Payment Operations Team Lead

Western Alliance Bank•Las Vegas, NV

23h•$35 - $43•Onsite

About The Position

As a Payments Team Lead, you’ll support the Payment Operations Manager with the day-to-day oversight of payment reconciliation, exception handling, and investigation activities within Payment Operations. You’ll provide direction to a team of Payments Specialists by coordinating and assigning work to ensure established deadlines and SLAs are met. In this role, you’ll guide team members in resolving issues, assist with escalated client concerns, and step in to support Payments Specialist duties and daily payments processing when needed. You’ll also lead or assist with procedure and reporting development, and will escalate personnel issues to the Payment Operations Manager. You are responsible for coordinating and monitoring the daily workflow of the Payments team to ensure compliance with established policies, controls, and service standards. This includes ensuring security protocols are followed, payment investigations are completed and properly documented, and training is provided as needed. You’ll identify and escalate potential losses, risk exposures, or fraudulent activity, and partner with teams across the bank to resolve complex payment issues. Lead, coach, and support a team responsible for resolving payment exceptions, adjustments, returns, and inquiries across multiple payment types. Serve as an escalation point for complex or high-risk payment issues, ensuring appropriate analysis, documentation, and resolution within established service-level agreements. Monitor daily workflow, queue volumes, and aging to ensure timely completion of payment-related work and adherence to performance metrics. Ensure compliance with applicable regulatory requirements, network rules, and internal policies governing payment processing and investigations. Partner closely with Payment Operations, Risk, Fraud, Compliance, and Customer Support teams to resolve issues and drive consistent outcomes. Review and approve payment decisions, adjustments, and customer communications as required, exercising sound judgment and risk awareness. Identify trends, recurring issues, and root causes related to payment errors or failures; recommend process improvements to reduce exceptions and operational risk. Assist with procedure development, updates, and training materials to ensure team readiness and control adherence. Participate in audits, exams, and internal reviews related to payment operations, providing documentation and subject-matter support. Support cross-training and provide coverage or expertise for different payment functions as needed.

Requirements

6+ years of related experience.
High school diploma required; Bachelor's degree in related field preferred.
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 knowledge and experience with domestic payment processing, including ACH and wire transfers, payment routing protocols (e.g., Federal Reserve and network requirements), OFAC screening, fraud indicators and risks, and regulations impacting payment processing (e.g., Dodd-Frank).
Advanced verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to clearly explain complex payment issues to internal partners and customers.

Responsibilities

Support the Payment Operations Manager with day-to-day oversight.
Provide direction to a team of Payments Specialists.
Guide team members in resolving issues and assist with escalated client concerns.
Lead or assist with procedure and reporting development.
Escalate personnel issues to the Payment Operations Manager.
Coordinate and monitor the daily workflow of the Payments team.
Identify and escalate potential losses, risk exposures, or fraudulent activity.
Lead, coach, and support a team responsible for resolving payment exceptions, adjustments, returns, and inquiries.
Serve as an escalation point for complex or high-risk payment issues.
Monitor daily workflow, queue volumes, and aging.
Ensure compliance with applicable regulatory requirements, network rules, and internal policies.
Partner closely with Payment Operations, Risk, Fraud, Compliance, and Customer Support teams.
Review and approve payment decisions, adjustments, and customer communications.
Identify trends, recurring issues, and root causes related to payment errors or failures.
Assist with procedure development, updates, and training materials.
Participate in audits, exams, and internal reviews.
Support cross-training and provide coverage or expertise for different payment functions.