Responsibility

Establish and drive the end-to-end credit risk management lifecycle in a de novo environment, encompassing the Credit Risk Policy framework, implementation and integration of the Loan Origination System (LOS), application quality assessment, automated and manual decisioning, and managing post-approval credit monitoring, all while ensuring strict program compliance with key financial regulations (Reg B, FCRA).

Key Responsibilities & Essential Functions

• Credit Policy & Underwriting:
• • Establish and own the foundational Credit Risk Policy framework.
  • Define and manage the underwriting rules and logic within the Loan Origination System (LOS).
  • Conduct Manual Reviews on "Refer" applications, including thorough KYC and Income verification.
  • Own and manage the Adverse Action process and the delivery of all required credit notices, ensuring strict compliance with Regulation B (Reg B) and the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).
  • Continuously monitor and update the Credit Policy buy box based on emerging market trends and performance data.
  • Oversee model governance, including performance monitoring, recalibration, and coordinating independent model validation.
• Risk Monitoring & Fraud Management:
• • Proactively monitor the performance, stability, and validity of the automated credit scoring model.
  • Identify and mitigate complex emerging fraud trends, such as "Sleeper" fraud (synthetic identities).
  • Coordinate with Operations team on Collections and report on the Delinquency Pipeline, including Early-stage collections and roll rates.
• Vendor & Stakeholder Management:
• • Manage the relationship and technical integration with the Loan Origination System (LOS) provider and credit bureau partners (for both origination and monthly credit reporting).
  • Ensure the Credit Bureau reporting of the Metro2 file is successful executed and respond to Credit Bureau inquiries & escalations in a timely manner 
  • Coordinate vendor selection and integration with Compliance, Legal, and Analytics teams to ensure all underwriting systems adhere to regulatory requirements.
  • Serve as the primary credit risk liaison with the Sponsor Bank, ensuring all credit policies and underwriting rules operate within their defined risk appetite and are approved.
• Team Support:
• • Serve as the backup and escalation resource for the Head of Credit Card, and support other credit card team members as needed.
  • Provide additional duties not explicitly referenced as required by the Head of Credit Card

Qualifications

• Proven experience in credit card underwriting and credit risk management, including a deep understanding of credit scoring models and compliance with Adverse Action regulations.
• Demonstrated ability to manage and update Credit Risk Policy frameworks and buy boxes.
• Strong analytical skills for monitoring automated model performance, portfolio delinquency, and identifying emerging fraud trends.
• Experience with KYC and credit quality verification processes for manual application reviews.
• Expertise in relevant consumer credit regulations, including Reg B and FCRA.
• Excellent problem-solving and communication skills for working with cross-functional teams in a highly matrixed fast paced environment 
• Extensive experience in working with external vendors, including Loan Origination Systems, Credit Bureaus, KYC & Fraud providers. 

Bakkt is devoted to having diversity in its workforce and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Bakkt does not make any employment decisions based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, veteran status, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other characteristic protected by law. Must successfully pass a post-offer background check and drug screen. 

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