Senior Compliance & Fraud Specialist - eCommerce / Performance Marketing

About this role

<p><strong>Purpose of Position</strong></p> <p>The eCommerce Compliance & Fraud Specialist (internal job title: Senior Network Quality Intelligence Specialist) plays a critical role in safeguarding the integrity, trust, and commercial viability of the Awin network. This role goes beyond standard investigation and operational support, requiring deep expertise in affiliate marketing, tracking technologies, and fraud methodologies.</p> <p>This individual will lead complex fraud investigations, proactively identify emerging risks, and contribute to the design and evolution of network-wide fraud prevention strategies. They will act as a subject matter expert (SME) within the Network Quality team, supporting both day-to-day operations and higher-level strategic initiatives.</p> <p>The role requires a strong analytical and data-driven mindset, with the ability to interpret complex datasets, understand attribution mechanics (CPA, CPC, hybrid models), and identify nuanced patterns of abuse across the affiliate ecosystem. The ideal candidate brings hands-on experience in affiliate fraud, understands how bad actors operate, and can translate that knowledge into scalable detection and prevention mechanisms.<br><br></p> <p><strong>Key Responsibilities<br><br></strong></p> <p><strong>Advanced Fraud Investigation & Risk Management</strong></p> <ul> <li>Lead complex, high-impact fraud investigations across publishers, partners, and traffic sources.</li> <li>Identify sophisticated fraud schemes (e.g., attribution manipulation, cookie stuffing, incentive abuse, lead fraud, paid search abuse, extension-based activity, etc.).</li> <li>Act as an escalation point for challenging or ambiguous cases within the team.</li> <li>Make informed enforcement decisions balancing risk, commercial impact, and fairness.</li> </ul> <p><strong><br>Publisher & Partner Risk Assessment</strong></p> <ul> <li>Conduct in-depth reviews of publisher business models, traffic acquisition strategies, and monetization methods.</li> <li>Evaluate CPA, CPC, and hybrid performance models for risk exposure and abuse potential.</li> <li>Monitor lifecycle and behavioral signals across publisher activity to proactively identify risks.</li> <li>Partner closely with internal stakeholders to assess onboarding and ongoing publisher quality.</li> </ul> <p><strong><br>Data-Driven Analysis & Monitoring</strong></p> <ul> <li>Perform advanced data analysis using tools such as SQL, Power BI, DataBricks, or equivalent platforms.</li> <li>Build and refine repeatable analytical frameworks for fraud detection and monitoring.</li> <li>Translate data insights into actionable recommendations and controls.</li> </ul> <p><strong><br>Fraud Detection Strategy & Process Development</strong></p> <ul> <li>Contribute to the development and enhancement of fraud detection methodologies, including rule-based systems and data-driven approaches.</li> <li>Identify gaps in current processes and propose scalable improvements.</li> <li>Collaborate on the evolution of network policies and enforcement frameworks.</li> <li>Support the integration of new tools, automation, and AI/ML-assisted detection methods where applicable.</li> </ul> <p><strong><br>Tracking, Attribution & Technical Expertise</strong></p> <ul> <li>Develop and apply deep understanding of affiliate tracking mechanisms, including:</li> <ul> <li>Cookie-based attribution</li> <li>Server-side tracking</li> <li>Redirect flows and link structures</li> <li>Cross-device and cross-channel attribution challenges</li> </ul> <li>Analyze how tracking setups can be exploited and recommend mitigation strategies.</li> <li>Support internal teams and clients in understanding tracking-related risks and limitations.</li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><strong>Stakeholder Advisory & Cross-Functional Collaboration</strong></p> <ul> <li>Act as a trusted advisor to Account Managers, Account Directors, and other related teams on fraud and network quality topics.</li> <li>Provide clear, data-backed guidance to advertisers and partners on risk mitigation and best practices.</li> <li>Translate complex technical findings into clear, commercially relevant insights.</li> <li>Support training and knowledge sharing within the team to elevate overall expertise.</li> </ul> <p><strong><br>Operational Excellence</strong></p> <ul> <li>Support day-to-day case handling where needed, while driving efficiency improvements in workflows.</li> <li>Ensure consistent documentation of investigations, decisions, and learnings.</li> <li>Balance operational responsibilities with strategic contributions to the team.</li> </ul> <p><strong><br><br>Skills & Technical Expertise Requirements</strong></p> <ul> <li><strong>3+ years of experience</strong> in affiliate marketing, fraud prevention, adtech, or risk/compliance roles within digital ecosystems.</li> <li>Strong, hands-on experience with <strong>affiliate fraud detection and prevention</strong>, including knowledge of common fraud tactics and evolving methodologies.</li> <li>Deep understanding of…