Payments Operations Manager – Senior Associate

Payments Operations Manager (Senior Associate)

Lead payments operations to deliver accurate processing, strong controls, and a best-in-class client experience. Help shape how money moves with precision, speed, and trust. In Payments Operations, you lead end-to-end payment flows, strengthen controls, and deliver a seamless client experience. You'll partner across business, technology, risk, and compliance to meet regulatory requirements and drive continuous improvement. From reconciliation to exception handling and reporting, your work keeps operations safe, efficient, and transparent. Join us to elevate operational excellence and impact customers every day.

As a Payments Operations Manager (Senior Associate) in Payments Operations, you lead day-to-day processing, reconciliation, and optimization of payment flows. You own the end-to-end payments lifecycle—from initiation and approvals to exception handling, settlement, and reporting—while driving strong controls and a best-in-class client experience. You partner with us across business, technology, risk, and compliance to meet regulatory requirements (including CASS) and deliver continuous efficiency improvements.

Job Responsibilities

• Lead stakeholder engagement as the first point of contact; coordinate cross-functional alignment and timely issue resolution.
• Maintain a current control environment; ensure compliance with internal standards and regulated service levels, with focus on CASS rules.
• Own procedure documentation, governance, periodic reviews, and change control to reflect evolving business and regulatory needs.
• Oversee operational tooling (e.g., Uwat, IAhub); partner with technology and control teams to ensure reliability, access controls, and audit readiness.
• Deliver BAU activities within internal and regulated service levels; monitor queues, exceptions, reconciliations, and settlements with timely escalation.
• Drive payment-related projects and continuous improvement; manage testing and business readiness for smooth delivery and adoption.
• Produce operational reports and key metrics; provide insights that improve control effectiveness, efficiency, and stakeholder transparency.
• Identify, prioritize, and deliver automation opportunities across the payments lifecycle; partner with product and technology to implement solutions.
• Develop subject matter expertise in payment processes and application changes; guide testing and operational change management.
• Spot risks early and escalate promptly to minimize loss; uphold accuracy and data integrity across processing and controls.
• Communicate clearly with senior stakeholders; influence decisions and foster collaboration.

Required Qualifications, Capabilities, and Skills

• Experience in payments operations with strong understanding of accounting and money movement processes.
• Excellent organizational skills with ability to manage multiple workstreams and processes within varied service levels.
• Proven ability to identify opportunities, take prompt action, and escalate potential risks to minimize loss.
• Strong numeracy with advanced Excel skills; familiarity with Alteryx is beneficial.
• High attention to detail and accuracy in processing, reconciliation, and control activities.
• Adaptability to maintain standards and operate effectively within new structures, processes, or requirements.
• Customer-first mindset; treat customers fairly with care and respect in challenging situations.
• Experience in process re-engineering and project management, including testing and business readiness delivery.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to engage and influence senior stakeholders.
• Comfort working with operational tooling (e.g., Uwat, IAhub) and partnering with technology and control teams.
• Commitment to compliance, audit readiness, and continuous improvement.

Preferred Qualifications, Capabilities, and Skills

• Familiarity with CASS rules and regulated service levels within payments operations.
• Experience delivering automation initiatives that improve accuracy, speed, and scalability.
• Track record of producing insightful operational reporting and using metrics to drive performance.
• Knowledge of exception handling and settlement processes across complex payment journeys.
• Experience coordinating cross-functional stakeholders across business, technology, risk, and compliance.
• Ability to lead change and manage business readiness for new tooling or process enhancements.
• Strong problem-solving skills with a practical approach to control effectiveness and efficiency.