ACH Payments Specialist II

South Shore Bank; Dedham (MA); On-site; USD 39,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

Charlesbridge seeks an ACH Payments Specialist II to ensure accurate, timely ACH processing and related electronic payment activity. You will monitor files, handle complex exceptions, settlements, and fraud monitoring while supporting audit readiness and cross-team collaboration.

This role requires knowledge of Nacha rules, banking regulations, and risk-based controls, with the ability to meet deadlines and resolve issues independently.

Qualifications

• Associate’s degree or equivalent with 3+ years in banking or payments.
• Knowledge of Nacha rules, ACH processing, and related regulatory requirements.
• AAP/APRP preferred or willing to pursue payments certification.
• Experience with fraud monitoring, reconciliation, and risk escalation.

Responsibilities

• Monitor and process ACH activity within processing windows.
• Review ACH files, returns, disputes, and complex exceptions; research discrepancies.
• Perform daily Fed settlement balancing and reconcile differences.
• Review OFAC and sanctions alerts according to procedures.
• Monitor fraud alerts and escalate as needed to management or Compliance.
• Provide timely support on ACH transactions and inquiries to customers and internal teams.

Skills

Nacha Operating Rules

Banking operations knowledge

Regulatory compliance

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Education

Associate’s degree or equivalent

AAP or APRP accreditation preferred

Tools

FIS Deposits System

Verafin

Fedline Web

Microsoft Office

Online banking platforms

Job description

SUMMARY: The ACH Payments Specialist II is responsible for the accurate, timely, and compliant processing of ACH and related electronic payment activity, including file monitoring, complex exception processing, returns, disputes, settlements, fraud monitoring, reconciliations, and customer and internal support.

SUMMARY: The ACH Payments Specialist II is responsible for the accurate, timely, and compliant processing of ACH and related electronic payment activity, including file monitoring, complex exception processing, returns, disputes, settlements, fraud monitoring, reconciliations, and customer and internal support.

This role requires strong knowledge of Nacha Operating Rules, banking regulations, OFAC requirements, internal procedures, and risk-based controls, with the ability to meet processing deadlines, independently research and expand issues, support audit readiness, and collaborate across teams.

Description

SUMMARY: The ACH Payments Specialist II is responsible for the accurate, timely, and compliant processing of ACH and related electronic payment activity, including file monitoring, complex exception processing, returns, disputes, settlements, fraud monitoring, reconciliations, and customer and internal support.

This role requires strong knowledge of Nacha Operating Rules, banking regulations, OFAC requirements, internal procedures, and risk-based controls, with the ability to meet processing deadlines, independently research and expand issues, support audit readiness, and collaborate across teams.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Monitor and process ACH activity in accordance with established processing windows, Bank procedures, Nacha Operating Rules, OFAC requirements, and applicable regulatory guidance.
• Review ACH files, batches, returns, notifications of change, disputes, stop payments, non-post items, overdraft exceptions, and other complex exception activity; independently research and resolve discrepancies accurately and within required timeframes.
• Perform daily ACH Federal Reserve settlement balancing, including review of FIS reports for receiving and origination activity; research, document, and clear differences timely.
• Review ACH OFAC reports and other sanctions-related alerts according to established procedures and deadlines.
• Monitor fraud and suspicious activity reports, including ACH, debit card, external transfer, online banking, and Verafin alerts; identify trends, document findings, recommend next steps, and elevate concerns promptly to management, BSA/AML, Risk, or Compliance as appropriate.
• Review external transfer setup and activity to identify potential fraud, confirm customer eligibility, and ensure controls are followed.
• Process ACH disputes, written statements of unauthorized debit, stop-payment requests, and related customer correspondence in accordance with regulatory and Bank requirements.
• Review and process death notifications received through Fedline Web and government reclamations timely to mitigate loss exposure.
• Perform daily ATM settlement functions and prepare posting documentation for ATM discrepancies reported by branches.
• Prepare, review, and maintain assigned general ledger account reconciliations; research and resolve outstanding items by required deadlines.
• Support accurate documentation, audit readiness, record retention, and procedure maintenance for ACH and payment operations processes, including updates to procedures and job aids as needed.
• Assist with testing, validation, and implementation of system changes, product updates, service enhancements, and department projects with limited supervision.
• Identify and recommend opportunities to improve controls, automate manual work, streamline processing, reduce risk, and strengthen the customer and employee experience.
• Provide timely, professional support and procedural guidance to internal and external customers regarding ACH transactions, exceptions, online banking issues, external transfers, account activity, and related payment inquiries.
• Partner with Deposit Operations, BSA/AML, Risk, Compliance, Treasury Management, Retail, Contact Center, and technology partners to resolve escalated issues and support effective payment operations.
• Serve as a backup for other Deposit Operations functions as needed and maintain cross-training to support business continuity.
• Complete all internal Company training as assigned and required.
• Adhere to the Company’s privacy, information security, data protection, and record retention policies, including safeguarding non-public personal information and sensitive Bank data.
• Demonstrate behaviors that support and strengthen the Company’s culture, including accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and service excellence.

