accountant/ACH & payment settlement

orsa credit union•Plymouth, MI

16h•Hybrid

About The Position

The accountant/ACH & payment settlement ensures the integrity and accuracy of orsa's electronic payment activity, protecting the credit union's financial position through disciplined reconciliation, timely exception resolution, and rigorous compliance with payment network rules. This role sits at the intersection of accounting precision and payment operations, serving as a critical control point for ACH, wire, card settlement, and other electronic transactions. By keeping orsa's settlement activity clean, accurate, and compliant, this role directly enables the financial trust that our members place in us.

Requirements

An associate's or bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or a related field and/or at least three years of additional related experience.
Demonstrated experience in accounting reconciliation, payment operations, or a related function.
Direct experience with ACH processing, payment settlement reconciliation, or cash management strongly preferred.
Familiarity with NACHA operating rules, Reg E, and core banking systems required.
Experience in financial services preferred; credit union experience a plus.
AAP (Accredited ACH Professional) preferred or willingness to pursue.
Technical accounting knowledge and the ability to produce accurate, timely, and compliant financial statements, reconciliations, and reports.
Deep operational knowledge of ACH network rules, electronic payment settlement processes, exception item management, and the reconciliation of correspondent and Federal Reserve accounts.
Proficiency with NACHA operating rules, return and NOC handling, and the core system workflows that support daily settlement activity.
The knowledge and discipline to operate within applicable legal, regulatory, and internal control frameworks — and to identify when activity may fall outside those boundaries.
The ability to execute daily operational responsibilities with accuracy, efficiency, and consistency — and to identify opportunities to improve processes, reduce risk, and strengthen controls.
The ability to understand and apply financial principles to operational decisions and reporting.

Nice To Haves

Credit union experience a plus.
AAP (Accredited ACH Professional) preferred or willingness to pursue.

Responsibilities

Perform daily reconciliation of ACH origination and receipt activity, ensuring all items are accurately posted, exceptions are identified promptly, and resolution is documented with rigor.
Reconcile payment settlement accounts, including card settlement, wire transfers, and other electronic payment channels, while maintaining a current and accurate view of orsa's settlement position at all times.
Identify, research, and resolve settlement discrepancies, unposted items, and aged reconciling items in a timely manner; escalate items that present financial or compliance risk.
Support month-end and year-end close by ensuring all settlement-related accounts are reconciled, documented, and presented in accordance with orsa's close calendar.
Maintain accurate records of all reconciliation activity, exception handling, and resolution documentation to support internal audit, external audit, and regulatory examination readiness.
Monitor ACH returns, notifications of change (NOCs), and unauthorized transaction activity; take appropriate action in accordance with NACHA rules and internal policy.
Collaborate with payment operations, retail, and technology teams to investigate and resolve member-impacting payment exceptions and errors.
Support the design, documentation, and ongoing improvement of reconciliation processes and controls to reduce error rates, cycle times, and operational risk.
Stay current on NACHA operating rules, Reg E requirements, card network settlement rules, and other applicable regulatory and compliance standards.
Fulfill other responsibilities as needs evolve.
Execute ACH file processing functions, including file review, release, and exception handling, in coordination with the payment operations team and core system workflows.
Reconcile correspondent bank accounts and Federal Reserve settlement accounts on a daily basis, ensuring accurate and timely identification of all outstanding items.
Maintain and manage wire transfer reconciliation, ensuring same-day resolution of open items and accurate accounting for all incoming and outgoing wire activity.
Prepare and distribute daily settlement reports to finance leadership, flagging items that require escalated attention or decision-making.
Ensure all ACH and payment activity adheres to NACHA operating rules, Reg E, BSA/AML policies, and applicable orsa internal controls.
Support BSA/AML monitoring as it relates to payment activity by flagging unusual patterns or activity for review by the compliance team.
Participate in internal and external audit activities by providing documentation, answering examiner questions, and supporting control testing related to payment reconciliation.
Contribute to the development and maintenance of desk procedures and control documentation for all settlement reconciliation functions.