Payment Operations Analyst - Winter Haven, Charleston or McKinney

SouthState Bank•Winter Haven, FL

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Supports the Bank’s instant/real-time payments operations and serves as a subject matter expert for the operational and compliance requirements of RTP®, FedNow® and ISO 20022. Provides day-to-day operational support for sending and receiving instant payments, including monitoring activity, researching and resolving exceptions, and supporting internal and customer inquiries. Partners with cross-functional teams to meet service standards, ensure compliance, and reduce operational and fraud risk. The position will also support ACH, wire, and tokenized deposit operations or related projects as needed. This position requires an in-office presence on a weekly basis from one of the following locations: Winter Haven, FL; Charleston, SC; or McKinney, TX.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required, or equivalent combination of education and relevant work experience.
5+ years of professional experience, including 2 to 3 years in payment operations, payment support, or related functions (financial institution or fintech preferred).
Working knowledge of payments initiatives, protocols, and standards, including RTP, FedNow, and ISO 20022.
Understanding of core payment system functions (validations, rule engines, fees, postings, settlement, routing, message formatting, and status reporting).
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to prioritize effectively in a fast-paced environment with changing demands.
Clear written and verbal communication skills; ability to communicate effectively at all levels of the organization.
Collaborative approach when working with peers, stakeholders, end users, and vendors.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office and ability to learn new systems/tools quickly.
Growth mindset with comfort navigating ambiguity and building processes with limited direction.

Nice To Haves

Relevant industry certification preferred (e.g., Accredited Faster Payments Professional (AFPP), Accredited Payments Risk Professional (APRP), Accredited ACH Professional (AAP)), or commitment to obtain one within 12 months of hire.
Power Query/Power BI/Power Automate experience preferred.

Responsibilities

Provide day-to-day operational support for sending and receiving instant payments (FedNow and RTP), including processing, monitoring activity, and completing periodic reporting.
Research and resolve exceptions (returns, rejects, operational corrections) within designated timelines to minimize customer impact and meet service-level expectations.
Support planning, testing, and implementation of product enhancements, platform releases, regulatory/industry changes, and conversions for instant payments.
Coordinate with IT and vendor partners to identify root causes and resolve system, file, or transmission issues impacting payment processing and settlement, including being available outside of normal business hours as needed to support and drive resolution of major incidents and time-sensitive payment issues.
Assist with audit readiness activities, risk assessments, and control testing by gathering documentation and evidence; support compliance with payments rules and standards (ISO 20022, Nacha).
Investigate and respond to customer and internal inquiries related to FedNow, RTP, and other electronic payments, coordinating with stakeholders as needed.
Maintain and enhance operating procedures, product documentation, job aids, and test scripts; produce KPI/KRI reporting as required.
Partner with the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) to identify, escalate, and mitigate suspected fraud and suspicious activity related to instant payments.
Partner with cross-functional teams to integrate instant payment solutions with upstream/downstream systems and operational workflows; support ACH, wire, and tokenized deposit operations or related projects as needed.
Take ownership of all tasks and challenges that they encounter in the operation of their assigned position.