Lead Analyst - Deposit & Payment Operations

First Citizens India; Bengaluru; Hybrid; INR 1,500,000 - 2,100,000; Full time

Job summary

First Citizens India in Bengaluru seeks a Lead Analyst - Deposit & Payment Operations to manage end-to-end ACH processing, investigations, and controls. You will act as the ACH SME, drive efficiencies, and partner with cross-functional teams to ensure regulatory compliance and operational resilience.

The role requires strong analytical skills, stakeholder management, and leadership to mentor teammates while delivering process standardization and automation across the payment lifecycle.

Qualifications

• Strong knowledge of ACH payment operations, processing, returns, and investigations.
• Proven ability to lead investigations, root-cause analyses, and remediation.
• Experience with risk management, controls, governance, and audits.
• Excellent written and verbal communication with senior stakeholders.
• Ability to coach and mentor junior team members.

Responsibilities

• Oversee end-to-end ACH processing to ensure accuracy and compliance.
• Lead investigations of exceptions, rejects, and adjustments with RCA.
• Provide SME guidance on complex processing scenarios and client inquiries.
• Monitor operational metrics, risks, and controls; ensure timely escalations.
• Drive process improvements, automation, standardization, and system enhancements.
• Coordinate with offshore and onshore teams for continuity and handovers.
• Support month-end/quarter-end activities and risk reviews.

Skills

ACH operations knowledge

Analytical problem solving

Stakeholder management

Effective communication

Leadership and mentoring

Education

Bachelor's/Master's in commerce or business administration

Tools

Excel

MS Office

RPA/Automation tools

Job description

Value Proposition

Support end-to-end ACH payment processing and exception management, ensuring accuracy, timely execution, regulatory compliance, operational resilience, and effective risk controls.

Serve as an ACH operations subject matter expert, partnering with onshore and cross‑functional teams to resolve complex issues and drive process standardization, automation, control improvements, and operational efficiency.

Job Details

• Position Title: Lead Analyst - Deposit & Payment Operations
• Career Level: P3
• Job Category: Manager
• Role Type: Hybrid
• Job Location: Bangalore

About the Team:

The ACH Operations team supports the Banks U.S. Payments ecosystem by ensuring accurate, timely, and controlled ACH transaction processing. The team manages high-volume, time-sensitive activities, including payment processing, exceptions, investigations, returns, rejects, and adjustments. It partners Operations, Technology, Risk, Compliance, Finance, and other business teams to maintain payment integrity and operational continuity. The team is committed to strong risk management, effective controls, and high-quality service delivery.

Impact

The Lead Analyst is responsible for overseeing complex ACH payment operations while ensuring accuracy, timeliness, regulatory compliance, and operational integrity. The role serves as a key ACH subject matter expert, leading investigations, resolving escalations, strengthening controls, and driving process improvements across the payment lifecycle.

The successful candidate combines strong payments expertise, analytical problem‑solving skills, and risk management capabilities to identify operational risks, deliver sustainable solutions, and support strategic initiatives including automation, process standardization, and system enhancements.

This role requires effective collaboration with U.S. stakeholders, independent decision‑making, and ownership of business‑critical deliverables within a fast‑paced and highly regulated environment.

• Work Schedule: Tuesday to Saturday
• Shift Timing: 1:30 AM 10.30 AM IST

Key Deliverables

ACH Operation Processing

• Handle end-to-end ACH processing activities to ensure compliance with established procedures, service‑level agreements, and regulatory requirements.
• Execute and monitor high‑volume ACH transactions with a focus on accuracy, timeliness, and operational excellence
• Monitor workflow volumes, processing queues, exception trends, and service metrics to proactively identify operational risks and bottlenecks.
• Ensure continuity of critical payment operations through effective prioritization and issue management.

Exception Management and Investigations

• Investigate and resolve complex ACH exceptions, rejects, returns, reversals, adjustments, discrepancies, and processing anomalies.
• Apply structured investigative methodologies to analyze transaction data, system behavior, processing history, and applicable business rules.
• Conduct comprehensive root cause analyses of recurring failures, operational breaks, and control exceptions, implementing sustainable corrective and preventive measures.

Subject‑Matter Expertise and Decision‑Making

• Serve as a trusted ACH subject‑matter expert, providing guidance on complex processing scenarios, operational procedures, and client enquiries.
• Exercise prudent operational judgement when evaluating complex transactions, discrepancies, control deficiencies, and escalations.
• Support ACH investigations and business escalations, ensuring responses are comprehensive, accurate, and delivered within stipulated timelines.

