VP, Payment Operations

First Tech Federal Credit Union; Hillsboro (OR); Hybrid; USD 184,000 - 221,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental benefits

Vision benefits

401(k) match

Paid time off

Sick time

Personal days

Paid holidays

Employee pricing

Job summary

First Tech Federal Credit Union is seeking a VP of Payment Operations in Hillsboro, OR, to set modern strategic direction for the payments business and drive growth through vendor partnerships and cross‑functional collaboration. The role prioritizes optimized payment channels, regulatory compliance, and innovative solutions to accelerate digital payments.

The executive will lead a large team, manage risk, and engage with internal and external stakeholders to enhance member experiences and

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years in payments and operations in financial services.
• Minimum 8 years leading a diverse team.
• Experience analyzing corporate financial statements and risk.
• Experience leading large teams locally and remotely.
• First‑hand experience with payment applications (P2P, Mobile Deposits, Wires).
• Comprehensive regulatory knowledge (state and federal).
• Experience identifying operational, reputational and legal risks in payment channels.
• Understanding NACHA, SWIFT and related rules.
• Detail oriented with process improvement mindset.
• Strong interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Product and project management experience; ability to influence executives.
• Education: Bachelor's degree or 4+ years of relevant experience.

Responsibilities

• Continuously acquire current and future state information from membership and payments communities to guide strategy.
• Study evolving payments technology to inform recommended strategies at enterprise level.
• Oversee payment channels (wires, ACH, P2P, e‑Deposit, lockbox) and define KPIs/SLAs.
• Execute strategic and financial plans to support growth, member experience, and profitability.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to anticipate and mitigate payment risks; improve reliability.
• Drive process automation to boost efficiency and member experience while complying with regs.
• Hire, develop, and coach individuals and managers to high performance.
• Engage with vendors, partners and thought leaders to drive continuous innovation.
• Exercise administrative control over all phases of the department’s operations.

Skills

Payments operations leadership

Team leadership

Financial analysis

Remote team management

P2P and wires processing

Regulatory compliance

Vendor relationship management

Executive communication

Product & project management

Education

Bachelor's degree in field relevant to role

Tools

NACHA rules

SWIFT networks

Fed networks

Job description

Description
The VP, Payment Operations will provide modern strategic direction in growing the payments business derived from consistent engagement in payment communities, identifying strategic vendor relationships, while encouraging cross‑functional collaboration at the department and enterprise levels. This role will drive efficiencies through their knowledge of optimization and innovation to support accelerated digital payment volume growth while valuing meaningful member interactions and experiences.

Description
The VP, Payment Operations will provide modern strategic direction in growing the payments business derived from consistent engagement in payment communities, identifying strategic vendor relationships, while encouraging cross‑functional collaboration at the department and enterprise levels. This role will drive efficiencies through their knowledge of optimization and innovation to support accelerated digital payment volume growth while valuing meaningful member interactions and experiences.
Here’s what you can expect from the job and what you need to be successful:

Job Duties

• Continuously seek to acquire current and future state information from membership and engagement in payments communities (e.g., networks, processors and federal agencies) to understand trends and ongoing needs of members to provide them with a positive payments experience.
• Investigate and understand current and developing payments technology through educational and networking activities as means of informing recommended strategies to key stakeholders and at an enterprise level.
• Contribute to and support overall operational responsibility for payment channels including but not limited to wires, ACH, P2P, e‑Deposit, shared branch, MICR items processing and lockbox payments to define key performance indicators and achieve performance requirements including agreed upon service level agreements to best serve our members.
• Execute strategic and financial business plans that supports the credit union’s growth, member and employee experience and profitability strategies.
• Collaborate consistently with internal stakeholders to anticipate emerging risks and mitigate existing risks relative to payment channel operations, prioritize and resolve issues identified to increase reliability and sustain effective and efficient payment operations.
• Drive ongoing optimization of servicing processes by leveraging automation to promote higher levels of efficiency and improved member experience while adhering to regulatory requirements and credit union policies.
• Hire, develop, and coach individual contributors, managers and directors to achieve high levels of performance including engagement, retention and business performance.
• Project professionalism and competence to vendors, partners and internal stakeholders; actively engage in the external payment product and services thought leadership space to gain insights that drive continuous innovation.
• Exercise administrative control over all phases of the department’s operations, directly or through collaboration with other divisions/teams.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions

Essential Skills

• Minimum 10 years of payments and operations in the financial services industry, overseeing complex banking transactions
• Minimum 8 years’ experience leading a diverse team including hiring, coaching and performance management
• Experience managing and analyzing financial statements at a corporate level to determine opportunities for the credit union while appropriately managing risk
• Experience leading, directing, and coaching large teams both locally and remotely
• First‑hand experience with financial software payment applications (e.g. Person To Person Transfers (P2P), Mobile Deposits, Domestic and International Wires Core Operating Systems and the Federal Reserve networks) as a means of growing the payments business
• Comprehensive understanding of state and federal regulatory requirements
• Experience in identification of operational, reputation and legal risks relative to various payment channels
• Understanding of various entities processing rules including NACHA, SWIFT, Early Warning System, etc.
• Detailed oriented with continuous process improvement methodologies
• Effective interpersonal, managerial and organization skills
• Comprehensive understanding of product and project management practices
• Proven ability to interact with and influence executive management
• Required Education: Bachelors degree in field relevant to role (or 4 additional years of relevant experience in lieu of a degree), advanced degree preferred.

Location: Hillsboro, OR 97124 | (HYBRID)
Target Compensation: $184k - $220,500 annually + annual bonus

Who We Are

Every great journey begins with a bold idea—and ours is no different. First Tech and DCU were founded on the belief that financial solutions should put people first. That belief has fueled decades of innovation and service, rooted in the tech sector and expanding to support members from all walks of life.

What makes First Tech different?

Employees Are Eligible For

• Traditional medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Generous 401(k) match
• Paid Time Off: You'll accrue up to 15 days in your first year. In addition, you'll receive 40 hours of sick time and 3 personal days, which refresh annually
• Paid federal holidays
• Special employee pricing on lending products such as mortgage, auto, and personal loans (eligibility subject to standard account requirements and underwriting criteria)

Employment Statements

First Tech is an equal opportunity employer, and we value diversity, inclusion, and equity at our company. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics.
If you're applying for a job and need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please send an email to [e-mail] and let us know the nature of your request and contact information. Please note that only those inquiries concerning a request for reasonable accommodation will be responded to from this email address.
First Tech is not currently offering Visa transfer/sponsorship for this position.