Payment Operations Manager - Amerantbank

To manage all Payment Operations to insure that each unit runs smoothly, accurately and efficiently, following all federal, state, and banking regulations as well as corporate guidelines and procedures. To oversee the day to day functions of ACH, Debit Card, Letters of Credit, Wires and Zelle Payments. Ensure compliance with all industry standards and regulatory requirements.

Responsibilities:

• To manage, lead, coordinate, supervise and control the performance of Payment Operations units to ensure that they maintain at all times high levels of risk controls, audits results (Audit Department, Regulators, Risk Areas, Compliance), adherence with internal policies, procedures and banking regulations as well as establishments and maintenance of Service Level Agreements (KPIs) with the objective of improving the service quality and achieving efficiencies.
• Overall department supervision to ensure that proper procedures are followed, and main responsibilities are being performed efficiently and with expected quality level.
• Review and modify operational procedures to strengthen controls and to accommodate the processing environment. Ensure department’s Operational Manuals are up to date
• Serves as subject matter expert for Payment operating systems, applications and technical matters
• Coordinate with Products/Marketing/Business units the execution of Payments strategy. Develop Payment Operations’ plans to achieve results according to strategy and business objectives.
• Identify, define and implement new operational services to support payment products. Improve existing services.
• Coordinate efforts with Fraud Prevention unit to control and reduce fraud losses.
• Coordinate efforts with the Call Center to streamline processes and sync third party call centers
• Oversee reconciliation and ensure balancing of Payment Operations related general ledgers and monetary batches
• Management of department budget to include Invoicing and expenditures
• Coordinate with third party vendors training opportunities, upgrades and other system enhancements for the bank
• Comply with Federal, State, and banking regulations, as well as corporate guidelines and procedures. Implement all internal Compliance mandates and recommendations.
• Responsible for service provider’s relationship management and define service level agreements and ensure services are being provided according to them.
• Responsible for the successful implementation / completion of all departments’ projects.
• Periodically review departments’ SLA, identify and implement necessary changes to satisfy internal customer needs.
• Reviewing reports of any current or prospective risks to earnings or capital arising from violations of nonconformance with laws, rules, regulations, prescribed practices, internal policies and procedures and ethical standards
• Maintain beneficial relationship with business units and other operational departments to identify and implement necessary changes to satisfy internal and customer needs
• Report to Direct Supervisor any current or prospective risks to earnings or capital arising from violations of, or nonconformance with, laws, rules, regulations, prescribed practices, internal policies and procedures or ethical standards.
• To identify, evaluate, monitor and make any recommendation deemed necessary to their respective Risk Management Committee in order to assess, reduce, eliminate or control any current or prospective risks to earnings or capital arising from violations of, or nonconformance with, laws, rules regulations, prescribed practices, internal policies and procedures or ethical standards. 
• Coordinate with technology departments for 
• daily processes and implementations
• Report and Manage Incidents to ensure swift resolution.
• Monitor and control all KPIs (Balance Score Card) for the areas of supervision.
• All other duties assigned by the VP Operations Manager as needed.

Bankcards:

• Comply with MasterCard operating regulations and prepare and submit MasterCard Quarterly Operational Certificate.
• Overall Debit Card and Zelle supervision to ensure that procedures are followed and main responsibilities are being performed efficiently, within established SLA and with expected quality.
• Overall Debit Card Distribution supervision to ensure protocols are followed in a controlled manner and SLA’s are maintained
• Oversee the ACH Operations Unit within Bankcard Operations
• Ensure that ACH Files are processed timely
• Stay abreast of changes to NACHA regulations. Ascertain that policies, procedures and systems are updated as needed.
• Validate and approve BTEs
• Manage ATM Services
• Coordinate all ATM related projects and incidents
• Coordinates the development of all new ACH products as well as changes to existing products and processes 
• Ensure the distribution of debit cards is processed timely
• Ensure that inventory is replenished and distributed accordingly

 Wires:

• Oversee the overall processing of  timely wire transfers and in compliance with established terms in contact
• Release wires needing upper level approvals
• Participate actively in any upgrades, New Releases related to systems that support the Wire Transfer process, including but not limited to SWIFT, Payplus, PAM (Payment Archive Manager)

 Letters of Credit:

• Overall Letters of Credit Department supervision to ensure that proper procedures are followed and main responsibilities are being performed efficiently, within established SLA and with expected quality.
• Ensure all payments of Letters of Credit and Collection Items are credited to authorized accounts in a timely manner and in compliance with established terms in contact
• Sign confirmations, issuance and authorize payments of Letters of Credit and Collection Items
• Validate and approve BTEs
• Comply with BSA/OFAC policy and procedures.

Minimum Education and/or Certifications Requirements:

College degree required. Master’s degree in business administration or related field desirable.

Minimum Work Experience Requirements:

10 years in payment processing.

Experience in Payment Business Development and Project Management.

Technical and/or Other Essential Knowledge:

Bilingual preferred, advanced office equipment skills and proficient in accounting balancing and reconciliations.  Previous experience with Lotus Notes, Internet and MS Office Skills, including MS Word Advanced, MS Excel Advanced, MS PowerPoint Advanced, MS Project Level II and MS Visio Level I required.