Payments Manager - Rahway, NJ

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

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision care

Retirement plan

Paid holidays

Vacation days

Sick days

Job summary

Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ is seeking a Director of Payments to lead the payments strategy and operations for the credit union. The role focuses on member satisfaction, regulatory compliance, and efficiency across card, ACH, wires, digital payments, and RTP.

The position requires 5+ years in financial services payments with leadership experience and strong vendor management, with a mix of strategic and hands-on execution. A competitive benefits package is offered.

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.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the payments strategy aligned with business goals and member needs.
• Monitor industry trends, technologies, and regulatory changes affecting payments.
• Champion innovation by evaluating new payment platforms, partners, and products.
• Oversee operations for debit/credit/prepaid cards, ACH, wires, bill pay, mobile/digital, P2P, and merchant services.
• Ensure secure, efficient end-to-end payment processing and servicing.
• Establish and track KPIs for performance, member experience, and efficiency.
• Maintain strong controls to comply with laws and regulations (NACHA, Reg E, Reg Z, PCI DSS, FFIEC).
• Lead and develop the payments team; manage vendor and partner relationships.

Skills

Bank Fraud

Client Service Excellence

Credit Card Services

Credit Unions

CRM

Fraud Detection

Supervisory Management

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in business/finance/information systems

MBA or advanced degree (preferred)

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:

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

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.

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.

The salary range for this role is $79,200.00 - $124,700.00

Benefits:

• medical
• dental
• vision healthcare
• other insurance benefits (for employee and family)
• retirement benefits, including 401(k)
• paid holidays
• vacation
• compassionate and sick days

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*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.

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.