Vice President, Operations Manager

Lake Elmo Bank•Lake Elmo, MN

2d•$100,000 - $130,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Vice President, Operations Manager provides leadership and oversight for the Bank’s payment and transaction processing functions to ensure accurate, secure, controlled, efficient, and timely cash management and operational services. The role oversees ACH receiving and origination, domestic and international wires, exception processing, Positive Pay, Lockbox, and related services. It partners with Digital Banking/Cash Management, Retail Banking, Compliance, Information Technology, Finance, and other business areas to manage operational risk, improve processes, and implement cash management solutions. This is a full-time, salaried, exempt position based onsite in Lake Elmo, Minnesota, for 40 hours per week. The position reports to the Vice President, Cash Management.

Requirements

Significant banking operations experience with progressively increasing responsibility.
Strong working knowledge of ACH, wire transfers, deposit/payment processing, exception handling, and commercial cash management services.
Experience managing operational teams, processes, systems, or major implementations.
Strong understanding of payment risk, internal controls, segregation of duties, and fraud prevention.
Demonstrated ability to identify inefficiencies and improve operational processes.
Strong analytical, organizational, problem-solving, and project-management skills.
Ability to work effectively across Operations, Digital Banking, Compliance, IT, Finance, and customer-facing teams.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Jack Henry.
AAP – Accredited ACH Professional certification/accreditation.
APRP – Accredited Payments Risk Professional certification/accreditation.
NCP – National Check Professional certification/accreditation.
AFPP – Accredited Faster Payments Professional certification/accreditation.

Responsibilities

Maintain payment-processing controls, including authorization, segregation of duties, verification, and transaction limits; ensure accurate, timely processing and backup coverage for critical functions.
Oversee ACH, online and manual wires, Positive Pay, ACH block/filter services, Lockbox, and related payment and fraud-prevention services.
Partner on customer implementations and ensure setup, testing, documentation, and handoffs are complete, with independent verification of authorities, limits, funding, security, and configurations before production.
Lead ACH receiving and origination, including files, returns, notices of change, reversals, and settlement.
Maintain approved Originator agreements and risk parameters, setup and access controls, and procedures; monitor unusual activity and exceptions; ensure documented approvals and escalation; and partner on risk management, audits, control reviews, and remediation.
Oversee domestic and international wires, including authentication, verification, approval, release, reconciliation, and exceptions; maintain dual control, segregation of duties, and authorized changes to payment information.
Escalate high-risk activity and oversee wire-system testing, implementations, upgrades, and optimization.
Oversee balancing and reconciliation; ensure timely research, resolution, and escalation of unusual or aged items; and address recurring errors through root-cause analysis and corrective action.
Lead payment and operational product implementations, system testing, and upgrades; establish plans, responsibilities, procedures, and post-implementation reviews.
Improve workflows and automation to strengthen accuracy, efficiency, and customer experience.
Coordinate with vendors and IT to resolve operational issues and implement technology that improves automation, controls, scalability, and customer capabilities.
Lead and coach operational employees; establish expectations, service standards, procedures, and accountability.
Maintain cross-training and succession coverage, foster risk awareness and customer service, and advise other Bank teams on complex processing matters.