Director, Card Operations

Sunbit•Los Angeles, CA

3d•Remote

About The Position

Sunbit is seeking a highly experienced Director of Card Operations to lead and scale the operational infrastructure supporting our growing card business. This leader will serve as the company's subject matter expert on card processing, issuer operations, and Fiserv capabilities, while driving operational excellence across the cardholder lifecycle. The ideal candidate combines deep card operations expertise with strong program management and leadership skills. They have extensive experience working with card processors—particularly Fiserv/First Data—and understand how to translate business objectives into scalable operational solutions. This individual will partner closely with Product, Engineering, Risk, Fraud, Compliance, Finance, Customer Experience, and external partners to optimize performance, reduce operational friction, and accelerate execution across the card organization. This is a highly visible leadership role responsible for improving operational efficiency, managing key vendor relationships, and ensuring the card platform is positioned to support Sunbit's continued growth.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in card operations, card processing, payments, fintech, banking, or consumer lending environments.
Deep expertise working with Fiserv/First Data card processing platforms, particularly Optis and related operational systems.
Demonstrated success leading large-scale card operations organizations, driving complex operational initiatives, and developing high-performing teams.
Experience managing vendor relationships and driving performance across large external partners.
Strong understanding of card issuing operations, transaction processing, disputes, fraud operations, servicing, collections, and card lifecycle management.
Experience partnering effectively across Product, Engineering, Risk, Compliance, Finance, and Customer Experience teams.
Exceptional problem-solving, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
Proven ability to navigate complex organizations, influence stakeholders, and drive execution across internal teams and external partners.
Experience with key card processing systems, including but not limited to: Optis core (PCF, etc.), card issuance / fulfillment, APIs and data transmission, DecisionQuest, DMM, Fiserv fraud mitigation tools (ex. Defense Edge / Advance Defense), and general Fiserv User guides and operations documentation.
Strong communicator and business partner, thinking strategically about how to enable others to be a better partner directly with Fiserv in their respective spaces (ex. Data, fraud, card ops, Card digital experience).
Experienced manager of a multi-faceted team.
Strong regulatory fluency and understanding of the compliance requirements in the space.

Nice To Haves

Experience working both on the issuer side and within Fiserv or another major processor organization.
Prior experience as a Client Service Advisor (CSA), implementation leader, consultant, or operations leader supporting issuer clients.
Experience supporting credit cards, debit cards, or co-brand card programs.
Direct experience working with Visa and Mastercard operational, compliance, and network management functions.
Fintech experience within a high-growth, consumer-focused environment.
Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred.

Responsibilities

Serve as the operational leader for Sunbit's card platform, driving performance, scalability, and continuous improvement across card operations.
Own the implementation, optimization, and governance of core card processing functionality, ensuring operational processes align with business objectives and customer experience goals.
Drive continuous improvement across the card ecosystem by optimizing processes, automating workflows, reducing costs, and establishing scalable operational controls and performance standards.
Act as Sunbit's primary expert and executive point of contact for Fiserv and related card processing partners.
Lead the evaluation, design, implementation, and optimization of capabilities across the Fiserv ecosystem, ensuring platform enhancements align with business objectives and operational needs.
Influence and navigate Fiserv's organization to accelerate project delivery, resolve operational challenges, and maximize the value of existing platform capabilities.
Lead operational workstreams for major card initiatives including: New product launches, Co-brand and partner card programs, Portfolio conversions and migrations, Fraud and risk initiatives, Collections enhancements, Digital servicing capabilities, Data and reporting initiatives, Debit card and network expansion opportunities.
Own strategic relationships with card processors, networks, fulfillment providers, and other operational partners, driving performance, accountability, escalation management, and continuous improvement.
Establish and monitor vendor performance metrics, service-level agreements (SLAs), and operational KPIs.
Partner with Visa, Mastercard, and other network stakeholders on operational initiatives, compliance requirements, and program enhancements.
Lead and develop a high-performing Card Operations team responsible for day-to-day card servicing and operational support.
Build and develop a high-performing team by establishing clear expectations, fostering accountability and collaboration, and creating opportunities for growth and continuous improvement.
Own the Card Operations budget and P&L, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency while maintaining strong service levels.
Develop business cases for operational investments and strategic initiatives.
Track, analyze, and report on operational performance metrics, costs, and vendor spend.
Partner with Risk, Compliance, Legal, and Audit teams to ensure operational processes meet regulatory, network, and internal control requirements.
Maintain a strong understanding of consumer lending, card servicing, dispute management, fraud operations, and card network regulations.
Ensure operational readiness for audits, examinations, and regulatory reviews.