Operational Controls and Risk Management

• Monitor key operational indicators, including transaction volumes, productivity, quality, service‑level adherence, exception trends, error rates, and aged inventory.
• Execute prescribed control activities and quality‑assurance reviews to mitigate financial, operational, regulatory, and reputational exposure.
• Maintain comprehensive documentation, auditable records, and evidentiary support for processing, investigative, and control activities.
• Provide robust documentation, analytical insights, and management explanations for audits, risk reviews, and control assessments.

Stakeholder Engagement and Communication

• Communicate complex operational issues, risk indicators, emerging trends, and remediation progress with clarity, precision, and executive‑level articulation.
• Cultivate collaborative relationships with U.S. ACH Operations, Payments, Technology, Risk, Compliance, Finance, Product, and other enterprise stakeholders.
• Ensure seamless shift handovers, disciplined escalation, and continuity of critical information between offshore and U.S. onshore teams.

Process Improvement and Transformation

• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency through workflow optimization, automation, standardization, and control enhancement.
• Participate in system enhancements, user acceptance testing, implementation activities, and business transformation initiatives.
• Support migrations, transitions, and transformation programs through process documentation, knowledge transfer, risk assessment, and implementation support.
• Constructively challenge established practices and advocate for scalable, sustainable, efficient, and risk‑conscious operating models.

Business Continuity and Capability Development

• Support critical business‑cycle activities, including month‑end, quarter‑end, holiday processing, system changes, and other operationally sensitive periods.
• Strengthen team capability through structured coaching, mentoring, knowledge transfer, and subject‑matter training.
• Champion robust governance, operational excellence, process standardization, and the consistent adoption of industry‑aligned best practices.

Skills and Qualification

Functional Skills:

• Strong knowledge of ACH payment operations, including transaction processing, returns, rejects, reversals, exceptions, adjustments, investigations, and related operational activities.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills with the ability to conduct detailed investigations, Root Cause Analysis (RCA), issue remediation and exception management
• Strong understanding of operational risk management, internal controls, governance frameworks, and risk‑mitigation methodologies within financial services.
• Proven ability to operate effectively within a high‑volume, deadline‑driven, and highly controlled payments environment.
• Exceptional attention to detail, with an uncompromising focus on accuracy, completeness, timeliness, and procedural adherence.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret complex operational information and translate findings into clear, concise, and actionable recommendations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with phenomenal command of English grammar, vocabulary, syntax, and professional business communication.
• Ability to articulate complex operational matters with clarity, precision, sophistication, and appropriate business terminology when communicating with senior stakeholders.
• Strong stakeholder‑management capability, with the ability to establish credibility and influence across multiple organizational levels and functions.
• Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities, exercise sound judgment, and make well‑reasoned decisions within defined risk and governance parameters.
• Strong process‑improvement orientation, with the ability to identify opportunities for automation, digitization, standardization, and operational transformation.
• Strong risk awareness and a proactive control mindset, with the ability to anticipate vulnerabilities rather than merely respond to incidents.
• Demonstrated leadership capability, including coaching, mentoring, knowledge transfer, and development of junior team members.

Technical Skills

• Working knowledge of ACH processing platforms, payment applications, workflow‑management systems, and operational reporting tools.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, with the ability to analyze large datasets, identify trends, and derive meaningful operational insights.
• Proficiency in MS Office tools for reporting, documentation, and executive communications.
• Exposure to process automation, RPA, AI‑enabled solutions, and digital transformation initiatives is highly desirable.
• Experience supporting UAT, system implementations, or operational change programs preferred.

Educational Experience:

• Bachelors/Masters degree in commerce or business administration.
• 78 years of relevant experience in ACH Operations, U.S. Payments, Banking transaction processing operations
• Demonstrable experience in U.S. ACH operations is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience handling ACH exceptions, returns, rejects, investigations, adjustments, or other complex payment activities.
• Experience working in high‑volume payment environment governed by strict processing windows and service‑level commitments.
• Experience partnering with U.S.-based stakeholders and operating within a global delivery model is preferred.
• Demonstrated exposure to process transformation, automation, operational risk management, or continuous‑improvement initiatives

Relationships & Collaboration

• Reports to: Senior Manager, Deposit & Payment Operations
• Partners: Onshore team and various business line operations teams

Accessibility Needs

We are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible hiring process. If you require accommodations at any stage (e.g. application, interviews, onboarding) please let us know, and we will work with you to ensure a seamless experience.