Operations Group Manager - Payments

U.S. Bank•Cincinnati, OH

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Operations Group Manager, Payments Operations is a senior executive leadership role responsible for defining and executing the strategic direction and operational transformation of a large-scale payments organization. The leader will establish an integrated, end-to-end operating model that delivers a consistent client and partner experience, strengthens operational performance and controls, and supports growth and innovation. The role spans payment operations, service delivery, investigations, digital adoption, technology resiliency, automation, data, and payment rail integration, working across business, operations, technology, product, risk, and other partner organizations to turn strategy into measurable outcomes. The position will modernize processes, establish governance and accountability, leverage AI and automation, and build operational infrastructure for a complex, digital, real-time payments environment. It will oversee initiatives in operational strategy and transformation, client and partner experience, escalation management, payments technology, payment rail integration, data strategy, investigations, data integration and client implementation support, risk and resiliency, and executive leadership and talent development. The role requires working from a U.S. Bank location three or more days per week. The listed pay range is $164,390 to $193,400. The actual range may vary by location.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience in banking, financial services, payments, operations, technology, or a related discipline.
Significant senior leadership experience managing large, complex operational organizations.
Demonstrated experience developing and executing enterprise or business-line strategies and large-scale transformation initiatives.
Experience leading through senior managers and influencing across multiple organizations and executive stakeholder groups.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree, such as an MBA or another relevant graduate degree.
Extensive knowledge of payments, treasury management, transaction banking, or large-scale financial services operations.
Strong understanding of the end-to-end payments lifecycle, including processing, servicing, investigations, exception management, and operational controls.
Experience developing strategies across multiple payment rails and operating environments.
Demonstrated success designing and implementing large-scale operating model transformations.
Experience applying AI, intelligent automation, workflow technology, and data analytics to operational processes.
Experience with workflow and service-management platforms such as ServiceNow.
Strong understanding of technology resiliency, business continuity, operational risk, regulatory requirements, and controls within a large financial institution.
Ability to translate strategic objectives into operating plans, performance measures, governance structures, and measurable outcomes.
Exceptional executive communication and presentation skills, including the ability to influence senior leaders and build consensus across matrixed organizations.
Strong analytical, decision-making, and problem-solving capabilities.
Ability to lead complex change while balancing client experience, growth, efficiency, risk, controls, and operational resiliency.
Track record of building and developing high-performing executive and senior-leadership teams.

Responsibilities

Define and execute a multi-year Payments Operations strategy aligned with business, client, technology, and risk priorities.
Build an integrated end-to-end payments operating model and ecosystem across products, rails, operations, servicing, technology, data, controls, and client experience.
Evaluate operations to simplify processes, reduce fragmentation and manual work, and improve scalability.
Establish performance measures, governance, accountability, and executive reporting to track effectiveness and strategic progress.
Lead organizational and operational change while maintaining execution and service continuity.
Improve end-to-end client and partner experience, establish measurable service outcomes, and address friction across the payments lifecycle.
Partner with product, sales, relationship management, technology, risk, and operations teams to align operating models with client and business needs.
Develop an enterprise escalation framework, including Level 2 and Level 3 issue-management protocols, ownership, root-cause analysis, and closure.
Use platforms such as ServiceNow to improve escalation workflows, automation, visibility, analytics, and reporting.
Develop and execute an operations technology strategy, including AI and automation initiatives such as SkanAI, and promote adoption of digital tools.
Identify automation opportunities, partner with technology leadership on investment priorities and roadmaps, and strengthen technology resiliency and operational readiness.
Develop an operating strategy for consistent integration across payment rails and prepare operations for new and evolving payment capabilities.
Standardize processes, controls, data, servicing, and investigations across payment types where appropriate.
Drive effective use of the Payments Data Mart and operational data to improve decision-making, client service, capacity planning, risk management, and performance measurement.
Develop executive-level insights on service quality, operational health, trends, risks, escalations, and improvement opportunities.
Establish a centralized, consistent operating model for payment investigations, overseeing intake, routing, research, escalation, clearing, and resolution.
Improve investigation procedures, service expectations, controls, client communications, oversight, governance, metrics, and quality standards; use workflow technology, data, AI, and automation to improve outcomes.
Provide strategic oversight of data integration setup and servicing, including DI setups, client servicing, client-file testing, feedback, and data mapping.
Consolidate data integration setup and support capabilities where centralization can improve scale, consistency, quality, and accountability.
Coordinate payment data requirements and ensure consistent implementation and servicing from client onboarding through ongoing support.
Ensure operations adhere to risk appetite, regulatory expectations, policies, and control standards, embedding risk and control considerations in transformations.
Strengthen operational and technology resiliency and govern significant risks, incidents, issues, and remediation.
Partner with Risk, Compliance, Audit, Technology, and other control functions to identify emerging risks and deliver timely, sustainable remediation.
Lead and develop a large, complex organization through senior leaders and functional teams; establish a culture focused on client experience, accountability, collaboration, innovation, excellence, and continuous improvement.
Develop organizational structures and talent strategies, and attract, develop, and retain payments, operations, technology, and transformation talent.
Serve as a senior strategic partner and influence executives across Payments, Technology, Product, Risk, Finance, and other functions.

Benefits

Healthcare coverage, including medical, dental, and vision.
Basic term and optional term life insurance.
Short-term and long-term disability insurance.
Pregnancy disability and parental leave.
401(k) and employer-funded retirement plan.
Paid vacation of two to five weeks, depending on salary grade and tenure.
Up to 11 paid holiday opportunities.
Adoption assistance.
Sick and Safe Leave accrual of one hour for every 30 hours worked, up to 80 hours per calendar year unless otherwise provided by law.
Comprehensive benefits package, including incentive and recognition programs, equity stock purchase, 401(k) contribution, and pension, subject to eligibility requirements.