Operations Platform Lead

Join a strong community where all we do is care-for the children and families we serve every day, as well as for our dedicated team members. Our people are our best asset. We listen and we know what you're looking for:

• You want benefits. We support you with a minimum 50% childcare discount, immediate access to benefits, innovative health programs, 401(k) company match, and much more.
• You want balance. We offer flexible schedules that work for you, no nights or weekends, the ability to bring your children to work with you, and paid time off.
• You want opportunity. We invest in your future with ongoing training, tuition reimbursement, credential assistance, and our unique Master Teacher Program.
• You want recognition. We provide a positive, fun workplace where employees are appreciated.

The Payments and Operations Platform Lead serves as the Product Owner for the organization’s childcare management system, responsible for defining, delivering, and continuously improving management of enrollment, attendance, ratios and licensing compliance, classroom and child records, family communications, billing and tuition, and subsidy and third‑party billing. This role owns the product vision, roadmap, and lifecycle for the childcare management system including technical school setup, payment processing, credit card processing, point of sale (POS) solutions, and third‑party payment programs.

Third‑party payments include government subsidies, employer‑sponsored benefits, reimbursements, and other external funding sources paid on behalf of families.

Acting as the primary business–technology integrator, the Payments and Operations Platform Lead partners closely with Finance, Operations, IT, and vendor partners to translate business needs into scalable, secure, and compliant payment products. The role is accountable for outcomes across the full childcare journey—including new school setup, payment intake, authorization, settlement, reconciliation, and exception management—ensuring the platform delivers measurable value, reliability, and growth enablement.

• Own the product vision and roadmap for the payments and childcare management platform, aligning investments to business priorities, growth initiatives, and customer experience outcomes.

• Serve as the Product Owner for payment processing, childcare management platform, and third‑party payment capabilities, balancing enhancements, risk reduction, and technical debt.

• Define and prioritize the product backlog, partnering with Finance, Operations, IT, and vendors to sequence features, enhancements, and regulatory needs.

• Establish and track product success metrics (e.g., payment success rates, settlement timeliness, reconciliation accuracy, exception volume, cost‑to‑collect).

• Partner with Finance to ensure the platform supports revenue assurance, cash‑flow optimization, audit readiness, and financial transparency.

• Lead product planning for scalability and expansion, supporting enrollment growth, acquisitions, new business models, and emerging payment methods.

• Translate business and operational needs into clear product requirements, user stories, and acceptance criteria across the childcare management lifecycle.

• Guide solution design by collaborating with architecture, engineering, and vendors to ensure solutions are scalable, secure, and fit‑for‑purpose.

• Lead the technical configuration and architecture of payment and childcare management platforms.

• Design and implement system workflows, transaction rules, and configuration changes following best practices and PCI‑DSS compliance requirements.

• Oversee integrations between childcare management system, payment systems, third‑party payment portals, and other enterprise systems (ERP, billing, enrollment).

• Ensure data integrity, security, and compliance with internal IT policies, PCI standards, and applicable financial and government program regulations.

• Serve as the payments security and risk owner, accountable for PCI‑DSS scope management, annual assessments, penetration testing coordination, and remediation planning.

• Lead architecture decisions related to…