Head of Wealth Management External Fraud Risk - Executive Director

The Wealth Management (WM) Chief Data Office (CDO) sits within the WM Risk organization and strives to balance risk management with business enablement. WM CDO’s mission is to: prevent unauthorized access to or misuse of client sensitive data and assets; comply with relevant privacy laws and regulations; effectively retain, retrieve, and protect information and records; and mitigate risks caused by inaccurate, untimely, or incomplete WM data.

The External Fraud Risk Team within WM CDO defines and governs external fraud risk frameworks, thresholds, and controls across WM. The team is responsible for managing external fraud risk across channels and products, including account takeovers, deposit and check fraud, debit card fraud, and emerging threats such as trading-related fraud. The team partners closely with business, technology, operations, and control functions to ensure external fraud losses remain within tolerance while delivering a seamless client experience.

Role Description:

The External Fraud Risk Team is seeking an Executive Director to lead the team, with responsibility for setting strategy, enhancing external fraud controls, and overseeing fraud rule governance across the division.

This individual will serve as a senior subject matter expert across external fraud typologies—including account takeover, deposit fraud, check fraud, debit card fraud — and will bring a strong understanding of National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA) rules, Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) frameworks, trading fraud, and authentication methodologies.

The role requires a strategic leader who can define and evolve fraud detection capabilities, including rule frameworks, alerting strategies, and analytics, while balancing fraud risk, regulatory expectations, and client experience. The candidate will regularly engage with senior business leaders, risk committees, and clients, requiring strong executive presence and communication skills.

This individual will also oversee the design, performance, and continuous optimization of fraud detection rules and alerts, leveraging data-driven insights to improve coverage, effectiveness, and efficiency.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead WM External Fraud Risk strategy, including governance of fraud controls, thresholds, and loss tolerances across all fraud typologies
• Serve as a subject matter expert on external fraud risks including account takeovers, deposit fraud, check fraud, debit card fraud, and trading-related fraud
• Oversee the design, implementation, and optimization of fraud detection rules and alerting frameworks, ensuring effective coverage while minimizing client friction
• Apply expertise in authentication (e.g., Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), behavioral biometrics, device intelligence) to strengthen preventative and detective controls
• Drive data-driven analysis of fraud trends and rule performance, translating insights into actionable enhancements
• Ensure alignment with regulatory and industry frameworks, including NACHA operating rules and UCC requirements
• Lead the development and governance of a comprehensive fraud rule inventory, including rule coverage, performance, effectiveness, and client impact
• Establish and oversee fraud risk metrics and reporting for senior management, risk committees, and regulators
• Partner with technology and data teams to define and implement advanced detection capabilities, including analytics, machine learning, and automation
• Provide credible challenge and escalation on fraud risk issues, control gaps, and business decisions
• Engage with senior stakeholders and clients, communicating fraud risks, control strategies, and emerging threats with clarity and authority
• Oversee cross-functional initiatives, including system migrations, control enhancements, and fraud program transformations

Qualifications:

• 10–15+ years of relevant experience in fraud risk, financial crime, or related risk disciplines within financial services
• Deep expertise across fraud typologies, including account takeover, deposit/check fraud, debit card fraud, and trading fraud
• Strong knowledge of NACHA rules, UCC frameworks, and payment/trading-related fraud risks
• Proven experience designing and managing fraud detection rules, alerts, and control frameworks
• Strong understanding of authentication mechanisms and fraud prevention technologies
• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex datasets, derive insights, and translate findings into control enhancements
• Experience balancing fraud risk mitigation with client experience and business objectives
• Proven track record of influencing senior stakeholders and governance forums
• Exceptional critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey complex topics to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Ability to lead and execute across multiple strategic initiatives simultaneously

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with advanced analytics, machine learning, or data science tools (e.g., Python, SQL, Dataiku)
• Familiarity with fraud systems, rule engines, and case management platforms
• Experience with end-to-end fraud lifecycle management, including detection, investigation, and recovery
• Background in wealth management or brokerage environments
• Experience interacting with regulators, audit, or second-line risk functions

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM MORGAN STANLEY:

At Morgan Stanley, we raise, manage and allocate capital for our clients – helping them reach their goals. We do it in a way that’s differentiated – and we’ve done that for 90 years. Our values - putting clients first, doing the right thing, leading with exceptional ideas, committing to diversity and inclusion, and giving back - aren’t just beliefs, they guide the decisions we make every day to do what's best for our clients, communities and more than 80,000 employees in 1,200 offices across 42 countries. At Morgan Stanley, you’ll find an opportunity to work alongside the best and the brightest, in an environment where you are supported and empowered. Our teams are relentless collaborators and creative thinkers, fueled by their diverse backgrounds and experiences. We are proud to support our employees and their families at every point along their work-life journey, offering some of the most attractive and comprehensive employee benefits and perks in the industry. There’s also ample opportunity to move about the business for those who show passion and grit in their work.

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Expected base pay rates for the role will be between $150,000 and $250,000 per year at the commencement of employment. However, base pay if hired will be determined on an individualized basis and is only part of the total compensation package, which, depending on the position, may also include commission earnings, incentive compensation, discretionary bonuses, other short and long-term incentive packages, and other Morgan Stanley sponsored benefit programs.

Morgan Stanley is an equal opportunity employer committed to building and maintaining a workforce that is diverse in experience and background. Our recruiting efforts reflect our strong commitment to a culture of inclusion, where individuals are hired, developed, and advanced based on their skills and talents.

Our workforce reflects a broad cross-section of the global communities in which we operate, bringing a variety of backgrounds, talents, perspectives, and experiences.

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