Senior Operations Escalation Manager

PayBright•Raleigh, NC

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

PayBright is a leading merchant services provider focused entirely on supporting agents and ISOs nationwide. Our business is built on relationships — with our partners, merchants, and internal teams — and we believe operational excellence is one of our greatest competitive advantages. We operate with an agent-first philosophy, work relentlessly to support our merchants, and approach problems with professionalism, calm judgment, and long-term thinking. As we continue to scale, the complexity and risk profile of escalations has increased, and we are investing in senior operational talent to support that growth. The Operations Escalation Manager is the highest escalation point for merchants and agents before matters reach executive leadership. This role owns Tier 3 operational escalations involving urgency, complexity, financial exposure, or external sensitivity. This is a hands-on, external-facing role for a true fixer - someone who gets things done, quickly finds viable paths forward where others see dead ends, and keeps all parties moving toward resolution. Merchant and agent experience is an absolute priority. This role is not about gatekeeping or defaulting to “no,” but about navigating constraints creatively while protecting the business. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in high-stakes environments and exercises sound judgment under pressure. Everything is urgent, high-stakes, and often ambiguous. Success requires the ability to juggle multiple critical issues simultaneously, maintain composure under pressure, and deliver outcomes that preserve relationships and trust. You will spend the majority of your day actively engaged with merchants and agents as part of the broader service organization and will absorb the majority of escalations that would otherwise reach leadership. This role carries authority through expertise, credibility, and partnership - not people management. This role may be open to remote candidates in select states; however, candidates based in or near Raleigh, NC will be strongly prioritized.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree
7+ years of experience in payments, merchant services, fintech, or high-risk B2B operations
Direct experience handling complex operational escalations
Demonstrated exposure to chargebacks, risk holds, and funding issues
Experience coordinating across multiple operational teams
Strong understanding of merchant processing statements and merchant account profitability.
Exceptional judgment and composure in high-pressure, high-stakes environments
Outstanding external-facing communication skills with merchants, agents, and other stakeholders
Comfort managing multiple urgent issues simultaneously without losing effectiveness
Strong risk, chargeback, and operational fluency
High ownership, accountability, and follow-through
Proven ability to navigate ambiguity and make decisions without complete information
Solutions-oriented mindset with a bias toward action and resolution
Ability to assess business and margin implications in real time
Full-time (40 hours per week)
Monday–Friday, with occasional weekend hours as needed
Candidates in the Raleigh, NC area will be expected to work in the office at least four days per week
Full-time remote candidates will be considered in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, or Texas

Responsibilities

Serve as the highest escalation point for merchants and agents short of executive involvement
Triage and prioritize multiple simultaneous escalations based on urgency, business impact, and risk
Take ownership of finding resolutions for complex or urgent incidents including disruptions, chargebacks, or operational failures
Exercise independent judgment on exceptions and non-standard decisions
Address bank, processor, or vendor issues that fall outside established SOPs
Coordinate resolution efforts across risk, underwriting, support, deployments, finance, and external partners
Make business-minded decisions that balance merchant outcomes with financial and risk considerations
Shield managers and executives from unnecessary noise while surfacing and mitigating material risks
Analyze escalation trends to identify systemic issues, repeat failure points, or emerging risks
Document escalation decisions, rationale, outcomes, and root causes with precision to reduce future ambiguity