Merchant Monitoring Manager

Who We Are The world is moving towards instant digital payments and TabaPay is leading the way. We help thousands of Fintechs in the US and Canada instantly move money in and out of accounts and we are actively expanding into other countries. Our customers represent the hottest verticals in the financial service industry such as neobanks, challenger brokers, gaming and wallets. TabaPay is a highly profitable rocketship that processes billions of dollars each year. To learn more visit www.tabapay.com. What You'll Do The Manager, Merchant Monitoring Operations is responsible for leading the day-to-day operations of TabaPay’s ongoing merchant monitoring function. This role oversees the execution of merchant monitoring programs throughout the merchant lifecycle, ensuring required reviews, validations, documentation, reporting, escalations, and follow-up activities are completed accurately, consistently, and within established service levels. This is a highly operational and process-focused leadership role. The Manager is accountable for managing team capacity and workload, review schedules and queues, service levels, backlogs, merchant outreach, persistent monitoring workflows, cross-functional dependencies, quality, reporting, and operational performance. The Manager will lead a team of Merchant Monitoring professionals and partner closely with Client Success, Customer Due Diligence, Finance, Legal, Information Security, Fraud, and other stakeholders. The successful candidate will bring strong operational discipline, people leadership, analytical capabilities, and a continuous-improvement mindset to build a scalable and effective merchant monitoring operation. Key Responsibilities Merchant Monitoring Operations • Lead the day-to-day execution of TabaPay’s ongoing merchant monitoring programs and associated workflows. • Manage the end-to-end monitoring lifecycle, including scheduling, merchant outreach, documentation collection, review and validation, escalation, disposition, evidence retention, reporting, and closeout. • Ensure monitoring activities are scheduled and completed in accordance with applicable program requirements, risk-based frequencies, and established service levels. • Manage workload, review queues, aging, and team capacity to ensure monitoring requirements are completed timely and effectively. • Establish effective daily and weekly management routines to identify blockers, manage priorities, and drive work to completion. • Ensure operational processes supporting persistent merchant monitoring tools and alerts are appropriately managed, documented, assigned, investigated, escalated, and resolved. Monitoring Programs Oversee operational execution of merchant monitoring requirements, including: • Periodic and Annual Reviews: Validation of business and ownership information, product and use case, financial and credit risk, contractual compliance, and, where applicable, AML, sanctions, regulatory, and licensing controls. • PCI Compliance: Collection and validation of current PCI DSS compliance documentation and status based on applicable merchant or service-provider requirements. • Network Program Compliance: Verification and ongoing monitoring of merchant compliance of business activity against applicable program requirements and prohibited activities, including specialty merchant programs. • Persistent Merchant Monitoring: Operational oversight of continuous or event-driven merchant monitoring tools and related workflows, including review, disposition, escalation, and documentation of monitoring alerts. • Additional Monitoring Programs: Support the implementation and ongoing execution of new or evolving regulatory, network, contractual, risk, or compliance monitoring requirements. Ensure program-specific requirements are translated into clear operating procedures, review schedules, workflows, documentation standards, escalation paths, and reporting. Team Leadership & Performance • Lead, coach, and develop a team responsible for executing merchant monitoring activities. • Own operational performance against established service levels and completion requirements. • Monitor key operational metrics, including volume, throughput, aging, backlog, service-level performance, and reviewer capacity. • Lead remediation of overdue or incomplete monitoring activities using a risk- and aging-based prioritization approach. • Ensure persistent monitoring alerts, scheduled reviews, reporting obligations, and other monitoring activities are appropriately prioritized and managed across the team. Merchant Monitoring Reporting • Oversee the timely and accurate preparation of recurring merchant monitoring reports provided to TabaPay’s bank partners and other stakeholders. • Manage monthly, quarterly, and other recurring reporting processes, including data collection, validation, quality control, review, and delivery. • Establish clear ownership, timelines, procedures, and quality standards for required merchant monitoring reporting. • Coordinate with internal stakeholders to resolve data gaps, discrepancies, or other issues that may affect reporting accuracy or timeliness. • Identify opportunities to improve and automate recurring reporting processes while maintaining appropriate controls and data quality. Quality Control, Escalation & Process Improvement • Ensure monitoring activities are executed consistently in accordance with established policies, procedures, program requirements, and documentation standards. • Maintain strong standards for review documentation, supporting evidence, risk reassessment, disposition, and system updates. • Track operational escalations and cross-functional dependencies through resolution. • Partner with applicable subject-matter experts to translate policy, regulatory, network, and program requirements into clear and executable operating processes. • Identify and implement opportunities to improve efficiency, consistency, and scalability across merchant monitoring workflows. • Identify opportunities to use automation and AI to improve document intake and review, summarization, evidence collection, persistent monitoring workflows, reporting, workflow management, and quality control. Qualifications • 7+ years of experience in operations, risk operations, merchant operations, payments, financial services, fintech, compliance operations, or a related field. • 3+ years of experience leading teams in a high-volume, deadline-driven operational environment. • Demonstrated experience managing operational workflows, workloads, service levels, backlogs, and performance. • Strong people leadership, coaching, and performance-management capabilities. • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to use operational data to identify issues and drive improvements. • Ability to manage multiple programs and competing priorities while maintaining strong attention to quality and detail. • Strong written and verbal communication skills and demonstrated ability to drive action across multiple teams and stakeholders. Preferred Qualifications • Familiarity with merchant monitoring, ongoing due diligence, PCI DSS, card-network requirements, or related risk and compliance activities. • Familiarity with persistent merchant monitoring platforms, tools, and alert-management workflows, such as G2 or similar solutions. • Experience managing recurring operational, risk, compliance, or partner reporting processes. • Experience with workflow, case-management, and operational reporting platforms. • Experience implementing process automation, workflow optimization, or AI-enabled operational capabilities. This role is located at either our Palo Alto, CA HQ or our New York office. The pay range for this position is $140,000; however, base pay offered may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. In addition to a full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the position offered. Benefits TabaPay offers the following benefits: • 100% employer-paid health care insurance including medical, dental, vision, and life insurance (for employee only) • Employer 401K Matching • Generous and Flexible PTO EEO Employer: TabaPay is an equal opportunity employer; all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, Veteran status, or any other protected classification.