Card Strategist III (2948)

At SDFCU, we are committed to attracting and retaining top talent to ensure our continued success. Our tradition of exceptional service extends not only to our members but also to our employees. Through comprehensive internal training and workshops, we nurture professional strengths and provide ample opportunities for career advancement. Are you ready to join our dynamic team? We offer competitive salaries, exceptional health, dental, and vision insurance within the first 30 days of employment, a matched 401(K) plan with up to 4% SDFCU contribution, and much more.

Benefits and Perks of SDFCU Include:

• Diversity and Inclusion: Work in an environment that values and respects all team members
• Paid Holidays: Enjoy 12 paid holidays a year, including your birthday
• Flexible Work Options: Potential work-from-home options after the introductory period
• Generous Paid Time Off: Ample vacation and personal days to maintain a health work-life balance
• Tuition Reimbursement: Support for your ongoing education and career development
• Commute/Parking Incentives: Financial incentives for your daily parking
• Comprehensive Insurance: Access to excellent medical, dental, and vision insurance packages
• Gym Reimbursement: Stay healthy with our gym membership reimbursement program
• Team Bonding: Participate in company and team bonding events that foster a collaborative work environment

Join us at SDFCU and be part of a team that values excellence, innovation, and professional growth.

State Department Federal Credit Union is seeking a Card Strategist III to handle the responsibility for the daily administration of Card & ATM operations, with independent ownership of escalated issues and a mentoring/audit role with Card Strategist I/Card Strategist II's. The successful candidate will embrace positive communication, continuous process improvement, and diligent attention to the nuance inherent in member service and exception handling.

Payments is a rapidly evolving, high-velocity space. It demands precision, ownership, and adaptability and rewards you with tremendous learning and growth. Our 85,000 SDFCU membership is truly global, which adds a level of challenging complexity to an already complex domestic payments infrastructure. If this type of challenge excites you as much as it does us, we want to hear from you!

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Operational Continuity: Reduce friction across the Card & ATM program through service, support, administration, and reconciliation of card operations with defined SLAs via phone, email, tickets, and instant message.
2. Dispute Processing: Research and resolve member card/transaction disputes in collaboration with our dispute processing vendor while adhering to regulatory policies and timeframes.
3. Risk & Compliance: Derive insights from data and develop/update fraud strategies to mitigate risk while optimizing transaction throughput. Ensure compliance with network rules, Reg E, Reg Z, Reg CC, PCI/DSS, BSA/AML, OFAC, and all applicable federal and state regulations while supporting audits, exams, and operational reporting requirements.
4. Product: Support implementation, testing, maintenance, documentation, and ongoing enhancement of payment products, technologies, and operational processes.
5. Interpersonal Flexibility: Build and maintain effective working relationships with internal stakeholders and external vendor partners, navigating competing priorities and varying communication styles.
6. Member Experience: Quickly identify and resolve complex/sensitive member issues with a collaborative solution-oriented approach.
7. Lateral Thinking: Analyze, evaluate, and navigate diverging paths to achieve resolution.
8. Continuous Improvement: Demonstrate innovative ideas, fostering a culture of creativity while anticipating future Payments challenges and opportunities.
9. Time Management: Execute day-to-day processing responsibilities while balancing frequently shifting priorities that require urgent action.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES:

1. Associate degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience in a related field required.
2. 3-5 years of experience in card processing or payment operations. Plus, if you have Symitar/Visa experience.
3. 1-3 years of ATM management. Plus, if you have Hyosung experience.
4. Proficiency in Microsoft Outlook, Excel, and Word; Plus, if you have Excel expertise.
5. Ability to analyze and interpret reports, legal documentation, and fraud-related material.
6. Strong problem-solving and troubleshooting skills. Comfortable investigating payments issues, identifying root causes, and driving resolution across teams.
7. Experience managing escalations or high-priority operational issues with a sense of urgency and clear communication.
8. Proficiency with BusinessNext (or similar CRM) for case management, ticket tracking, and data lookup.
9. High attention to detail and strong documentation habits. Able to maintain accurate records of escalations, decisions, and operational activity.
10. Strong written and verbal communication; able to translate payments complexity into clear, accessible language for internal partners, vendors, and members.