Manager Settlement Operations

At Western Union, we’re more than a trusted name in global payments. We’re moving beyond remittances, beyond cash, and beyond the expectations of our customers.

Our talented teams enable us to transform into a digital-first company, built on the strength of our retail foundation and powered by next-generation payments. All this with the goal of helping people prosper.

Our customers inspire us to push boundaries and create services that make life easier and communities stronger. Wherever you are in the world, we’re committed to shaping the next generation of financial experiences.

Join our Settlement Operations leadership team as a Settlement Operations Manager and play a critical role in delivering operational excellence across multiple products, entities, and business functions. We are seeking a results-driven leader who can effectively balance people leadership, operational strategy, stakeholder management, and continuous improvement while fostering a high-performance culture that enables exceptional customer and business outcomes.

Role Responsibilities

As a Settlement Operations Manager, you will be accountable for the overall performance, operational results, and talent development of multiple Settlement Operations teams supporting various products, business units, entities, and operational functions. You will provide strategic direction, lead operational excellence initiatives, manage key business relationships, and ensure the delivery of accurate, compliant, and efficient settlement operations.

Key responsibilities include:

Operational Leadership

• Lead multiple Settlement Operations teams responsible for settlement processing, reconciliations, funding, billing, refunds, exception management, and related operational activities.
• Ensure achievement of operational KPIs, service level agreements, productivity targets, quality standards, and customer satisfaction goals.
• Establish and maintain scalable, efficient, and compliant settlement processes that support strategic business objectives and high-performance partners.
• Monitor operational performance, identify emerging risks, and implement corrective actions to drive sustained results.
• Provide leadership and oversight for complex operational issues, escalations, and business-critical settlement matters.

People Leadership and Talent Development

• Lead, coach, and develop Supervisors, Team Leads, and individual contributors to achieve operational and professional growth objectives.
• Create and execute talent development, succession planning, and employee engagement strategies.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous learning, innovation, and operational excellence.
• Recognize and retain high-performing employees through meaningful development opportunities and performance management practices.
• Conduct performance reviews, career development discussions, and workforce planning activities.

Stakeholder and Partner Management

• Serve as a key point of contact for senior business stakeholders, partners, financial institutions, and cross-functional teams.
• Manage high-priority partner escalations and ensure timely resolution of complex operational issues.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with internal business leaders and external partners to support operational objectives and customer expectations.
• Partner with Finance, Compliance, Risk, Product, Technology, and Operations leaders to deliver business priorities and strategic initiatives.

Risk, Controls, and Compliance

• Ensure all settlement operations comply with regulatory requirements, company policies, audit standards, and risk management frameworks.
• Strengthen operational controls and governance practices to mitigate financial, operational, and compliance risks.
• Lead audit readiness activities and ensure timely remediation of audit findings and control deficiencies.
• Promote a strong culture of compliance, accountability, and operational discipline across teams.

Strategic Projects and Continuous Improvement

• Lead and coordinate Settlement Operations projects, process improvement initiatives, automation efforts, and business transformation programs.
• Champion Lean and Agile methodologies to improve operational effectiveness, quality, scalability, and customer experience.
• Identify opportunities to simplify processes, reduce operational risk, and improve efficiency through technology and process innovation.
• Ensure successful implementation of new products, policy changes, system enhancements, and operational strategies.
• Represent Settlement Operations in enterprise-wide and global initiatives impacting business operations and customer delivery.

Basic qualifications:

• 7+ years of experience in settlement operations, financial operations, payments, banking, money transfer, fintech, or related operational environments.
• 3+ years of people leadership experience managing leaders, supervisors, or operational teams.
• Strong knowledge of settlement operations, reconciliations, funding, billing, exception management, and financial transaction processing.
• Demonstrated experience managing operational performance through KPIs, productivity metrics, quality measures, and service levels.
• Proven ability to lead diverse teams and drive employee engagement, development, and performance.
• Strong analytical and decision-making skills with experience managing complex operational challenges.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience working within regulatory, compliance, audit, and risk management environments.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, reporting tools, and operational performance analytics.

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience leading multiple operational teams supporting global payments, remittance, financial services, banking, or fintech operations.
• Demonstrated success leading operational transformations, automation initiatives, and large-scale process improvement programs.
• Strong knowledge of risk management, governance frameworks, internal controls, and regulatory compliance.
• Experience managing strategic business relationships and executive-level stakeholder engagements.
• Familiarity with Lean, Agile, Six Sigma, Operational Excellence, or Continuous Improvement methodologies.
• Experience overseeing cross-functional projects involving technology implementations, product launches, or business transformations.
• Ability to develop operational strategies aligned with organizational objectives.
• Experience leading geographically dispersed or global teams.