Dispute Resolution Team Lead

The Dispute Resolution Team Lead is responsible for leading and supporting a team of dispute agents in the review, research, and resolution of customer transaction disputes in accordance with regulatory requirements and internal procedures. This role provides oversight across multiple dispute channels, including debit card (POS), ACH, check, and other transactions, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and a high standard of customer service. The Team Lead serves as a working leader, managing escalations, supporting daily operations, and driving performance, quality, and compliance across the team.

Team Leadership & Support

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of Dispute Resolution Specialists, providing ongoing coaching, performance feedback, and targeted training to enhance investigative effectiveness and customer experience outcomes.
• Operate as a consistently engaged working manager by actively maintaining an individual production workload while leading the team, ensuring firsthand awareness of processes, challenges, and opportunities for improvement. Balance hands-on casework with oversight of workload distribution, productivity, and resolution quality to meet regulatory requirements (e.g., Reg E, card network rules) and internal standards.
• Drive onboarding and continuous development of Dispute Resolution Specialists by building expertise in dispute lifecycle management, case documentation, resolution timelines, investigation tools, and customer communication best practices.
• Act as the primary escalation point for complex or high-risk disputes applying sound judgment to ensure accurate resolution, timely handling, and clear communication of decisions and next steps to frontline staff and leadership.
• Oversee and support reconciliation reporting (recon) by ensuring discrepancies are investigated, resolved timely, and escalated when necessary to reduce financial risk.

Customer Interaction

• Support high-quality customer experiences by ensuring Dispute Resolution Specialists communicate clearly, professionally, and empathetically when gathering information, explaining dispute outcomes, and setting expectations.
• Coach and develop agents on effective customer communication techniques, particularly related to sensitive or complex dispute scenarios.
• Provide real-time support and escalation handling for challenging customer interactions, ensuring concerns are addressed promptly and appropriately.
• Ensure timely and accurate customer updates are provided throughout the dispute lifecycle, in accordance with regulatory requirements and service standards.

Collaboration

• Escalate significant or high-risk disputes, large-dollar losses, and emerging transaction trends to leadership, providing insights that support risk mitigation and process improvements.
• Partner with the Fraud Operations Manager and other Team Leads to optimize dispute workflows, improve efficiency, and reduce customer friction points.
• Collaborate with Legal, Compliance, Corporate Security, and Audit teams to support case reviews, regulatory inquiries, and responses to legal or law enforcement requests as needed.
• Work cross-functionally with departments such as Card Services, Deposit Operations, Digital Banking, Branch Leadership, and Wire/ACH teams to ensure timely resolution of disputes and continuous improvement of processes.
• Partner with internal teams such as Card Services, Deposit Operations, Digital Banking, and Branch teams to gather information and resolve disputes efficiently.
• Communicate trends or recurring issues observed during dispute processing to leadership for awareness and improvement opportunities.
• Support team initiatives and assist peers during high-volume periods as needed.

Reporting and Compliance

• Prepare and deliver reporting on dispute volumes, loss trends, recovery activity, aging, and team performance metrics to leadership.
• Monitor and enforce adherence to regulatory requirements (e.g., Reg E), card network rules, and internal policies related to dispute handling and customer resolution timelines.
• Ensure team readiness for audits and reviews by maintaining accurate documentation, consistent processes, and strong internal controls.
• Participate in required compliance training, including Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering (BSA/AML), and ensure team completion of all required training programs.
• Escalate issues requiring higher-level approval or those that may pose financial, regulatory, or reputational risk to departmental leadership in a timely manner.

Compliance Training:  Participate in all required compliance training, including Bank Secrecy Act/anti-money laundering training, as well as internal and external training programs, online training, meetings, and seminars/conferences, etc.

Other Duties: This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive list of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Other duties, responsibilities and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice.

• Education: Associate or Bachelor’s degree preferred; Equivalent combination of education and relevant financial‑crimes experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• Experience: Minimum of 5 years’ work experience in fraud investigation and/or financial institution.
• Required Skills:
  • Strong analytical abilities with a focus on quickly and accurately identifying trends and patterns.
  • Demonstrated leadership and people‑management capabilities.
  • High attention to detail and strong organizational abilities.
  • Excellent communication skills.
  • Proficiency with investigative tools, technologies, and related software.
  • Strong customer‑service orientation, with a commitment to delivering a positive experience to customers affected by fraud by demonstrating empathy and professionalism.
  • Ability to make sound judgments in moderately complex situations and provide well‑supported recommendations.
  • Knowledge of BSA/AML/OFAC regulations and adherence to all applicable requirements.
  • Knowledge of Regulation E and NACHA rules, with consistent compliance to both.
  • Understanding of Regulation CC and UCC return timeframes.
  • Understanding of card‑network rules and regulations.
• Preferred Skills:
  • Prior leadership, coaching, or team lead experience preferred.
  • Call center experience.
  • Possesses in‑depth knowledge of the Core platform and related internal banking systems, including (but not limited to) Director, Wires, ACH, Online Banking, Debit Cards, Research/Returns, and File Maintenance.
  • Experience with key fraud and security platforms, including Verafin, MasterCard Connect, and Fiserv Client Central.
  • Familiarity with Service Now.

• Must be able to pass a criminal background & credit check

FLSA Status: Exempt

Supervisory Responsibility

This position manages employees and is responsible for the coaching, development, and performance management of those employees.

Working Environment and Physical Demands

• This job operates in a professional office environment. The role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, copy machines, and printers.
• Physical requirements: sedentary, climbing, standing, stooping, or typing
• Position requires schedule flexibility to work evenings and weekends as needed.
• This position requires up to 15% travel.

Position Type

This is a full-time position.

Other

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.