Escrow & Wire Desk Operations Leader

TLA Financial Services; Mexico; On-site; PHP 4,869,000 - 7,304,000; Full time

Job summary

TLA Financial Services is seeking an Operations Manager to oversee day-to-day escrow and wire desk operations across markets. You will lead the Escrow and Wire Desk Supervisors, drive performance through metrics, and partner with IT, Product, Compliance, and Risk to implement new systems and workflows.

You will own SOPs, process improvements, and governance, ensuring disciplined controls and timely, accurate processing of wires and escrow files.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, operations management, finance, or related field.
• 5+ years of operations management experience, with at least 2 years leading frontline supervisors or team leads.
• Experience in escrow, title, real estate, banking, or financial services strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience managing operations with strict control requirements (e.g., wire operations, banking, AML/KYC environments).
• Experience authoring SOPs and operating with disciplined documentation standards.
• Experience operationalizing new systems or technology rollouts within an operations function.
• Experience developing OKRs and conducting structured monthly performance assessments.
• Operational discipline: runs reliable, repeatable operations with strong attention to controls and quality.
• People leadership & coaching: develops Supervisors and builds capability across teams; conducts structured performance management.
• OKR & performance management: designs, cascades, and tracks OKRs; runs monthly performance assessment rhythms.
• Process design & documentation: authors clear, effective SOPs and workflows; maintains documentation standards within operations.
• Controls & compliance awareness: understands operational risk, dual-control discipline, and regulatory requirements.
• Cross-functional collaboration: works effectively across Product, IT, Compliance, Finance, and People & Culture.
• Change adoption & system readiness: champions adoption of new systems and processes; ensures teams are ready, trained, and proficient.
• Data-driven decision-making: uses operational metrics to drive performance and improvement.
• Client service orientation: maintains operational focus on consistent, high-quality client experience.
• Adaptability & change leadership: leads teams through evolving workflows, AI adoption, and organizational change.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day operations for both the Escrow processing team and the Wire Desk across all markets.
• Ensure escrow files and escrow wires are processed accurately, on time, and in accordance with established procedures.
• Monitor operational metrics (SLA adherence, cycle time, error rates, wire processing accuracy, client NPS) and drive corrective actions when performance gaps emerge.
• Allocate resources, balance workload, and adjust operational priorities across both teams to meet volume and service expectations.
• Resolve operational escalations that require Manager-level intervention or cross-functional coordination.
• Directly manage and develop the Escrow Supervisor and Wire Desk Supervisor.
• Coach both Supervisors to independently lead their teams, manage escalations, and develop their staff.
• Conduct regular 1:1s, structured development conversations, and performance reviews with both Supervisors.
• Build succession planning and cross-training within both teams to ensure operational resilience.
• Partner with People & Culture on hiring, training programs, and performance management.
• Develop and own operations OKRs for the Escrow and Wire Desk teams in alignment with company WIGs and strategic direction from the COO.
• Cascade OKRs to Supervisor and team level; ensure each level understands its contribution to operational performance.
• Conduct monthly operational performance assessments of the operations team, including OKR progress, operational metrics, and behavioral expectations.
• Synthesize monthly operational performance into structured reports for the COO and the AI Analyst for board reporting.
• Identify performance gaps, drive corrective actions, and recognize strong performance.
• Ensure the Wire Desk operates with strict adherence to dual-approval controls (Wire Processor initiates; Wire Desk Supervisor and authorized Wire Approver dual approve).
• Maintain accurate, auditable records of all escrow wire activity.
• Coordinate with Compliance & Risk on wire-related compliance requirements and audit support.
• Identify and elevate exceptions, anomalies, or potential control concerns.
• Continuously evaluate and improve wire desk processes for accuracy, speed, and control integrity.
• Serve as the operational owner and adoption lead for systems used by Escrow and Wire Desk teams (e.g., SoftPro, Client Portal), partnering directly with the IT Director on implementation timelines, training, go-live readiness, and post-launch stabilization.
• Champion adoption of new systems and process changes; ensure team proficiency, operational readiness, and resolution of operational issues identified during implementation.
• Operationalize the client portal experience within the Escrow team in partnership with Product, including support workflows, handoff procedures, and operational readiness as the portal moves from friends-and-family to market launch.
• Provide operational requirements, feedback, and adoption insights to IT and Product to inform system improvements.
• Sign off on operational readiness for system rollouts within Operations.
• Own the authoring, maintenance, and currency of all Escrow and Wire Desk SOPs, including processing workflows, wire execution, KYC/onboarding, and file management.
• Establish and maintain documentation standards within Operations (templates, version control, review cadence); coordinate with Compliance & Risk to ensure alignment with regulatory standards.
• Operationalize new product workflows designed by Product, ensuring teams are trained, procedures are documented, and operational handoffs are clear.
• Identify and implement process improvements that reduce cycle time, eliminate redundancy, and improve quality across escrow and wire operations.
• Partner with the AI Analyst to identify automation opportunities and operationalize AI-enabled workflows.
• Continuously evaluate workflows based on volume changes, client feedback, and operational metrics.
• Frame and route operational escalations correctly across Product, Compliance, Finance, and Technology — ensuring issues reach the right owner with appropriate context.
• Execute escrow and wire operations within the compliance and risk framework established by Compliance & Risk.
• Implement and maintain operational controls (checklists, approvals, quality assurance, dual control) to minimize risk of errors or fraud.
• Conduct quality assurance reviews of escrow files and wire transactions.
• Support audits, control testing, and remediation in partnership with Compliance & Risk.
• Promote awareness of compliance responsibilities across both teams.
• Partner with Product to operationalize new escrow products, customized client workflows, and developer-specific structures designed by Product.
• Partner with IT Director on system implementation, technology rollouts, and operational technology requirements.
• Partner with Compliance & Risk on regulatory requirements, audit preparation, and control framework execution.
• Partner with the AI Analyst to provide operational data inputs and operationalize AI-driven workflows.
• Partner with People & Culture on staffing, training, and performance management.
• Support the COO with operational reporting, strategic initiatives, and special projects.
• Prepare operational reports and dashboards tracking key metrics (SLA, cycle time, errors, wire activity, OKR progress) for the COO and executive team.
• Analyze operational data to identify trends, risks, and opportunities for improvement.
• Provide consistent, structured operational inputs to the AI Analyst for consolidated Board reporting.

Skills

Leadership

OKR Development

Operations Management

SLA Monitoring

SOP Writing

Cross-functional Collaboration

Data-driven Decision-Making

Change Management

Compliance Awareness

Education

Bachelor's degree in business administration, operations management, finance, or related field

Tools

SoftPro

Client Portal

RamQuest

CRM Platforms

Job description

TLA Financial Services is seeking an Operations Manager to oversee day-to-day escrow and wire desk operations across markets. You will lead the Escrow and Wire Desk Supervisors, drive performance through metrics, and partner with IT, Product, Compliance, and Risk to implement new systems and workflows.

You will own SOPs, process improvements, and governance, ensuring disciplined controls and timely, accurate processing of wires and escrow files.