Director of Payment Processing

💳 Are you a strategic powerhouse who can orchestrate millions in payment flow with precision, compliance, and zero room for error? 🚀 We’re looking for a Director of Payment Processing to lead the engine behind every transaction—owning strategy, scaling operations, and ensuring every dollar moves seamlessly, securely, and in full regulatory alignment. ⚖️📊 About Us: At Alleviate Financial Solutions , we’re transforming lives every day by offering innovative debt relief solutions. As one of the fastest-growing companies in the industry, we are on a mission to help individuals and families regain financial freedom and build a brighter future. Our vision? To become the next-generation financial services company that guides people from debt to WEALTH . Here’s what you’ll enjoy: Opportunities for career growth and advancement. A supportive, mission-driven team passionate about making a difference. Company perks like swag, catered lunches, teambuilding activities, and quarterly events. State-of-the-art amenities, including designer living rooms, wellness spaces, cafes, and a fitness center. A culture of recognition, appreciation, and celebration. Our 30,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Irvine, CA is more than just an office—it’s a second home where collaboration, growth, and innovation thrive. COMPENSATION: $125,000 - $145,000 annually (based on experience) WHAT MAKES US THE BEST? Energetic, supportive, and collaborative working environment Continuous employee development, coaching, and training Work-life balance WHAT YOU'LL DO: GENERAL SUMMARY: The Director of Payment Processing owns the strategy, performance, and scalability of all payment operations, including collections, refunds, and client fund management. This role ensures accurate, efficient, and compliant money movement while maintaining strong financial controls, reconciliation, and risk management frameworks aligned with CFPB, FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule, and NACHA requirements. The Director leads vendor and banking relationships, payment systems, and automation initiatives, while driving KPI performance across cost, risk, and customer outcomes. This position partners cross-functionally to align payment operations with the full client lifecycle and is accountable for team leadership, budget management, and delivering scalable, high-integrity operations that support growth. Leadership and Strategy Own the overall strategy, performance, and scalability of the Payment Processing function Develop and execute a 12–24 month roadmap aligned with company growth, margin, and risk objectives Establish and own departmental KPIs tied to revenue impact, cost efficiency, client success, and risk mitigation Provide regular executive-level reporting on performance, risks, and key initiatives Payment Operations and Execution Oversee daily operations of payment processing, collections, overpayments, and member refunds Ensure accurate, timely, and compliant execution of all payment activities across the client lifecycle Oversee resolution of complex payment issues and escalated client concerns Ensure SLA adherence across all payment-related workflows Trust Accounts and Fund Management Oversee management of client trust accounts and ensure proper handling of client funds Ensure compliant disbursement of funds to creditors and appropriate fee collection timing Maintain strong controls around movement of funds and payee accuracy Manage relationships with sponsor banks and trust account providers Reconciliation and Financial Controls Own end-to-end reconciliation processes across processors, banks, internal systems, and client ledgers Establish and enforce strong internal controls, including segregation of duties and audit trails Oversee exception handling, discrepancy resolution, and break management processes Partner with Finance on cash flow forecasting and reporting accuracy Compliance and Regulatory Oversight Ensure compliance with all applicable regulations including CFPB, FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule, NACHA rules, and state-level requirements Maintain audit readiness for internal, external, and regulatory audits Oversee complaint handling workflows and regulatory response processes Ensure proper data governance, retention, and auditability standards Risk Management and Fraud Prevention Own fraud prevention strategy, including monitoring, detection, and mitigation controls Manage ACH return rates, chargebacks, and unauthorized transaction thresholds Implement identity verification and risk-based controls aligned with compliance requirements Develop reporting and alerting for emerging risk trends Payment Ecosystem and Vendor Management Own relationships with payment processors, gateways, and third-party vendors Negotiate contracts, optimize pricing, and manage vendor performance Ensure redundancy and failover capabilities across payment channels Evaluate and implement new payment methods and technologies Systems, Automation, and Infrastructure Own the payment systems architecture, integrations, and scalability strategy Design and implement automation to reduce manual effort and improve accuracy Partner with Product and Engineering on payment-related system enhancements Ensure data integrity across all payment platforms and systems Process Improvement and Operational Excellence Develop, maintain, and continuously improve policies, procedures, and operational standards Identify and implement process improvements that enhance efficiency and customer experience Drive standardization across workflows and cross-functional processes Customer Experience Improve payment success rates and reduce friction across the customer journey Develop strategies for failed payment recovery and client communication Partner with Customer Experience teams to improve satisfaction and retention outcomes Cross-Functional Collaboration Partner with Client Success, Negotiations, Sales, Legal, Compliance, Finance, and other teams to align on processes and expectations Ensure consistency between sales promises, payment execution, and settlement timing Support company-wide initiatives that impact payment processing and client outcomes Analytics and Reporting Oversee development of reporting and dashboards for operational and executive use Analyze trends in payment performance, returns, refunds, and costs Use data to drive decision-making and continuous improvement People Management and Development Lead, develop, and scale the Payment Processing team, including supervisors and individual contributors Oversee hiring, onboarding, training, and ongoing development programs Establish clear performance expectations and accountability structures Conduct performance evaluations, coaching, and disciplinary actions as needed Establish team schedules and ensure appropriate staffing levels Monitor attendance, punctuality, overtime, and timekeeping accuracy Manage PTO requests and ensure compliance with company policies and labor requirements Audit and Quality Assurance Perform periodic audits to ensure accuracy of client data, payment records, and system integrity Validate enrollment plans, settlement arrangements, creditor data, and compensation structures Implement corrective actions based on audit findings and track resolution Business Continuity and Risk Planning Develop and maintain disaster recovery and business continuity plans for payment operations Ensure backup payment methods and contingency processes are in place Lead incident response efforts related to payment disruptions or failures Budget and Cost Management Own departmental budget, including headcount and operational expenses Monitor and optimize payment processing costs and vendor fees Evaluate ROI on tools, systems, and automation investments WHAT YOU'LL NEED: Knowledge and Experience Bachelor's degree in business administration, finance, or a related field; MBA is highly preferred but not required. 10+ years of experience in payment processing leadership. Skills and Abilities Proven track record of improving SLAs, employee retention, and client satisfaction. Strong leadership and people management skills, with experience in developing high-performing teams. Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills. Ability to think strategically and execute tactically, with a focus on results. Proficiency in payment processing technologies and platforms. Job Type: Full-time, Exempt Schedule: 8-hour shift, Monday to Friday Location: Irvine, CA; Hybrid or Remote based on experience We understand potential comes in many forms. Even if you don’t check every box, we still encourage you to apply; as we consider all qualified candidates, and any person who is driven to help others. Alleviate Financial Solutions provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This position must pass a post-offer pre-employment criminal background check.