Position Summary Associate Director - Business Transformation leads a team of business and systems analysts responsible for driving strategic improvements across customer payment channels and servicing operations. This role serves as the business owner for payment processing and remittance operations supporting both retail and lease portfolios, ensuring payments are properly managed and reconciled across servicing systems. The position partners with Operations, Treasury, Technology, Banking Partners, Payment Processors, and Servicing teams to improve processes, enhance automation, optimize the customer experience, and increase operational efficiency.
The role also oversees payment channel configurations, vendor relationships, and business transformation initiatives while maintaining strong controls and data integrity.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities - Own and maintain business configurations for all customer payment channels, including electronic bill pay, lockbox, ACH, online payments, IVR, and third-party payment processors.
- Ensure accurate payment routing, application, and reconciliation across retail and lease portfolios while maintaining compliance and audit readiness.
- Serve as the primary business owner for payment channel enhancements, system configurations, and vendor-related changes impacting payment operations and servicing.
- Lead payment transformation initiatives that improve customer experience, increase automation, reduce manual processes, and enhance operational efficiency.
- Partner with Operations, Treasury, Finance, Compliance, Risk, Technology, and external vendors to deliver strategic payment and servicing initiatives.
- Manage relationships with banks, payment processors, and service providers, including requirements definition, implementation oversight, and performance monitoring.
- Analyze payment and remittance data to identify operational risks, resolve exceptions, improve reconciliation processes, and establish meaningful performance metrics.
- Lead and develop a team of business and systems analysts while managing project priorities, resource planning, and continuous improvement efforts.
- Additional duties may be assigned as needed to support departmental or organizational objectives.
Qualifications and Competencies Required To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Required Experience - Minimum 8 years of experience in financial services, auto finance, payment operations, servicing, business transformation, or a related operational environment.
- Minimum 3 years of leadership experience managing teams, projects, and cross-functional strategic initiatives.
- Minimum 3 years of experience in payment operations, reconciliation, treasury management, customer servicing, or related operational functions.
- Experience managing payment processors, banking partners, lockbox services, ACH transactions, vendor relationships, and payment channel configurations, with working knowledge of NACHA rules and payment exception management.
- Experience leading business and technology initiatives, including requirements gathering, system implementations, Salesforce or servicing platforms, payment gateways, integrations, reporting, and process improvement, with strong analytical and project management skills.
Education - Bachelor's degree or international equivalent plus 8-10 years of related experience, including 4 years at a functional manager or manager level.
Skills Required - Experience within a captive automotive finance company or indirect automotive lending environment.
- Knowledge of retail installment contracts, lease servicing, collections, and customer payment operations.
- Experience with treasury management services, including lockbox, ACH, positive pay, BAI2 reporting, and payment gateway solutions.
- Familiarity with SOX controls, audit requirements, regulatory compliance, and risk management within financial services.
- Experience leading servicing transformation initiatives and operational excellence programs.
- MBA, PMP, Lean Six Sigma, or related certification preferred.
Additional Requirements - Overtime Required: N/A
- Travel: 0-10% as needed
- Must have reliable transportation and live within a commutable distance to one of the following cities:
Preferred Qualifications Language Skills - Ability to read and comprehend simple instructions, short correspondence, and memos.
- Ability to write simple correspondence.
Mathematical Skills - Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.
Reasoning Ability - Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed but uninvolved written or oral instructions.
Computer Skills - Intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, and Outlook.
Physical Demands The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this role. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to sit for long periods of time, use hands and arms to operate office equipment including a keyboard, mouse, and phone, and may occasionally need to reach, stoop, stand, or walk. The employee must be able to see (close vision), hear, speak, and communicate verbally. The employee may occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.
Work Environment The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this role. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
Work Schedule This position is currently remote with an anticipated transition to a hybrid schedule, requiring in-office presence multiple days per week. The role also requires flexibility to work various shifts to meet business needs, typically between 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM, Monday through Friday, with occasional weekend availability as needed. Travel requirements are estimated at 0-10%.
