Senior Manager, Payments Technology

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce•Chicago, IL

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Manager, Payments Technology oversees the day-to-day operations, development, and support of payment technology solutions. The role leads a team of engineers and analysts and ensures reliable delivery and integration of payment systems, including ACH, Instant Payments, wires, SWIFT, and Zelle. It calls for hands-on payment-processing, API integration, and vendor-platform experience, and contributes to business objectives and technology initiatives. This manager leads multiple development projects, vendor-product integrations, and application support functions for a major line of business. Responsibilities include overseeing system development, testing, and implementation; developing staff; maintaining payment-system availability and performance; supporting incident management; and delivering payment-platform projects and integrations. The position is hybrid, with 2–3 days per week onsite in Chicago, and operates in a normal office environment. Visa sponsorship is not offered. The role also requires compliance with applicable CIBC policies and controls and fostering a strong risk culture. The manager may recommend process changes, assign work, select employees for hire, assess performance, make compensation decisions, and take disciplinary measures up to and including termination. The expected salary range for the Chicago market is $170,000–$205,000, based on experience, qualifications, and location. The successful candidate may be eligible for incentive compensation, potentially including a discretionary bonus.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in payment technology, financial services, or a related field.
Extensive knowledge of banking products, services, and industry regulations, and expert understanding of industry trends and developments.
Ability to use industry knowledge to influence strategic decisions and align projects with broader business objectives.
Experience integrating vendor products in a high-volume payments-processing environment.
Hands-on experience with payment-processing technologies, including SWIFT, wires, ACH, Instant Payments, and Zelle.
Experience with Azure cloud technologies, .NET, AKS, and Postgres or SQL Server.
Experience with integration technologies such as IBM MQ, RabbitMQ, or Kafka.
Experience supporting Java-based applications.
Working knowledge of Agile, Scrumban, or similar methodologies.
Understanding of ITIL processes and production-support best practices.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities.
Ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver results in a fast-paced environment.
Must be legally eligible to work at the specified location and hold a valid work or study permit where applicable.

Nice To Haves

Experience managing or leading technical teams.
Familiarity with vendor platforms such as FIS, Fiserv, Finastra, or other fintech payment providers.

Responsibilities

Manage, coach, and develop engineers and analysts focused on payment technology solutions.
Foster a collaborative, high-performance team culture.
Oversee daily operations and support of payment systems to ensure high availability and performance.
Coordinate incident management, problem resolution, and system monitoring for payment applications.
Lead and participate in projects implementing and enhancing SWIFT, wire, ACH, Instant Payments, and Zelle processing solutions.
Support API enablement and integration with internal and external partners.
Work with vendor partners to support optimal performance and service delivery.
Support evaluation and onboarding of new payment technology vendors.
Identify and implement process improvements to increase operational efficiency, reliability, and scalability.
Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, industry standards, and applicable CIBC policies and controls.
Collaborate with business, technology, and operations teams to understand requirements and deliver solutions.
Communicate project status, risks, and issues to stakeholders.
Recommend business-process changes to improve operational efficiency and effectiveness.
Assign tasks, select individuals for hire, assess performance, make compensation decisions, and take disciplinary measures within the manager's span of control.
Foster a strong risk culture, complete required training, and escalate concerns through appropriate channels.