Sierra Central Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Summary

The Senior Fraud Analyst supports the Credit Union’s digital fraud prevention program by monitoring, investigating, analyzing, and escalating fraud activity across digital channels. This role is responsible for reviewing alerts, identifying suspicious patterns, conducting complex investigations, and supporting loss-mitigation efforts related to online banking, mobile banking, digital account opening, remote deposit capture, card-not-present activity, digital payments, and real-time transaction-monitoring platforms.

The Senior Fraud Analyst serves as a subject matter resource in digital fraud trends, identity intelligence, fraud-risk controls, and investigative best practices. This position works closely with business units, IT, Cybersecurity, Virtual/Digital Banking, Lending, Member Services, Payments, and BSA/AML to help maintain a strong fraud-prevention posture while supporting a positive member experience.

This role requires strong analytical judgment, attention to detail, sound decision-making, and the ability to manage complex fraud matters in a fast-paced environment.

Essential Functions

1. Monitor and investigate digital channel fraud alerts, including activity related to online banking, mobile banking, digital account opening, remote deposit capture, digital payments, card-not-present transactions, and real-time transaction-monitoring systems.
2. Review, analyze, and disposition alerts and cases in a timely and accurate manner, ensuring appropriate documentation within the Case Management System.
3. Conduct complex digital fraud investigations involving account takeover, synthetic identity fraud, credential stuffing, bot activity, phishing, mule activity, remote deposit fraud, digital payment fraud, and other emerging fraud trends.
4. Identify suspicious patterns, anomalies, fraud rings, behavioral indicators, and high-risk activity across digital channels.
5. Take appropriate loss-mitigation steps, including account restrictions, member outreach, transaction review, escalation, and coordination with internal departments as needed.
6. Serve as a subject matter resource for digital fraud matters and provide guidance to internal teams regarding fraud trends, red flags, investigative findings, and recommended next steps.
7. Support the configuration, testing, tuning, and ongoing review of fraud detection tools, rules engines, alert logic, behavioral analytics, identity verification tools, and digital risk platforms.
8. Assist with reviewing fraud model performance, alert effectiveness, false positive trends, and opportunities to improve detection accuracy and operational efficiency.
9. Maintain working knowledge of AI/ML-driven fraud detection platforms, behavioral biometric tools, device fingerprinting systems, identity verification solutions, digital risk signals, data enrichment tools, and case management workflows.
10. Participate in testing and implementation efforts related to new fraud prevention tools, digital channel controls, system enhancements, and process improvements.
11. Collaborate with Virtual/Digital Banking, Member Services, Lending, IT, Cybersecurity, Payments, Compliance, and BSA/AML during fraud investigations, escalations, and digital fraud events.
12. Support incident response efforts related to digital channel fraud by gathering documentation, summarizing findings, identifying member impact, and assisting with post-incident review.
13. Coordinate with vendors and internal partners regarding system issues, detection concerns, case handling, platform performance, or fraud prevention enhancements.
14. Ensure investigations and related actions comply with applicable regulatory requirements, including BSA/AML, KYC/CIP, OFAC, Regulation E, Regulation Z, privacy requirements, and internal policies and procedures.
15. Prepare reports, summaries, and trend information related to alert volumes, case activity, losses, recoveries, emerging fraud schemes, and digital fraud risk indicators.
16. Assist with maintaining and updating fraud procedures, job aids, investigative guidelines, training materials, and digital fraud prevention resources.
17. Support audit, exam, fraud risk assessment, and compliance-related requests by providing accurate data, documentation, and investigative support.
18. Identify opportunities to strengthen fraud controls, improve investigative processes, reduce losses, and enhance the member experience.
19. Maintain confidentiality, professionalism, and sound judgment when handling sensitive member, employee, account, and fraud-related information.
20. Perform additional duties as assigned.

Required Skills and Abilities

1. Strong analytical, investigative, and decision-making skills.
2. Strong understanding of digital fraud risks, fraud trends, and financial crime typologies.
3. Ability to evaluate complex information, identify patterns, and make sound recommendations.
4. Member-focused mindset with the ability to balance fraud prevention, risk mitigation, and member experience.
5. Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-moving fraud environment.
6. High level of integrity, confidentiality, professionalism, and attention to detail.
7. Strong written and verbal communication skills.
8. Ability to clearly document investigative steps, findings, decisions, and outcomes.
9. Ability to collaborate effectively with technical teams, member-facing departments, vendors, and compliance partners.
10. Strong working knowledge of fraud detection tools, case management systems, digital banking platforms, and transaction-monitoring systems.
11. Ability to adapt to changing fraud trends, emerging digital risks, and evolving technology.
12. Ability to work independently while escalating high-risk matters appropriately.

Education and Experience

1. Three to five or more years of fraud prevention, digital fraud analysis, financial crimes, or fraud operations experience within a financial institution.
2. Prior experience in a senior analyst, fraud specialist, or similar investigative role preferred.
3. Hands-on experience with enterprise fraud detection tools, AI/ML-driven platforms, behavioral analytics, rules engines, identity verification tools, or Case Management Systems.
4. Strong understanding of digital channel fraud, including account takeover, synthetic identities, credential stuffing, bot attacks, phishing, mule activity, digital account opening fraud, remote deposit fraud, and digital payment fraud.
5. Experience in a credit union, community bank, financial institution, or fintech environment preferred.
6. Experience supporting fraud rules engine logic, alert tuning, fraud model performance review, or fraud platform implementation preferred.
7. Certifications such as CFE, CFCS, CAFP, or CAMS preferred.

Physical Requirements and Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential function of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

1. Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer – 7 to 8 hours per day.
2. Light lifting, carrying, pushing and/or pulling objects up to 25 lbs.
3. Intermittent walking and bending.
4. General office environment: works generally at a desk in a well-lighted, air-conditioned cubicle/office, with moderate noise levels.

Work Location
This is an on-site position at our Corporate Headquarters in Yuba City, CA. Remote work is not available for this role.

Compensation Range

The company anticipates offering an annual salary range between $85,000 to $97,500 for this position at the time of hire. This range includes base salary and does not include possible overtime for non-exempt employees or any applicable performance-based incentives or commissions.

Annual Merit Increase

Employees are eligible for a discretionary yearly merit-based salary adjustment, based on individual performance and company results.

Comprehensive Benefits Package

We provide a robust benefits package designed to support your health, financial security, and work-life balance including:

• Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance options
• Voluntary Lines including hospital indemnity, accident, and critical illness policies
• Company Paid HRA (with enrollment in certain health plans)
• Company Paid Basic Term Life Insurance
  • Coverage at 2× annual base salary, up to a maximum of $500,000 for full-time employees
  • $25,000 for part-time employees
• Company Paid Long-Term Disability Insurance for Full-Time Employees
• Company Paid Telehealth Services Membership (Teladoc)
• Company Paid Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
  • Employer-funded safe harbor contribution of 3% of employee's eligible earnings
  • Discretionary employer match on employee contributions
• Flexible Spending Accounts
  • HSA
  • Medical FSA
  • Dependent Care FSA
  • Limited Purpose FSA
• Paid Time Off
  • Generous leave policies including vacation and sick time
  • 11 paid holidays
• Travel Expense Reimbursement
  • All necessary and work-related travel expenses will be reimbursed in accordance with company policy

The preceding list of duties does not include all tasks and responsibilities that may be required with this position. Additional tasks may be assigned, as departmental and operational needs require.