Payments Manager - Rahway, NJ

Merck•Rahway, NJ

3d•$79,200 - $124,700•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Payments will help lead the strategic direction, operational quality, and innovation of the credit union’s payments ecosystem, including card services, ACH, wires, digital payments, real-time payments (RTP), and emerging fintech integrations. This individual will play a critical role in driving member satisfaction, improving efficiencies, and ensuring regulatory compliance while advancing the credit union’s payments strategy in alignment with its growth objectives.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in business, Finance, Information Systems, or related field; MBA or other advanced degree preferred.
Minimum five years of experience in financial services with a focus on payments; at least two years in a leadership role.
Deep understanding of the U.S. payments landscape, including card networks, ACH, RTP, Zelle, FedNow, and digital wallets.
Proven track record in vendor management, strategic planning, and regulatory compliance.
Strong analytical, negotiation, and project management skills.
Exceptional leadership, interpersonal, and communication abilities.
Bank Fraud
Client Service Excellence
Credit Card Services
Credit Unions
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
Facility Management
Financial Analysis
Financial Services Operations
Fraud Detection
Fraud Management
Loan Processing
Supervisory Management

Nice To Haves

Experience in a credit union or mid-sized financial institution or fintech.
Familiarity with Jack Henry Symitar, Velera/PSCU, Fiserv Debit, EPN/The Clearing House, Alloya
Successful delivery of payment modernization or digital transformation initiatives.
Experience working with or integrating fintech solutions.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute the organization’s payments strategy, aligning with overall business goals and member needs.
Monitor industry trends, emerging technologies, and regulatory changes to keep the credit union on the cutting edge of payment solutions.
Champion innovation by identifying and evaluating new payment platforms, partners, and products.
Oversee all payments-related operations including debit/credit/prepaid card programs, ACH, wire transfers, bill pay, mobile/digital payments, P2P, and merchant services.
Ensure seamless, secure, and efficient end-to-end payment processing and servicing.
Establish and track KPIs for performance, member experience, and operational efficiency.
Maintain strong controls and procedures to comply with all applicable laws and regulations, including NACHA, Reg E, Reg Z, PCI DSS, and FFIEC guidelines.
Champion the credit union’s enterprise risk management strategy of “Slow Down, Stop, Escalate”.
Lead and develop the payments team with clear roles and responsibilities.
Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
Manage relationships with payment processors, core providers, card networks, fintech partners, and other third-party vendors.
Negotiate contracts and ensure vendors deliver on SLAs, security requirements, and member experience standards.
Work closely with Digital Banking, IT, Marketing, Member Services, and Finance to deliver cohesive and member-centric payment experiences.
Support new product launches and core system initiatives from a payments perspective.