Payments Manager - Rahway, NJ

Merck; Rahway (NJ); On-site; USD 79,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Retirement benefits (401k)

Paid time off

Job summary

Merck & Co., Rahway, NJ, seeks a Director of Payments to guide the payments ecosystem strategy, including card services, ACH, wires, real-time payments, and digital platforms. You will lead a team to optimize operations, manage vendor relationships, and ensure regulatory compliance while driving member-centric payment experiences.

The role requires deep knowledge of the U.S. payments landscape, strong leadership, and experience delivering payments modernization.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, information systems, or related field; MBA or advanced degree preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the organization’s payments strategy, aligning with goals and member needs.
• Monitor industry trends, emerging technologies, and regulatory changes to keep the credit union ahead in payment solutions.
• Champion innovation by identifying and evaluating new payment platforms, partners, and products.
• Oversee all payments-related operations including debit/credit/prepaid card programs, ACH, wire transfers, bill pay, mobile/digital payments, P2P, and merchant services.
• Ensure seamless, secure, and efficient end-to-end payment processing and servicing.
• Establish and track KPIs for performance, member experience, and operational efficiency.
• Maintain strong controls to comply with NACHA, Reg E, Reg Z, PCI DSS, FFIEC; implement enterprise risk management “Slow Down, Stop, Escalate.”
• Lead and develop the payments team with clear roles; foster accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Manage relationships with payment processors, core providers, card networks, fintech partners, and other vendors; negotiate contracts and SLAs.

Skills

Bank Fraud

Client Service Excellence

Credit Card Services

Credit Unions

CRM

Facility Management

Financial Analysis

Financial Services Operations

Fraud Detection

Fraud Management

Loan Processing

Supervisory Management

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in business, Finance, Information Systems, or related field

MBA or other advanced degree preferred

Tools

Jack Henry Symitar

Velera/PSCU

Fiserv Debit

EPN/The Clearing House

Alloya

Job description

Position Summary

The Director of Payments will help lead the strategic direction, operational quality, and innovation of the credit union’s payments ecosystem, including card services, ACH, wires, digital payments, real-time payments (RTP), and emerging fintech integrations. This individual will play a critical role in driving member satisfaction, improving efficiencies, and ensuring regulatory compliance while advancing the credit union’s payments strategy in alignment with its growth objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the organization’s payments strategy, aligning with overall business goals and member needs.
• Monitor industry trends, emerging technologies, and regulatory changes to keep the credit union on the cutting edge of payment solutions.
• Champion innovation by identifying and evaluating new payment platforms, partners, and products.

Operations & Oversight

• Oversee all payments-related operations including debit/credit/prepaid card programs, ACH, wire transfers, bill pay, mobile/digital payments, P2P, and merchant services.
• Ensure seamless, secure, and efficient end-to-end payment processing and servicing.
• Establish and track KPIs for performance, member experience, and operational efficiency.

Risk & Compliance

• Maintain strong controls and procedures to comply with all applicable laws and regulations, including NACHA, Reg E, Reg Z, PCI DSS, and FFIEC guidelines.
• Champion the credit union’s enterprise risk management strategy of “Slow Down, Stop, Escalate”.

Team Leadership

• Lead and develop the payments team with clear roles and responsibilities.
• Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.

Vendor & Partner Management

• Manage relationships with payment processors, core providers, card networks, fintech partners, and other third‑party vendors.
• Negotiate contracts and ensure vendors deliver on SLAs, security requirements, and member experience standards.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Digital Banking, IT, Marketing, Member Services, and Finance to deliver cohesive and member‑centric payment experiences.
• Support new product launches and core system initiatives from a payments perspective.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in business, Finance, Information Systems, or related field; MBA or other advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum five years of experience in financial services with a focus on payments; at least two years in a leadership role.
• Deep understanding of the U.S. payments landscape, including card networks, ACH, RTP, Zelle, FedNow, and digital wallets.
• Proven track record in vendor management, strategic planning, and regulatory compliance.
• Strong analytical, negotiation, and project management skills.
• Exceptional leadership, interpersonal, and communication abilities.

Preferred Experience

• Experience in a credit union or mid‑sized financial institution or fintech.
• Familiarity with Jack Henry Symitar, Velera/PSCU, Fiserv Debit, EPN/The Clearing House, Alloya.
• Successful delivery of payment modernization or digital transformation initiatives.
• Experience working with or integrating fintech solutions.

Why Join Us?

At our Company Employees Federal Credit Union, we pride ourselves on putting our members first while embracing innovation and growth. As Director of Payments, you’ll have the opportunity to shape the future of payments for a forward‑thinking, financially strong institution with a strong member base and a collaborative, mission‑driven culture.

Required Skills

Bank Fraud, Client Service Excellence, Credit Card Services, Credit Unions, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Facility Management, Financial Analysis, Financial Services Operations, Fraud Detection, Fraud Management, Loan Processing, Supervisory Management

US And Puerto Rico Residents Only

Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities. Please click here if you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process.

Requirements

As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. As a federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit: EEOC Know Your Rights EEOC GINA Supplement We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing together, talented, and committed people with diverse experiences, perspectives, skills and backgrounds. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when people with diverse ideas, broad experiences, backgrounds, and skills come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively.

Salary and Benefits

The salary range for this role is $79,200.00 - $124,700.00. This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, government requirements, and business or organizational needs.

The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long‑term incentive, if applicable.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits. Available benefits include medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, including 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days. More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.

Location and Working Conditions

Employee Status: Regular

Relocation: Domestic

VISA Sponsorship: No

Travel Requirements: 10%

Flexible Work Arrangements: Not Applicable

Shift: Not Indicated

Valid Driving License: No

Hazardous Material(s): N/A

Job Posting End Date: 09/26/2026

San Francisco Residents Only

We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.

Los Angeles Residents Only

We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully

Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company. No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails.