Director, Middle Office Operations, Global Payment Services

Key Responsibilities

Leadership

• Assume ownership of the Global Payment Services function in APAC, leading a strong, growing team located in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
• Manage and lead a growing team of payment operations staff, providing coaching, development and performance management.
• Oversee all aspects of the payment operations lifecycle, including payment capture, processing/settlement and payment investigations.
• Ensure adherence to internal controls, regulatory and market requirements, and industry best practises for payment processing.
• Implement and maintain efficient processes to optimise operational efficiency, minimize errors and increase STP processing.
• Build and manage relationships with both internal and external stakeholders.
• Represent local team on global projects, and lead workstreams of projects.
• Lead and manage the migration of payment related activities from various internal teams.
• Drive a culture of openness and collaboration within the team.

Functional responsibilities

• Ultimately responsibility for all payment processing functions, including input, approval and processing of payments in accordance with internal control policies and established procedures.
• Ensure that payment errors are investigated and resolved promptly and accurately.
• Act as ultimate escalation point for team and ensure that critical issues are escalated in a timely manner to senior stakeholders.
• Ensure that work is fairly allocated across the team.
• Liaise with clients, investment managers, vendors and other stakeholders to ensure timely and accurate processing of client payments.
• Work with internal teams, such as Treasury, Banking Operations and Client Operations to ensure that all deliverables are met.
• Leverage data to identify trends, potential risks, and opportunities to streamline the operating model within the division.

Continuous Improvement/ Ad hoc Responsibilities

• Identify opportunities to improve the efficiency, accuracy and security of payment processes, and drive a culture of continuous improvement within the team.
• Ensure that procedures are up to date, and in line with firm standards.
• Stay informed of industry best practices and regulatory updates as they pertain to payments.
• Actively participate in the development and implementation of new systems and processes related to payments.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to contribute to product development initiatives to optimize payment processing and client experience.

Qualification & Requirements

• 8-10 years of payment processing experience, preferably within a global banking environment.
• 7+ years people management responsibilities.
• Proven track record of leading and motivating high-performing teams.
• In-depth knowledge of international payment processes, including clearing and settlement mechanisms.
• Strong understanding of regulatory requirements for payment processing (e.g. AML, KYC).
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Data-driven approach
• Strong interpersonal, communication and negotiation skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Proficiency in MS Office products, with intermediate-advanced MS Excel skills.
• Strong understanding of global payment processes, and familiarity with payment systems and online banking platforms.
• Solid understanding of Swift Payment processing, including payment formatting. MX experience is a distinct advantage.

Benefits

MUFG Investor Services provides all of its employees with an extremely attractive compensation package. In addition to base salary, there is a group medical insurance scheme, group pension scheme, reimbursement of professional subscriptions, paid holidays and assistance towards gym memberships.