Chief Operating Officer

Prevail Bank•Town of Hewitt, WI

About The Position

Prevail Bank is seeking a dynamic and forward-thinking Chief Operating Officer (COO) to lead the bank’s technology, digital, payments, operations, and innovation strategy. This executive will be responsible for driving operational efficiency, enhancing the digital customer experience, and ensuring the bank’s infrastructure supports scalable, secure, and compliant growth. The ideal candidate is a strategic leader with deep experience in banking operations, payments, IT governance, and digital transformation. This position will work closely with decision makers in other departments to identify, recommend, develop, implement and support cost-effective technology solutions for all aspects of the organization. This position is part of Prevail Bank’s executive management team, and will help determine the bank’s long-term direction, policies and procedures, and addresses other strategic issues. General expectations of executive management are listed below.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from four-year college or university is preferred, but not required.
10+ years of progressive leadership experience in banking or financial services, with a strong background in IT and Operations.
Proven track record of leading digital transformation and operational excellence initiatives.
Deep understanding of banking regulations, core systems, and cybersecurity frameworks.
Strong leadership, communication, and change management skills.
Able to adjust quickly to different work situations; remain composed under pressure and in stressful situations.
Regard for important details to assure accuracy in every transaction performed; detect errors; follow through on corrections and details.
Must embrace change and see change as opportunity. Must be willing to express and support management's ideas to affected staff.
Respond sensitively to the needs and priorities of the customer; recognize and take appropriate action to meet their needs; establish an effective working relationship with customers to gain their respect and loyalty.
The ability to express thoughts and ideas in a clear and concise manner, both orally and in written form to a variety of audiences and to all levels of staff.
Project a positive image of the bank to all internal and external customers.
The ability to plan, organize, and execute projects effectively from initiation to completion.
Ability to effectively manage one’s time to complete work according to established deadlines. The ability to prioritize tasks to make the best use of time for high priority tasks.
Must view oneself as part of an overall team. This includes supporting others throughout the entire bank to achieve the overall goals of the bank.
Valid driver’s license required for travel to Bank offices, training sessions, customer meetings, Bank and community meetings, etc.

Nice To Haves

Experience with core banking system conversions or digital banking platform implementations.
Familiarity with fintech partnerships and innovation ecosystems.
Ability to translate complex technical concepts into business value.

Responsibilities

Serve as a key member of the executive leadership team, contributing to overall business strategy and execution.
Lead the development and execution of the bank’s technology roadmap, aligning IT and operations with business goals.
Champion a culture of innovation, continuous improvement, and customer-centric thinking.
Methodically plans, analyzes and schedules multiple interrelated tasks and / or initiatives based upon their value, scope, schedule and resource requirements.
Oversee all IT functions including infrastructure, cybersecurity, core banking systems, digital banking platforms, and vendor management.
Drive the adoption of emerging technologies (e.g., AI, automation, cloud computing) to enhance operational efficiency and customer experience.
Ensure robust cybersecurity and data governance frameworks are in place and compliant with regulatory standards.
Coordinate and facilitate consultation with stakeholders to define business and system requirements for new technology implementations.
Define and implement the bank’s operational resilience strategy, including Disaster Recovery and Incident Response, ensuring alignment with regulatory requirements and risk appetite.
Stay abreast of ongoing changes and industry innovation via banking publications, working/networking groups, or industry roundtables, and any other sources of knowledge.
In conjunction with managers of the various areas, lead all bank operations including deposit and loan operations, payments, and back-office functions.
Optimize operational workflows to improve efficiency, reduce risk, and enhance service delivery.
Implement and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to track operational effectiveness and service quality.
Collaborate with Risk, Fraud, Compliance, and Audit teams to ensure operational and IT activities meet regulatory and internal control requirements.
Lead business continuity planning and disaster recovery strategies for operational resilience.
Build and mentor high-performing teams across IT and operations.
Foster cross-functional collaboration and a culture of accountability, innovation, and service excellence to support the bank’s sales culture.
Manage staffing, including recruitment, supervision, scheduling, development, evaluation and disciplinary actions of direct reports.
Ensure back-ups are trained and functional for all key positions.
Clear expectations are set for staff, and they are held accountable.
Develop staff and develop career paths for individuals with high potential and initiative.
Proactive management of underperformers is necessary.
Ensure adequate training is done for new hires.
Ensure staff engagement with technology remains high.
Focus main department initiatives and goals on strategic planning action plans and high-priority items set by the board and senior management. Manager success is based on how the department does at hitting these goals.
Ensure the department knows how they impact the mission and vision and how they play a key role in that success.
Continue to evolve processes and procedures to increase efficiency and customer experience.
Adequate cross-training and procedures are complete and up to date for all areas you oversee.
Complete projects that fall within the department timely and ensure adequate training is completed. After go-live progress should be monitored along with adoption and satisfaction.
Use feedback from the department to improve processes.
Hit ROI targets.
Continue to look for training opportunities for staff development- certifications programs, recurring annual training, etc.
Manage all risks associated with your department (fraud, cyber, reputational, monetary, CX, etc.)
Support other departments as needed to help accomplish our mission and our current goals.
Manage staffing levels and cross-train to ensure critical duties are covered and we are staffed effectively to meet the demand.
Active involvement in the community
Perform other duties as required to fulfill the responsibilities of the position.
Follow procedures and policies that ensure compliance with not only Bank policies and procedures, but also all applicable federal and state banking regulatory agency policies.
Comply with bank standards for attendance and hours of work.