Job Title:
Payment Operations Director
Location:
CityScape
What you'll do:
The Payments Operations Director is responsible for driving the overall performance of critical transaction processing teams while in tandem, scaling our operations as we grow the bank and introduce new capabilities across our payment's ecosystem. Critical operating groups in Wire Operations, ACH Operations, Immediate Payments (ex. Zelle, RTP, PayPal/Venmo), Payment Research and Business Resiliency will fall under this leadership's directive with additional span in control contemplated as we evolve the strategy and related delivery of new payment capabilities. Routine processing improvements aimed at driving efficiencies and improving client experience while taking a balanced risk management approach is key.
As a transformational leader, keep apprised of the banks and Product/Line of Business (LOB) strategic initiatives and work with business partners to ensure all new initiatives have been appropriately planned and are fully operational to meet expectations. Continue to build and refine business resiliency in payments as a highly strategic initiative around operational execution and ensure that resiliency planning is a part of any new initiative, from initial build through regular testing/execution.
Partnering with those responsible for delivering our products and services roadmap while ensuring we meet core routine vendor and regulatory requirements is key. Strong knowledge of the banks underlying technology infrastructure and the knitting between vendor systems will be important as will the ability to engage with IT leadership as we continue to build out the bank's systems and deepen our execution.
What we are looking for:

• First and foremost, a visible and highly engaged leader of evolving payment teams; developing advanced competencies and synergies across people and teams. Instill a highly engaged and positive culture with regular communication and sharing our direction.
• Harness process and people efficiency opportunities as we scale the bank.
• With all new and future business, build out the corresponding risk and control measures along with a strong relationship with first line testing.
• Support the mission of immediate and accurate payment and client satisfaction with an understanding of what that means to our client segments.
• Set the tone in identifying operational delivery issues and plans to resolve them.
• Continue to develop and iterate a reliable business continuity framework that includes regularly tested tools and processes to mitigate our wire payment issues. This is a core deliverable for payments.
• Continue to build out our payment data capture capabilities at the enterprise level to enable the analysis and reporting required to measure performance and drive operating decisions. Engage with sales and LOB partners to understand the business forecast and plan accordingly.
• Partner closely with Product management to review new product capabilities with impact to payment operations.
• Partner internally in establishing client delivery criteria and enablement strategy, work to ensure we build according to client expectations and satisfaction.
• Build relationships with business leaders and develop trust and acknowledgement as we work together to meet business line needs.
• Maintain and lead organizational direction in requiring continued platform simplicity and ecosystem stability and resiliency.
• Partner with risk and compliance teams to effectively evaluate and further enhance risk mitigation strategies, especially as it relates to evolving fraud threats.
• Maintain awareness of changing regulatory and compliance requirements that could affect the banks payment delivery capabilities and ensure alignment with risk teams. Oversee payments business controls testing, compliance and audit work and maintain active issues management.

What you need to have:

• A proven bank operations leader with 15 years of progressive experience in payments and banking operations roles. Has succeeded and is well versed in leading evolving transactional operating teams, scaling and managing evolving risk while delivering bank strategies.
• BA in Business Management, Technology or Engineering desired, or combination of relevant professional experience at a senior level. MBA a plus.
• Highly regarded by colleagues as the person capable of delivering while managing partnership engagement and expectations.
• A sought-out people leader with deep experience in developing people, culture, and operating expertise.
• Highly engaged and visible advocate for a strong and transparent culture. High degree of emotional intelligence and ability to work through crisis to generate the desired outcome.
• Payments regulatory and risk expert. Strength in managing all audit and risk mitigation plans with attention to timeline commitments.
• Knowledgeable across all payment rail domains including real time payments and various B2C, B2B and P2P applications. Experience in fintech enablement and API delivery is a plus.
• Deeply engaged and knowledgeable in key industry developments and time to market between known suppliers and fintech's. Expert in evolving real time payment solutions, both domestic and international/cross border.
• Deep understanding of current and evolving regulatory requirements, particularly with ISO enablement across payment rails. Knowledgeable in bank regulations, NACHA rules and SWIFT.
• Knowledge of API banking, integration layers and HA resiliency in infrastructure are important as part of overall technical competence.
• Ability to work across all lines of business and accomplished in presenting to the C-level.
• Effective, transparent communicator focused in on educating and bringing the right forum together to drive decisions and outcomes.
• A high degree of enthusiasm for your work in payments and educating the organization through the cycles of deciding, planning, designing, and implementing is key.

Benefits you'll love:
We offer all the important things you'd want - like competitive salaries, an ownership stake in the company, medical and dental insurance, time off, a great 401k matching program, tuition assistance program, an employee volunteer program, and a wellness program. In addition, you'll have the opportunity to bolster your business knowledge, learning the ins and outs of how successful companies operate and manage their finances, giving you invaluable hands-on experience to help grow your career!
About the company:
Western Alliance Bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of Western Alliance Bancorporation. Alliance Bank of Arizona, Alliance Association Bank, Bank of Nevada, Bridge Bank, First Independent Bank, and Torrey Pines Bank are divisions of Western Alliance Bank; Member FDIC. AmeriHome Mortgage is a Western Alliance Bank company.
Western Alliance Bancorporation is committed to equal employment and will consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, sex, color, religion, age, nation origin, marital status, disability, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or genetic information. Western Alliance Bancorporation is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. If you are an individual with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process and/or need an alternative method of applying, please email HR@westernalliancebank.com or call 602-386-2488. When contacting us, please provide your contact information and state the nature of your accessibility issue. We will only respond to inquiries concerning requests that involve a reasonable accommodation in the application process.
© Western Alliance Bancorporation