Consider this description to be the foundation of your job, not its boundaries. Expect to participate in internal and external training sessions and activities not described here which enhance the quality of service to the client.

Requirements

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION And/or EXPERIENCE

• Associate’s degree or equivalent combination of education and progressively responsible relevant banking, deposit operations, ACH, electronic payments, or financial services experience.
• Minimum of three (3) years of banking operations experience preferred, including direct ACH, deposit operations, electronic payments, treasury management support, or related back-office processing experience.
• Working knowledge of Nacha Operating Rules, ACH file processing, returns, disputes, reclamations, notifications of change, stop payments, complex exceptions, and related regulatory requirements.
• AAP or APRP accreditation preferred, or willingness to pursue relevant payments certification.
• Experience with fraud monitoring, exception processing, account reconciliation, audit support, procedure documentation, and risk escalation preferred.
• Familiarity with FIS, Verafin, Fedline Web, online banking platforms, Microsoft Office, and related deposit operations systems preferred.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, customer service, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to prioritize work, meet strict deadlines, manage multiple processing timeframes, and maintain accuracy in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong oral and written communication skills with the ability to interact professionally with customers, employees, management, vendors, and business partners.
• High level of attention to detail, accountability, confidentiality, initiative, independent judgment, and sound judgment.

Skills

• Knowledge of banking operations, electronic payments, ACH processing, and related federal regulations, including privacy, information security, BSA/AML, OFAC, and consumer protection requirements.
• Ability to interpret procedures, apply rules consistently, identify exceptions, resolve routine issues independently, and elevate complex issues appropriately.
• Strong technical aptitude and willingness to learn new systems, payment tools, automation opportunities, and reporting processes.
• Intermediate to advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including the ability to review reports, reconcile data, identify variances, and support management reporting.
• Strong mathematical and reconciliation skills, including the ability to balance accounts, calculate totals and differences, research exceptions, and identify routine processing errors.
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to explain account activity, payment issues, procedures, and next steps clearly to customers and employees.

Additional Job Requirements / Ada Considerations

The employee must be able to communicate effectively with internal and external stakeholders, including but not limited to, clients, prospects, employees, management, and external partners in person, by phone, virtually, and in writing; read, interpret, and prepare business, banking, regulatory, proposal, contract, and client documentation as applicable to the role; and apply business- and financial-related concepts, analysis, or calculations as appropriate to the role. Work is primarily performed in a professional office environment and may include client locations, meetings, presentations, conferences, association events, and other business development settings.

The role requires regular use of a computer, phone, virtual meeting tools, and standard office technology; the ability to review screens and documents; occasional travel within the market area; and occasional lifting or moving of materials up to 10 pounds. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions, consistent with applicable law.

KEY POINTS

For those seeking to deliver the latest financial solutions rooted in trustworthy, high-quality service, Charlesbridge, a mutual bank holding company, provides operational support, resources, legacy, and innovative thinking to financial institutions so they can deliver a suite of flexible, personalized solutions designed to meet the evolving needs of our clients and our communities. Our local roots, dedication to the communities we serve, loyalty to our people, and commitment to excellence ensure that we remain a trusted partner in an ever-evolving financial journey, today and tomorrow. While our employees are committed to helping our clients, we are committed to our employees. To support our employees, we offer a competitive benefit package with Medical, Dental, Vision, Flexible Spending, Tuition Reimbursement, Childcare Subsidy, Retirement, Life Insurance, and many other benefits.

Charlesbridge is committed to providing equal opportunity for all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, national origin, physical or mental disability, veteran or disability status, gender identity, or expression, citizenship, genetic information, ancestral origin, military status, pregnancy, childbirth, and or conditions relating to pregnancy or any other related medical conditions or any other status protected by Federal, State or local laws.

Here at Charlesbridge, we strive to foster a culture where every voice is valued and where employees have a sense of belonging and connection with each other. We are dedicated to creating a work environment that understands, supports, and welcomes diverse perspectives and backgrounds. Together, we will create an inclusive and culturally competent and supportive environment where employees model behavior that enriches both Banks and the communities we support.

PAY RANGE DISCLOSURE

The pay range for this position is $28.31 to $36.51 per hour and is the lowest to highest hourly rate Charlesbridge in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. The Company may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range, and the range may be modified in the future. An employee’s pay position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, sales or revenue-based metrics, and business or organizational needs and affordability.

EOE/F/M/Vet/Disabled