International Payment Operations Manager

Western Alliance Bank•Phoenix, AZ

About The Position

As a International Payment Operations Manager you'll oversee an operations team and lead the work priority for the team, ensuring goals, critical timeframes, processes, and controls are effectively met. You'll also transform the team's delivery model and staffing, consistent with the growth of the overall organization, and develop the talent and bench strength to support growth and complexity. You'll help charter the direction of international payment operations plans and capabilities based on market driven initiatives and manage foreign currency payment operations and related infrastructures such as SWIFT foreign exchange platforms, and correspondent bank/NOSTRO relationships. In this role, you'll also provide risk oversight and risk mitigation by revising and implementing policy and procedural change, while maintaining proactive vendor operational/system monitoring, incident escalation protocol, business continuity planning and testing, and ensuring the teams remain informed and engaged. You'll work to consistently meet operational goals developed with business partners and to successfully monitor bank and vendor performance on behalf of both our clients and the bank’s needs while managing ongoing operating transformation. Lead and hold the team accountable for qualitative and quantitative results, adherence to policy and procedures, and proper documentation and recordkeeping. Monitor and report on service level standards, performance, and other KPI’s. Provide both operational and executional guidance on international payments and multi-currency account strategies. Partner with the product and international sales team to educate on international payment capabilities. Ensure the organization is appropriately assessing client needs, planning for future growth and operating capabilities, and evaluating and deploying new operational processes to support international product offerings. Lead the requirements building and operational enablement to ensure both near term and future success. Oversee and improve SWIFT operational capabilities. Ensure the bank is meeting SWIFT/international standards and operating efficiently as “a best in class” provider. Oversee and improve Nostro account opening and related operational processes used to support the Nostro account model. Partner with Operations/Risk to build and ensure a FLOD process for foreign currency payment operations. Direct support of the Foreign Exchange (FX) Trading and Sales Team, including the confirmation, settlement, payment for all FX trades and any required investigation and research responsibilities thereafter for an established and expanding Foreign Exchange Product and team.

Requirements

7+ years of related experience in Banking Operations, Deposit Operations, Foreign Exchange or similar field.
Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required.
Previous leadership experience required.
Intermediate to advanced knowledge of general banking operations, including deposit operations, loan administration, payments, treasury management and/or other commercial banking products and services.
Intermediate to advanced knowledge and experience in international banking operations relevant to role.
Intermediate to advanced knowledge of applicable regulatory and legal compliance obligations, rules and regulations, industry standards and practices.
Advanced knowledge and experience working with SWIFT and foreign currency payment expertise to include managing a Nostro account environment.
Advanced knowledge and experience with back office applications, Fiserv EPP/global payment system/applications.
Advanced knowledge and experience working with managing risk exposure when dealing with a multicurrency/multibank environment.
Advanced speaking and writing communication skills.

Nice To Haves

Accredited ACH Professional (AAP) preferred.

Responsibilities

Oversee an operations team and lead the work priority for the team, ensuring goals, critical timeframes, processes, and controls are effectively met.
Transform the team's delivery model and staffing, consistent with the growth of the overall organization, and develop the talent and bench strength to support growth and complexity.
Help charter the direction of international payment operations plans and capabilities based on market driven initiatives and manage foreign currency payment operations and related infrastructures such as SWIFT foreign exchange platforms, and correspondent bank/NOSTRO relationships.
Provide risk oversight and risk mitigation by revising and implementing policy and procedural change, while maintaining proactive vendor operational/system monitoring, incident escalation protocol, business continuity planning and testing, and ensuring the teams remain informed and engaged.
Work to consistently meet operational goals developed with business partners and to successfully monitor bank and vendor performance on behalf of both our clients and the bank’s needs while managing ongoing operating transformation.
Lead and hold the team accountable for qualitative and quantitative results, adherence to policy and procedures, and proper documentation and recordkeeping.
Monitor and report on service level standards, performance, and other KPI’s.
Provide both operational and executional guidance on international payments and multi-currency account strategies.
Partner with the product and international sales team to educate on international payment capabilities.
Ensure the organization is appropriately assessing client needs, planning for future growth and operating capabilities, and evaluating and deploying new operational processes to support international product offerings.
Lead the requirements building and operational enablement to ensure both near term and future success.
Oversee and improve SWIFT operational capabilities.
Ensure the bank is meeting SWIFT/international standards and operating efficiently as “a best in class” provider.
Oversee and improve Nostro account opening and related operational processes used to support the Nostro account model.
Partner with Operations/Risk to build and ensure a FLOD process for foreign currency payment operations.
Direct support of the Foreign Exchange (FX) Trading and Sales Team, including the confirmation, settlement, payment for all FX trades and any required investigation and research responsibilities thereafter for an established and expanding Foreign Exchange Product and team.