AVP, Authentication Analytics & Strategy

Role Summary/Purpose:

The AVP, Authentication Analytics & Strategy is responsible for leading data-driven strategy development for customer authentication across digital channels. This role drives measurable reductions in fraud and account takeover risk while improving customer experience through optimized authentication journeys, experimentation, and performance management. The AVP partners cross-functionally with product, technology, fraud strategy, and compliance stakeholders to translate insights into scalable roadmaps, policies, and operational controls.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Define target-state authentication journeys (friction-right) and decisioning frameworks (risk-based, adaptive authentication) across all customer touchpoints

• Translate business objectives into measurable OKRs/KPIs, and establish governance cadence (monthly/quarterly reviews) to track progress and ROI

• Identify and prioritize high-impact opportunities across policy tuning, signal enrichment, model enhancements, vendor capabilities, and platform modernization

• Create executive-ready narratives and recommendations supported by data, trade-off analysis, and implementation feasibility

• Conduct deep dives on key events (ATO spikes, bot activity, credential stuffing, SIM swap indicators, device compromise), and recommend control improvements

• Partner with data science/engineering to define data requirements, instrumentation, and feature availability to improve decisioning effectiveness

• Quantify customer impact and financial benefits: loss avoidance, operational savings, digital conversion uplift, and customer satisfaction improvements

• Perform other duties and/or special projects as assigned

Qualifications/Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree and 5+ years of experience building analytically derived strategies within Credit, Marketing, Risk or Collections in Financial services, or in lieu of a Bachelor's degree, 9+ years of experience building analytically derived strategies in Marketing, Risk or Collections in Financial services.  

• 3+ years of experience working with statistical tools such as SAS, Python, Tableau.  

• Expert level proficiency with Excel  

• 3+ years of experience in retail, business, installment loans, or private label credit. 

• Excellent temperament and ability to work through uncertainty, collaborate respectfully across functions & teams, and find solutions to issues  

• Ability and flexibility to travel for business as required

Desired Characteristics:

• 7+ years of experience in analytics, strategy, fraud risk, authentication, identity, cybersecurity, or digital product analytics within financial services, payments, fintech, or e-commerce

• Proven track record of developing strategy and driving measurable outcomes across risk reduction and customer experience improvements

• Strong analytical skillset: SQL proficiency; experience with Python/R preferred; ability to define metrics, build data stories, and perform root-cause analysis

• Experience with experimentation/measurement frameworks: A/B testing, test design, lift measurement, causal inference basics, and KPI governance

• Knowledge of authentication and fraud patterns: MFA/2FA, OTP, biometrics, device intelligence, behavioral analytics, bot/automation defenses, credential stuffing, and ATO typologies

• Executive communication skills: ability to influence senior stakeholders and drive alignment across competing priorities

Grade/Level: 11

The salary range for this position is 90,000.00 - 155,000.00 USD Annual and is eligible for an annual bonus based on individual and company performance.

Actual compensation offered within the posted salary range will be based upon work experience, skill level or knowledge.

Salaries are adjusted according to market in CA, NY Metro and Seattle.

Our Way of Working:

We’re proud to offer you flexibility. At Synchrony, our way of working allows you to have the option to work from home near one of our Hubs or come into one of our offices. You will be required to commute to your nearest Hub (either virtual or physical) for in-person engagement activities such as regular business or team meetings, training and culture events. 

*Field Sales and some Commercial team roles may have varied location requirements based upon partner obligations or preferences.

Eligibility Requirements:

• You must be 18 years or older

• You must have a high school diploma or equivalent

• You must be willing to take a drug test, submit to a background investigation and submit fingerprints as part of the onboarding process

• You must be able to satisfy the requirements of Section 19 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act.

• New hires (Level 4-7) must have 9 months of continuous service with the company before they are eligible to post on other roles.  Once this new hire time in position requirement is met, the associate will have a minimum 6 months’ time in position before they can post for future non-exempt roles.  Employees, level 8 or greater, must have at least 18 months’ time in position before they can post.  All internal employees must consistently meet performance expectations and have approval from your manager to post (or the approval of your manager and HR if you don’t meet the time in position or performance expectations).

Legal authorization to work in the U.S. is required.  We will not sponsor individuals for employment visas, now or in the future, for this job opening. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status. 

Our Commitment:

When you join us, you’ll be part of an inclusive culture where your individual skills, experience, and voice are not only heard – but valued. Together, we’re building a future where we can all belong, connect, and turn ideals into action. More than 50% of our workforce is engaged in our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), where community and passion intersect to offer a safe space to learn and grow.

This starts when you choose to apply for a role at Synchrony. We ensure all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status. We’re proud to have an award-winning culture for all. 

Reasonable Accommodation Notice:

• Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job or to perform your job. Examples of reasonable accommodation include making a change to the application process or work procedures, providing documents in an alternate format, using a sign language interpreter, or using specialized equipment.

• If you need special accommodations, please call our Career Support Line so that we can discuss your specific situation. We can be reached at 1-866-301-5627.   Representatives are available from 8am – 5pm Monday to Friday, Central Standard Time

Job Family Group: