Business Risk & Control Officer, Square Financial Services

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

Square Financial Services, Inc. (the "Bank" or "SFS") is a wholly owned subsidiary of Block, Inc., operating under an industrial bank charter granted by the Utah Department of Financial Institutions (UDFI) and insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Since opening in 2021, SFS has supported Block's mission of economic empowerment by delivering responsible lending and savings solutions that help small businesses and consumers thrive.

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 (the “FLOD”) by designing and implementing 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 the FLOD – Product, Credit, and Operations – bridging functions and driving front-to-back accountability. The ideal candidate will be equally comfortable shaping enterprise-level risk strategy, presenting to key stakeholders including the Bank Board, and driving implementation of tactical process improvements across the Bank.

This role focuses on three primary mandates:

• Risk, Control & Issue Management: Building and embedding robust first-line control frameworks.
• Process Improvement & Industrialization: Optimizing and automating business processes for scale and efficiency.
• Business Support: Supporting future-state business and product operating models

You Will

Risk, Control & Issue Management

• 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 Chief Compliance Officer 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

• 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, automation and other emerging technologies to streamline operations and improve decision-making.

Business Support

• Partner with the Chief Banking Officer to shape SFS's future business model
• Develop and implement risk and control frameworks for existing and new products and services, ensuring compliance with banking regulatory requirements .
• Design and advise on operating models that support scaling new products and services.

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, Operat