Head of Payment Operations & Card Services

POSITION: Head of Payment Operations & Card Services

Position Summary:

Description. The Head of Payment & Card Operations is a senior operational leader responsible for strategic planning, execution, risk management, and continuous improvement of the Bank's payment systems and card operations. This role ensures reliable, compliant, and scalable payment processing across ACH, Wires, RTP / FedNow, Zelle, Debit / ATM, and digital payment platforms. The leader will partner cross-functionally with Product, IT, Treasury, Risk, Compliance, and Lines of Business to modernize payment capabilities and drive operational excellence and enhance customer experience. The role plays a important part in the Operations and Service division, executing strategic priorities established by the Head of Operations and Service.

Key Result Areas:

* Payment Operations Leadership - Lead and oversee day-to-day execution of payment processes, including ACH, Wire transfers, RTP / FedNow, Zelle, debit / ATM processing, and associated settlement activities to ensure efficiency, accuracy, and service excellence.

* Regulatory & Risk Compliance - Maintain strong regulatory compliance with NACHA, Reg E, UCC 4A, OFAC, BSA / AML, and network rules. Drive robust risk and control frameworks to mitigate operational and regulatory risk.

* Operational Controls & Governance - Develop and uphold standard operating procedures, internal controls, monitoring, and reporting frameworks aligned to audit and regulatory expectations.

* Strategic Cross-Functional Partnership - Serve as the operational partner to Product, Technology, Treasury Management, Fraud, Compliance, and the Lines of Business to enable effective product launches, operational enhancements and platform enhancements, and upgrades.

* Performance & SLA Management - Establish and monitor operational KPIs and service level commitments; continuously improve performance, throughput, and straight-through processing rates.

* Vendor & Network Oversight - Manage relationships with third-party processors, payment networks, and infrastructure partners to ensure service quality, risk mitigation, and performance accountability.

* Operational Modernization Initiatives - Champion automation, workflow optimization, and technology enablement to reduce manual processes and scale operations with growth.

* Team Leadership & Development - Recruit, develop, mentor, and retain high-performing payment operations team; foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous learning.

* Business Continuity & Incident Management - Ensure operational resiliency, disaster recovery readiness, and effective incident response for payment infrastructure.

* Executive Reporting & Strategy - Provide transparent reporting to senior leadership on operational performance, risk posture, strategic initiatives, and resource planning.

* Perform additional duties as required.

Qualifications:

* Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred (MBA or similar).

* 10+ years of progressive leadership in payment or bank operations.

* Deep expertise in ACH, Wire, Card Services, and real-time payment systems.

* Demonstrated success in operational excellence, risk and compliance, and cross-functional partnership.

* Strong communication, and executive presence.

* Experience with payment vendors, networks, and operational modernization initiatives.

The above description covers the most significant major responsibilities but does not exclude other occasional responsibilities and accountabilities, the inclusion of which would be in conformity with the major purpose of this job.

Location: Hybrid/ Waltham, MA Salary Range: $163,000 - $212,000

The reasonably estimated salary for this role at Cambridge Savings Bank ranges from $163,000 - $212,000. Cambridge Saving Bank will determine actual compensation for the role based on factors including, but not limited to, the successful candidate's skills, qualifications, and experience. In addition, Cambridge Savings Bank offers a wide range of comprehensive and inclusive employee benefits for full-time roles including healthcare, parental planning, mental health benefits, performance bonus opportunities, a 401(k) plan and match, flexible time off, and others.

About Cambridge Savings Bank:

Cambridge Savings Bank is a full-service banking institution with over $7 billion in assets. As a mutual bank, CSB is committed to improving the quality of life of our employees, customers, and the communities we serve. One of the oldest and largest community banks in Massachusetts, Cambridge Savings Bank offers a full line of individual and business banking services across a robust Massachusetts-based branch network and through digital banking solutions for commercial, small business and consumer customers. In February 2025, Kroll Bond Rating Agency affirmed CSB's investment-grade rating, reinforcing the bank's position as a reliable business lender To learn more about how we can meet your needs, visit us at cambridgesavings.com, or better yet, come meet us to help you make the most out of your banking relationship. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender. NMLS # 543370.