Associate Director, Business Transformation

Position Summary

Associate Director - Business Transformation leads a team of business and systems analysts responsible for driving strategic improvements across customer payment channels and servicing operations. This role serves as the business owner for payment processing and remittance operations supporting both retail and lease portfolios, ensuring payments are properly managed and reconciled across servicing systems. The position partners with Operations, Treasury, Technology, Banking Partners, Payment Processors, and Servicing teams to improve processes, enhance automation, optimize the customer experience, and increase operational efficiency. The role also oversees payment channel configurations, vendor relationships, and business transformation initiatives while maintaining strong controls and data integrity.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Own and maintain business configurations for all customer payment channels, including electronic bill pay, lockbox, ACH, online payments, IVR, and third-party payment processors.
• Ensure accurate payment routing, application, and reconciliation across retail and lease portfolios while maintaining compliance and audit readiness.
• Serve as the primary business owner for payment channel enhancements, system configurations, and vendor-related changes impacting payment operations and servicing.
• Lead payment transformation initiatives that improve customer experience, increase automation, reduce manual processes, and enhance operational efficiency.
• Partner with Operations, Treasury, Finance, Compliance, Risk, Technology, and external vendors to deliver strategic payment and servicing initiatives.
• Manage relationships with banks, payment processors, and service providers, including requirements definition, implementation oversight, and performance monitoring.
• Analyze payment and remittance data to identify operational risks, resolve exceptions, improve reconciliation processes, and establish meaningful performance metrics.
• Lead and develop a team of business and systems analysts while managing project priorities, resource planning, and continuous improvement efforts.
• Additional duties may be assigned as needed to support departmental or organizational objectives.

Required Experience

• Minimum 8 years of experience in financial services, auto finance, payment operations, servicing, business transformation, or a related operational environment.
• Minimum 3 years of leadership experience managing teams, projects, and cross-functional strategic initiatives.
• Minimum 3 years of experience in payment operations, reconciliation, treasury management, customer servicing, or related operational functions.
• Experience managing payment processors, banking partners, lockbox services, ACH transactions, vendor relationships, and payment channel configurations, with working knowledge of NACHA rules and payment exception management.
• Experience leading business and technology initiatives, including requirements gathering, system implementations, Salesforce or servicing platforms, payment gateways, integrations, reporting, and process improvement, with strong analytical and project management skills.

Education

Bachelor's degree or international equivalent plus 8-10 years of related experience, including 4 years at a functional manager or manager level.

Skills Required

• Experience within a captive automotive finance company or indirect automotive lending environment.
• Knowledge of retail installment contracts, lease servicing, collections, and customer payment operations.
• Experience with treasury management services, including lockbox, ACH, positive pay, BAI2 reporting, and payment gateway solutions.
• Familiarity with SOX controls, audit requirements, regulatory compliance, and risk management within financial services.
• Experience leading servicing transformation initiatives and operational excellence programs.
• MBA, PMP, Lean Six Sigma, or related certification preferred.

Additional Requirements

• Travel: 0-10% as needed
• Must have reliable transportation and live within a commutable distance to one of the following cities: Atlanta, GA or Dallas, TX

Work Schedule

This position is currently remote with an anticipated transition to a hybrid schedule, requiring in-office presence multiple days per week. The role also requires flexibility to work various shifts to meet business needs, typically between 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM, Monday through Friday, with occasional weekend availability as needed. Travel requirements are estimated at 0-10%.