Payments Operations Manager

at  Payuk

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Supports the Senior Payments Operations Managers in establishing consistent approach, processes and capabilities to build a focused team to ensure smooth and aligned operations activity across our scheme payments and managed services 24/7/365, as well as the management of incidents.
• Provides to day to day support for the Senior Payments Operations Officers and Payments Operations Officers.
• Maintains a detailed knowledge of the end-to-end payment processes (Bacs, FPS, ICS, Managed Services & Reference Data) and in-depth understanding of the clearing and settlement operations.
• Acts as a dedicated point of expertise for stakeholders, including customer, on all operational related matters. This includes answering queries, leading and supporting at times of incidents in respect of operations.
• Leads the day to day monitoring of Suppliers performance to ensure payment services are running as intended and customer, and end user, expectations are met. Close engagement with Procurement is required to ensure any supplier performance concerns are accurately captured and addressed.
• Maintains the end to end monitoring of Customers’ performance against agreed service levels, to ensure service level targets are achieved and end user expectations are met, ensuring effective documentation of performance data against agreed SLAs.
• Oversees the management of Settlement and Cap Management, including the execution of contingency processes where required.
• Oversees the management of applicable industry services (e.g. EISCD, BUS, etc.)
• Supports the management of all operational incidents, including out of hours incidents and issues (out of hours on a rota basis). Ensures effective liaison provided during incidents and has oversight of issues, and acts as an escalation point where appropriate. Ensures post incident activities are actively undertaken.
• Actively reviews crisis management and incident handling procedures to ensure these are maintained and contingency arrangements in place to accommodate the needs of the Payments Operations team (e.g. fall-back site facilities).
• Acts a key escalation point, and ensures, all erroneous payment processes are undertaken effectively and efficiently, identifying improvements where appropriate (e.g. CPR, Manual Recalls etc.)
• Act as the stakeholder advocate on operational matters within the organisation. Provides insight and guidance where appropriate to facilitate this.
• Where appropriate, provides customer and scheme based maintenance / changes, including the management of change delivery in alignment with Pay.UK change framework and processes and in cooperation with the Change Team.
• Support and provide guidance for specific issues raised by the Bank of England and the PSR, while ensuring alignment with the Regulatory Engagement & Policy Directorate. Ensure with provision of information requirements where relevant (e.g. BCOR, S204).
• Undertakes Customer performance reviews, holding Customers to account for their performance and where appropriate by non-compliance or exemption process, and ensuring any actions to improve are monitored appropriately.
• Reviews reports of Customer performance are completed appropriately (noting 1:1 conversations may take place), providing guidance as relevant, and ensures potential risks are identified and a corresponding risk management method is taken on board in alignment with Pay.UK risk framework.
• Supports and ensures on-boarding / off-boarding business readiness and reference data activities for Bacs, FPS and ICS (& CHAPS ref data only) are led and/or supported by the Payments Operations Team.
• Oversee the effective completion and maintenance of Customer facing and internal procedural documentation, along with content of relevant areas of the Pay. UK websites.
• Holds regular customer committee meetings, and appropriate attendance from Payment Operations, to provide updates on performance and operation of service.
• Manages risk within the Payments Operations, ensuring adherence to the Pay.UK Risk Framework as appropriate with 1LOD/2LOD (including Payments Risk Team).
• Ensure appropriate support / contribution to projects that are happening within, or impact, the Payments Directorate.
• Ensure appropriate support / contribution to Pay.UK led initiatives and Championing opportunities.

SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS

• Highly regarded as a stakeholder / operations manager in the retail payments industry in particular.
• Detailed working and operational knowledge of our services (particularly Bacs, FPS, ICS and Ref Data).
• Proven expertise and experience in ensuring complex services in a heavily regulated environment are delivered according to or exceeding the expectations of regulatory stakeholders.
• Considerable breadth of knowledge of business practice & risks, IT systems & controls and physical systems & controls. Operational risk management experience gained in Financial Services.
• Experience working within the financial services / banking industry.
• Methodical and organised and providing excellent co-ordination and communication.
• Advanced communication in all forms (written, verbal and listening), and negotiation skills. Establish trusting relationships to maintain open communication, with the ability to quickly understand stakeholder needs and define and ensure the implementation of corresponding actions.
• Advanced organisation and time management skills, with the ability to coordinate competing priorities.
• Ability to anticipate and identify potential risks, limitations as well as opportunities related to the operations activities.
• Enhanced organisational, management, and problem-solving skills with strong bias for action.
• Pragmatic and positive attitude in order to adopt new approaches and techniques, both personally and for the team.
• Solution-oriented with bias for action and a pragmatic attitude in order to work with peers and make the matrix structure effective.
• Technical and business background.
• Operational experience gained in Financial Services.
  At Pay.UK, we value diversity and inclusivity. Research has shown that candidates from underrepresented groups may hesitate to apply unless they meet all the requirements listed. We encourage all qualified candidates to apply, regardless of how closely their skills and experience match the requirements. We are committed to supporting accessibility needs and creating a welcoming environment for all employees. Become part of our team and contribute to the creation of an inclusive work environment that values everyone’s unique input.

ABOUT US

Pay.UK maintains and develops the UK retail payment systems and standards that are core to the economy being able to function on a day-to-day basis.
From Bacs to Faster Payments and cheques – we act as the single operator for all UK retail payments. We put the needs of consumers and businesses at the heart of everything we do, working in the public interest to ensure that the systems the country relies on for its banking transactions are safe, open, innovative and resilient.
Our payment systems underpin the services that enable funds to be transferred between people and institutions. In 2023, the UK’s retail payment systems processed 11.4 billion transactions worth £9.3 trillion through Bacs Direct Credit, Direct Debit, Faster Payments, and cheques, and our Current Account Switch Service has facilitated over 10.2 million switches since its launch in 2013.
Every day, people and businesses use the services we provide to get their salaries, pay their bills and make online and mobile banking payments. Our vision for the future is to enable a vibrant economy, with Pay.UK delivering the best-in-class payment infrastructure and standards for the benefit of consumers and businesses nationwide.

Please refer the Job description for details