Financial Operations Program Manager

OVERVIEW

The Financial Operations Program Manager is responsible for supporting and scaling the operational, reconciliation, and financial control framework that enables Coastal's Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) ecosystem to grow. This role ensures new products and fintech partnerships launch with the data, operational processes, and controls necessary to achieve accurate, deterministic, transaction-level reconciliation while minimizing manual intervention.

Working across Financial Operations, Product, Engineering, Finance, Risk, Compliance, and external fintech partners, this role supports the design and continuous improvement of financial operations processes, reconciliation frameworks, automation, and operational controls. The Program Manager serves as a strategic partner throughout the product lifecycle, helping ensure operational readiness before launch, driving root cause resolution of reconciliation issues, and building scalable solutions that allow Financial Operations to focus on meaningful exceptions rather than routine transaction matching.

The ideal candidate combines expertise in banking operations, payment processing, data analysis, and financial controls with a passion for solving complex operational challenges through automation, technology, and cross-functional collaboration. This individual is equally comfortable analyzing large transactional datasets, partnering with engineers to improve system design, and working directly with fintech partners to improve data quality, operational processes, and reconciliation outcomes.

RESPONSIBILITIES TO INCLUDE

Financial Operations & Operational Excellence

• Design and optimize partner funds flows and operational controls that support new products, strategic initiatives, and the Bank's Banking-as-a-Service ecosystem.
• Design reconciliation processes that minimize manual intervention and eliminate unreconciled transactions through automation and data integrity.
• Lead the investigation and resolution of complex financial and operational issues across the Bank's BaaS partner portfolio.
• Analyze financial operations, reconciliations, and partner activity to identify root causes, operational risks, and opportunities for improvement.
• Partner with Product and Engineering to design automation, reporting, and scalable operational solutions.
• Perform operational analyses, and control validations during partner implementations, escalations, audits, and other critical business events.

Technical Solutions & Analytics

• Analyze operational and financial data using advanced Excel, SQL, and business intelligence tools.
• Design reporting, automation, and technology-enabled solutions that improve scalability, operational efficiency, and data quality.
• Leverage AI and emerging technologies to accelerate analysis, documentation, reporting, and decision-making.
• Translate business requirements into scalable technical solutions by partnering closely with Product and Engineering.

Strategic Program Delivery

• Lead cross-functional initiatives across Financial Operations, Product, Engineering, Finance, Risk, Compliance, and external fintech partners.
• Partner with Product and Engineering to ensure operational, accounting, reconciliation and reporting readiness before new partner launches.
• Drive root cause resolution with external partners, ensuring reconciliation breaks, data quality issues, and operational deficiencies are identified, communicated and resolved promptly.
• Simplify complex operational challenges by designing scalable, repeatable business processes.
• Develop business requirements, SOPs, process documentation, and implementation plans.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Five (5) or more years of experience in banking, fintech, payments, treasury, consulting, financial operations, or Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS).
• Strong understanding of banking operations, payment systems and funds flows, including ACH, FedNow, Fedwire, RTP, card networks, settlement, returns and disputes.
• Experience designing, implementing, and continuously improving reconciliation processes, financial control frameworks, and operational procedures.
• Experience supporting SOX controls, internal controls, audits, or regulatory examinations within a regulated financial services environment.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to translate complex operational challenges into scalable business solutions.
• Experience analyzing large transactional datasets using SQL and modern data platforms (preferably Databricks) with a strong understanding of data pipelines and ELT workflows.
• Experience designing automation, reporting solutions, and technology-enabled process improvements.
• Experience leveraging AI tools to improve analysis, documentation, reporting, and operational efficiency.
• Experience with Python, APIs, workflow automation, or low-code/no-code platforms is preferred.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including Pivot Tables, Power Query, complex formulas, and large dataset analysis.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and collaborate effectively with Product, Engineering, Finance, Risk, Compliance, and Operations teams.
• Excellent written, verbal, organizational, and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

EDUCATION

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Accounting, Information Systems, Computer Science, Data Analytics, Engineering, or equivalent experience.