Payment Operations Analyst - Winter Haven, Charleston or McKinney

The South State story is one of steady growth, deep community roots, and an unwavering commitment to helping our customers move forward. Since our beginnings in the 1930s to becoming a trusted financial partner across the South and beyond - we are known for combining personal relationships with forward-thinking solutions.

We are committed to helping our team members find their success while maintaining the integrity of our values: building trust, fostering lasting relationships and pursuing excellence. At South State, individual contributions are recognized, potential is cultivated and team members are inspired to achieve their greater purpose. Your future begins here!

Summary

Supports the Bank's instant/real-time payments operations and serves as a subject matter expert for the operational and compliance requirements of RTP, Fed Now and ISO 20022. Provides day-to-day operational support for sending and receiving instant payments, including monitoring activity, researching and resolving exceptions, and supporting internal and customer inquiries. Partners with cross-functional teams to meet service standards, ensure compliance, and reduce operational and fraud risk.

The position will also support ACH, wire, and tokenized deposit operations or related projects as needed.

This position requires an in-office presence on a weekly basis from one of the following locations:
Winter Haven, FL;
Charleston, SC; or McKinney, TX.

Duties & Responsibilities

* Provide day-to-day operational support for sending and receiving instant payments (Fed Now and RTP), including processing, monitoring activity, and completing periodic reporting.

* Research and resolve exceptions (returns, rejects, operational corrections) within designated timelines to minimize customer impact and meet service-level expectations.

* Support planning, testing, and implementation of product enhancements, platform releases, regulatory/industry changes, and conversions for instant payments.

* Coordinate with IT and vendor partners to identify root causes and resolve system, file, or transmission issues impacting payment processing and settlement, including being available outside of normal business hours as needed to support and drive resolution of major incidents and time-sensitive payment issues.

* Assist with audit readiness activities, risk assessments, and control testing by gathering documentation and evidence; support compliance with payments rules and standards (ISO 20022, Nacha).

* Investigate and respond to customer and internal inquiries related to Fed Now, RTP, and other electronic payments, coordinating with stakeholders as needed.

* Maintain and enhance operating procedures, product documentation, job aids, and test scripts; produce KPI/KRI reporting as required.

* Partner with the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) to identify, escalate, and mitigate suspected fraud and suspicious activity related to instant payments.

* Partner with cross-functional teams to integrate instant payment solutions with upstream/downstream systems and operational workflows; support ACH, wire, and tokenized deposit operations or related projects as needed.

* It is the responsibility of this role to take ownership of all tasks and challenges that they encounter in the operation of their assigned position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Qualifications

Education Requirements

* Bachelor's degree required, or equivalent combination of education and relevant work experience.

Minimum Experience

* 5+ years of professional experience, including 2 to 3 years in payment operations, payment support, or related functions (financial institution or fintech preferred).

Licenses & Certifications

* Relevant industry certification preferred (e.g., Accredited Faster Payments Professional (AFPP), Accredited Payments Risk Professional (APRP), Accredited ACH Professional (AAP)), or commitment to obtain one within 12 months of hire.

Additional Physical Demands

* Must be available outside of normal business hours, as needed, to support and drive resolution of major incidents and time-sensitive payment issues.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

* Working knowledge of payments initiatives, protocols, and standards, including RTP, Fed Now, and ISO 20022.

* Understanding of core payment system functions (validations, rule engines, fees, postings, settlement, routing, message formatting, and status reporting).

* Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to prioritize effectively in a fast-paced environment with changing demands.

* Clear written and verbal communication skills; ability to communicate effectively at all levels of the organization.

* Collaborative approach when working with peers, stakeholders, end users, and vendors.

* Proficiency with Microsoft Office and ability to learn new systems/tools quickly (Power Query/Power BI/Power Automate experience preferred).

* Growth mindset with comfort navigating ambiguity and…