Head of Credit Card Operations

About Zeta

About the Role

We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Chief Operations Officer to join our Credit Card leadership team. The role will lead a cross-functional team responsible for all Operations including Contact Center, Collections, Disputes, Fraud Investigations, Settlements, Payments, Fulfilment, Control functions

In this role, you will be accountable for designing, building, and managing the operational ecosystem and organization needed to support and scale US-based credit card portfolios. We believe in leveraging Workflow engines, Decision Engines, and AI to drive operational efficiencies. The ideal candidate will have a strong foundation in Operations and Risk Management, complemented by expertise in leveraging the best technology platforms to enhance operating efficiency/leverage and optimize RoE.

Responsibilities

• Your responsibilities will include (but are not limited to):

Supplier Management

• Bring leadership in setting up foundational supplier contracts with bureau(s), card networks, partner banks, marketing aggregators, and fraud risk solution providers
• Build a framework to compare and contrast vendors across relevant dimensions such as cost, effectiveness, SLAs, ease of integration, etc., and provide recommendations to Card leadership
• Manage ongoing relationships with suppliers and capitalize on opportunities to drive efficiency and optimize costs
• Ownership of outsourced operating platforms. Manage day-to-day change roadmap and performance KPI’s and lead the business in engaging with operations suppliers.




Risk Operations - Collections and Fraud

• Manage the infrastructure to support critical risk functions such as KYC, AML, Fraud
• Define, Implement, and evolve collections strategy and operations, through in-house and outsourced teams
• Identify key operational risks through exercises such as FMEA, and establish monitoring, reporting and controls to mitigate those risks
• Build controls and reporting across key infrastructure linchpins such as bureau reporting, dispute handling, transaction and payment processing, and statement creation etc.




Customer Servicing

• Oversee customer interaction and servicing channels including vendor management, call forecasting and resource allocation
• Establish and monitor relevant KPIs and SLAs to drive business and customer success
• Create a robust complaint monitoring and resolution process to address customer issues and uncover problems that require broader organizational scrutiny
• Optimize servicing channels (phone, chat, and email) by integrating AI tools to enhance efficiency and customer satisfaction




Backoffice Operations

• Lead Control Function and Reconciliations across the lifecycle of a Credit Card including Transactions and Repayments




Compliance & Regulations

• Establish an enterprise risk framework that the business should follow to satisfy relevant state and federal credit card regulations
• Create best practices and processes to manage regulatory audits, exams, and questions
• Keep a tab on changes, updates, and amendments being discussed across CFPB, Fed, OCC, and state/federal capitols that could impact underlying card business and help create mitigation strategies




People Leadership

• Attract top-quality talent across the financial services industry to build the Operations organization from ground up
• Mentor and develop future leaders within the organization to ensure a strong leadership pipeline
• Lead and manage organizational change to adapt to evolving market conditions, technologies, and customer needs




Operational Excellence and Strategic Leadership

• Partner with C-suite in addressing both operational and strategic challenges, and growing the business
• Bring a forward-leaning approach to identifying opportunities and guiding the organization in achieving excellence in operational processes
• Recommend novel solutions and approaches that are rooted in data, analytics, and technology to drive operational efficiency and effectiveness

Skills and Attributes required

• Proven ability to lead and scale operational teams in a fast-paced environment
• Strong track record of driving efficiency and process improvements across large card portfolios
• Expertise in aligning operations with long-term business goals and evolving market opportunities.
• In-depth knowledge of financial laws, compliance regulations, and risk management frameworks
• Extensive experience with vendors and capabilities across all relevant systems including - Application Processing, Loan Origination, KYC, AML, Credit Card Processing, Servicing, Collections, Fraud, Data management, and operational tools such as case management platforms.
• Hands-on experience with Lowcode / no code Workflow engines, decision engines, and case management platforms
• Familiarity with modern fintech platforms, data analytics tools, AI chatbots, and customer engagement technologies
• Exceptional communication and relationship-building skills across all levels of organization
• Prioritize, multi-task and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment; Ability to work well under pressure and adapt to unexpected events
• Demonstrated ability to inspire, mentor, and build high-performing teams, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and growth.
• Proficient in managing vendor contracts, negotiations, and SLAs to ensure optimal performance and cost-effectiveness.
• Proven track record in budgeting, capacity planning and forecasting at an executive level
• Ability to foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement to drive growth and maintain a competitive edge

Experience and Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience managing large, complex operational functions, with a significant portion spent in credit card or similar consumer lending products
• Proven experience in launching and scaling financial products from inception, preferably within a start-up or high-growth environment
• 5+ years of hands-on experience leading a customer service function and back-office operations
• Master’s/bachelor’s degree with relevant certifications in driving operational excellence and process engineering 

Equal Opportunity

• Zeta is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds, cultures, and communities to apply and believe that a diverse workforce is key to our success