Payment Operations Team Lead

Western Alliance Bank•Henderson, NV

About The Position

The Payment Operations Team Lead supports enterprise payment operations by leading the day-to-day execution of payment processing activities across multiple payment rails and ensuring service levels, controls, and team performance expectations are met. The role oversees daily workflows, manages escalations, and ensures payment activity is processed accurately, on time, and in compliance with bank policies and regulatory requirements. It provides direct support to Payment Operations Specialists, Senior Specialists, and Analysts while partnering with Risk, Compliance, Technology, and Treasury Management. This position combines hands-on subject matter expertise with responsibility for work direction, coaching, quality oversight, and day-to-day operational decision-making. The Team Lead coordinates and monitors work, balances workloads and coverage, oversees applicable opening and closing activities, and serves as the primary escalation point for complex payment issues, customer concerns, and time-sensitive decisions. The role also supports risk and compliance controls, audits, reporting, control testing, procedure development, and process improvements.

Requirements

5+ years of related experience in Financial Services, Payment Operations, Banking Operations, or a similar field.
Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required.
Intermediate to advanced knowledge of general banking operations, including deposit operations, loan administration, treasury management, and/or other commercial banking products and services.
Intermediate to advanced knowledge of applicable regulatory and legal compliance obligations, rules and regulations, industry standards, and practices.
Intermediate to advanced experience leading or coordinating payment operations workflow in a banking or financial services environment, including oversight of daily workflows, escalations, approvals, and operational controls across multiple payment rails.
Intermediate to advanced experience supporting compliance, audit, or risk management activities related to payment processing, and contributing to procedure development, quality review, and continuous improvement initiatives.
Advanced speaking and writing communication skills.

Nice To Haves

Previous leadership experience.
Accredited ACH Professional certification.
Accredited Payments Risk Professional certification.
Accredited Faster Payment Professional certification.
National Check Professional certification.

Responsibilities

Coordinate, assign, and monitor daily payment processing work to meet deadlines, service levels, and operational priorities.
Balance workloads, manage coverage, and oversee department opening and closing activities as applicable.
Serve as the primary escalation point for complex payment issues, customer concerns, and time-sensitive decisions, including approval of non-standard items or work near cutoff times.
Ensure appropriate documentation, risk awareness, and adherence to approval limits.
Provide ongoing guidance, coaching, and training to team members.
Document errors or trends and support quality review activities.
Partner with management on performance feedback, development needs, and corrective action escalation when required.
Ensure team adherence to regulatory, compliance, fraud, and risk controls.
Support audits, reporting, and control testing.
Contribute to procedure development and maintenance, and process improvements that enhance efficiency or reduce risk.
Partner with internal stakeholders, including Risk, Compliance, Technology, and Treasury Management, to resolve issues and support operational execution.