Director of Payment Processing

Alleviate • Irvine, CA

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Payment Processing owns the strategy, performance, and scalability of all payment operations, including collections, refunds, and client fund management. This role ensures accurate, efficient, and compliant money movement while maintaining strong financial controls, reconciliation, and risk management frameworks aligned with CFPB, FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule, and NACHA requirements. The Director leads vendor and banking relationships, payment systems, and automation initiatives, while driving KPI performance across cost, risk, and customer outcomes. This position partners cross-functionally to align payment operations with the full client lifecycle and is accountable for team leadership, budget management, and delivering scalable, high-integrity operations that support growth.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, finance, or a related field
• 10+ years of experience in payment processing leadership
• Proven track record of improving SLAs, employee retention, and client satisfaction
• Strong leadership and people management skills, with experience in developing high-performing teams
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills
• Ability to think strategically and execute tactically, with a focus on results
• Proficiency in payment processing technologies and platforms

Nice To Haves

• MBA is highly preferred but not required

Responsibilities

• Own the overall strategy, performance, and scalability of the Payment Processing function
• Develop and execute a 12–24 month roadmap aligned with company growth, margin, and risk objectives
• Establish and own departmental KPIs tied to revenue impact, cost efficiency, client success, and risk mitigation
• Provide regular executive-level reporting on performance, risks, and key initiatives
• Oversee daily operations of payment processing, collections, overpayments, and member refunds
• Ensure accurate, timely, and compliant execution of all payment activities across the client lifecycle
• Oversee resolution of complex payment issues and escalated client concerns
• Ensure SLA adherence across all payment-related workflows
• Oversee management of client trust accounts and ensure proper handling of client funds
• Ensure compliant disbursement of funds to creditors and appropriate fee collection timing
• Maintain strong controls around movement of funds and payee accuracy
• Manage relationships with sponsor banks and trust account providers
• Own end-to-end reconciliation processes across processors, banks, internal systems, and client ledgers
• Establish and enforce strong internal controls, including segregation of duties and audit trails
• Oversee exception handling, discrepancy resolution, and break management processes
• Partner with Finance on cash flow forecasting and reporting accuracy
• Ensure compliance with all applicable regulations including CFPB, FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule, NACHA rules, and state-level requirements
• Maintain audit readiness for internal, external, and regulatory audits
• Oversee complaint handling workflows and regulatory response processes
• Ensure proper data governance, retention, and auditability standards
• Own fraud prevention strategy, including monitoring, detection, and mitigation controls
• Manage ACH return rates, chargebacks, and unauthorized transaction thresholds
• Implement identity verification and risk-based controls aligned with compliance requirements
• Develop reporting and alerting for emerging risk trends
• Own relationships with payment processors, gateways, and third-party vendors
• Negotiate contracts, optimize pricing, and manage vendor performance
• Ensure redundancy and failover capabilities across payment channels
• Evaluate and implement new payment methods and technologies
• Own the payment systems architecture, integrations, and scalability strategy
• Design and implement automation to reduce manual effort and improve accuracy
• Partner with Product and Engineering on payment-related system enhancements
• Ensure data integrity across all payment platforms and systems
• Develop, maintain, and continuously improve policies, procedures, and operational standards
• Identify and implement process improvements that enhance efficiency and customer experience
• Drive standardization across workflows and cross-functional processes
• Improve payment success rates and reduce friction across the customer journey
• Develop strategies for failed payment recovery and client communication
• Partner with Customer Experience teams to improve satisfaction and retention outcomes
• Partner with Client Success, Negotiations, Sales, Legal, Compliance, Finance, and other teams to align on processes and expectations
• Ensure consistency between sales promises, payment execution, and settlement timing
• Support company-wide initiatives that impact payment processing and client outcomes
• Oversee development of reporting and dashboards for operational and executive use
• Analyze trends in payment performance, returns, refunds, and costs
• Use data to drive decision-making and continuous improvement
• Lead, develop, and scale the Payment Processing team, including supervisors and individual contributors
• Oversee hiring, onboarding, training, and ongoing development programs
• Establish clear performance expectations and accountability structures
• Conduct performance evaluations, coaching, and disciplinary actions as needed
• Establish team schedules and ensure appropriate staffing levels
• Monitor attendance, punctuality, overtime, and timekeeping accuracy
• Manage PTO requests and ensure compliance with company policies and labor requirements
• Perform periodic audits to ensure accuracy of client data, payment records, and system integrity
• Validate enrollment plans, settlement arrangements, creditor data, and compensation structures
• Implement corrective actions based on audit findings and track resolution
• Develop and maintain disaster recovery and business continuity plans for payment operations
• Ensure backup payment methods and contingency processes are in place
• Lead incident response efforts related to payment disruptions or failures
• Own departmental budget, including headcount and operational expenses
• Monitor and optimize payment processing costs and vendor fees
• Evaluate ROI on tools, systems, and automation investments

Benefits

• Opportunities for career growth and advancement
• A supportive, mission-driven team passionate about making a difference
• Company perks like swag, catered lunches, teambuilding activities, and quarterly events
• State-of-the-art amenities, including designer living rooms, wellness spaces, cafes, and a fitness center
• A culture of recognition, appreciation, and celebration

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Number of Employees: 101-250 employees