High Risk Customer Evaluation Manager

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 Financial Crimes organization serves as the guardian of Block's ecosystem, ensuring that our platforms remain secure and trusted while advancing our mission of economic empowerment. We protect our customers' ability to participate in the economy while preventing criminal abuse of our systems, maintaining the integrity of both traditional and cryptocurrency transactions, and enabling responsible financial innovation.
The Customer Onboarding & Appeals team is part of the Financial Crimes organization. This team is essential to protecting Block's ecosystem by developing and managing protocol that enable secure customer onboarding (e.g. customer identification and verification, merchant access), ongoing monitoring including EDD processes, and safe and compliant account restoration for customers returning to the platform while protecting Block from increased risk relating to financial crimes, money laundering, fraud, and terrorist financing.
Candidates for this role will have the opportunity to be placed within the Customer Onboarding & Appeals team to lead the High Risk Customer Evaluation (HRCE) function within the Financial Crimes organization.
The HRCE Operations Manager plays a vital role in managing the operational aspects of high risk customer escalations and reputation and brand risk reviews. This role plays a critical function in protecting Block's integrity, reputation, and regulatory standing by building a program responsible for ensuring that EDD reviews are conducted thoroughly, escalations are managed with precision, and decision-making is guided by both regulatory and brand risk considerations.
You Will
You will own and support the following pieces of the Customer Onboarding and Appeals team:
EDD Escalation & High Risk Case Management

• Lead the intake, review, and resolution of EDD escalations involving high risk customers, including PEPs, adverse media subjects, and complex customer scenarios
• Manage a team responsible for evaluating escalated customer profiles for financial crime risk, reputational exposure, and alignment with the organization's risk appetite and brand risk
• Oversee the completion and quality of EDD investigations and documentation, ensuring defensible and audit-ready decisions
• Develop and maintain supplementary guidance documents and FAQs required to support consistent operations
• Partner with senior compliance stakeholders to assess residual risk and determine retention or exit strategies for high risk customers

Reputation & Brand Risk Evaluation

• Serve as the DRI for reputational risk assessments related to customer onboarding, events, and media exposure
• Manage a team responsible for conducting in-depth reviews of adverse media, public records, and other open-source intelligence to inform brand and reputational risk decisions
• Monitor KYC metrics to assess program effectiveness
• Coordinate with cross-functional teams (CCO, Legal, Risk) on high impact customer decisions that may affect the company's public image

Stakeholder Engagement & Guidance

• Collaborate with Business Units, Legal, Compliance, and Risk to ensure a consistent approach to customer risk management and escalation handling
• Prepare and present case summaries and recommendations to governance forums, such as the Reputation and Brand Risk Committee
• Support responses to internal audit findings, regulatory inquiries, and Board-level escalations involving high risk clients
• Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders across the organization

Team Management & Continuous Improvement

• Manage and mentor a team of senior EDD specialists
• Identify process enhancements to improve the efficiency, consistency, and accuracy of EDD escalation handling
• Ensure activities align with regulatory expectations, internal policies, and best practices
• Review and analyze HRCE metrics and program performance

• Monitor adherence to established standards and procedures
• Track and report on key performance indicators

You Have

• 8+ years in a BSA/AML/KYC compliance and/or compliance operations role with a financial services firm, preferably in payments or Fintech
• Track record of influencing enterprise-wide compliance programs
• Experience conducting reputational risk assessments and working with internal stakeholders on sensitive customer matters
• A strong analytical and metrics driven approach to create substantiated solutions
• Strong understanding of adverse media screening tools and OSINT methodologies
• Strong knowledge in compliance regulations, risks and typologies

• Superb organization skills with the ability to manage competing priorities
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Experience presenting to senior leadership or governance committees
• Adaptability in an agile and fast-paced environment
• Ability to execute independently and work with team members of all levels

• Passion for Block, and an interest in technology and knowledge of the industry
• Mindset to deliver results proactively, resourcefully, and methodically
• An independent contributor who can perform at a high level (both quantity and quality)
• Preference for individuals who have demonstrated experience engaging with federal/ international banking regulators
• Relevant industry certifications (CAMS, CFE, CFCS, CRCM)

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 also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories for employment on our team, and always assess candidates on an individualized basis.
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 .
Block will consider qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records for employment in accordance with state and local laws and "fair chance" ordinances.
Block takes a market-based approach to pay, and pay may vary depending on your location. U.S. locations are categorized into one of four zones based on a cost of labor index for that geographic area. The successful candidate's starting pay will be determined based on job-related skills, experience, qualifications, work location, and market conditions. These ranges may be modified in the future.
To find a location's zone designation, please refer to this resource . If a location of interest is not listed, please speak with a recruiter for additional information.
Zone A:
$171,800 - $257,600 USD
Zone B:
$159,800 - $239,600 USD
Zone C:
$151,200 - $226,800 USD
Zone D:
$142,600 - $213,800 USD
Every benefit we offer is designed with one goal: empowering you to do the best work of your career while building the life you want. Remote work, medical insurance, flexible time off, retirement savings plans, and modern family planning are just some of our offering. Check out our other benefits at Block.
Block, Inc. (NYSE: XYZ) builds technology to increase access to the global economy. Each of our brands unlocks different aspects of the economy for more people. Square makes commerce and financial services accessible to sellers. Cash App is the easy way to spend, send, and store money. Afterpay is transforming the way customers manage their spending over time. TIDAL is a music platform that empowers artists to thrive as entrepreneurs. Bitkey is a simple self-custody wallet built for bitcoin. Proto is a suite of bitcoin mining products and services. Together, we're helping build a financial system that is open to everyone.