Lead Payments Operations Specialist

Canada External Job Ad
Amazing Career Moments Happen Here
Transforming the insurance industry is ambitious, we know. That's why at Applied, we're building a team that shows up every day ready to learn, willing to try new things, and driven to deliver innovative software and services that make us indispensable to our customers - all within a culture built on values that make us indispensable to each other too. With 40+ years of experience in the Insurtech game, we're not just redefining what's achievable; we're creating a place where amazing career moments are made possible.
Position Overview
We're searching for a Lead Payments Operations Specialist to join our Digital Payments team in a hybrid capacity (Tuesdays and optional Thursdays) from our Toronto office. In this role, you will own the execution and integrity of our payments operations function. You will own dispute metrics, ACH return exposure, fraud escalation, and KYC exception resolution, and you will direct an Operations Analyst to execute against the standards you set. If you've worked in a payfac, ISO, or acquiring environment and you're ready to own outcomes rather than just execute tasks, this role was built for you.
To keep us headed in the right direction, we're looking for people who understand winning is a team sport, who value and seek to learn from our team's diverse experiences and backgrounds, who welcome a challenge and take risks in the pursuit of creating better outcomes for our customers, and who can, at any given time, step back to laugh and have some fun.
What You'll Do

• Dispute and chargeback management: evidence packages, outcome tracking, and ratio exposure and refund workflows managed end-to-end
• ACH return monitoring: tracking return rate trends, identifying patterns that indicate systemic issues, and surfacing actionable findings to product and customer success teams for resolution
• Fraud monitoring: reviewing flagged alerts within SLA, triaging suspicious activity, and making judgment calls, and serving as the team's first escalation point on complex cases with documented rationale.
• KYC exception resolution: managing KYC outcomes, document collection, failure remediation, and exception handling in coordination with our processor and internal stakeholders
• Operational documentation: maintaining SOPs and playbooks, identifying gaps or outdated procedures and raising them for review
• Team direction: day-to-day guidance, quality oversight, and structured feedback for the Operations Analyst

We're Excited to Learn More About You
Your experience may include:

• 5+ years in payments operations, fintech, or financial services with direct ownership of dispute management, ACH, or fraud monitoring
• Working knowledge of NACHA operating rules, card network dispute regulations, and Regulation E
• Experience directing others in an operational environment
• Ability to use data and tooling including SQL, Excel, and case management platforms to investigate issues and drive process improvement
• Comfort working with AI-assisted workflows or automation tools to reduce manual effort and improve operational efficiency
• Strong written communication; you can explain a complex operational decision clearly to a non-payments audience

You may have other skills or credentials, including:

• Experience at a payment facilitator, ISO, or acquiring bank
• Familiarity with sub-merchant onboarding and KYC processes
• Hands-on experience building or refining automated workflows for triage, reconciliation, or case routing
• Exposure to the insurance or insurtech vertical

We know that talent comes from all backgrounds and experience levels. We encourage military members and their spouses as well as candidates without a degree or a background in tech to apply!
When You Join Team Applied, You Can Expect:
A culture that values who you are and recognizes that you aren't just an employee; you are a teammate, and you matter. We thrive on the benefits of our different experiences and celebrate the uniqueness our teammates bring to work with them every day.
We flex our time together, collaborating remotely and in-person to empower our teams to work in the ways that work best for them.
A comprehensive benefits and compensation package that centers our teammates and helps them to bring their best to work every day:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage
• Holiday and Vacation Time
• Health & Wellness Days
• A Bonus Day for Your Birthday

Learn more about the people behind our products at https://www1.appliedsystems.com/en-ca/about-us/jobs/
The total anticipated annual compensation range for this existing position is $80,000 - $110,000 CAD per year which includes starting base salary and, where applicable, variable or incentive pay. To determine a new team member's starting pay, we consider a variety of factors, including someone's depth, breadth, and variety of experience, skills, and responsibilities.
This position requires the employee to reside and work from one of the following provinces: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, PEI, Saskatchewan.
Your Security Matters:
Our candidates' personal information and online safety are top of mind for us. At Applied, we proactively protect your personal information and only communicate with candidates via a secure @appliedsystems.com email or through our official careers portal. Recruiters will never request payments, ask for financial account information or sensitive information like social security numbers.
AI Utilization
We leverage AI tools to streamline parts of our recruitment workflow (such as resume parsing and interview scheduling). However, candidate screening, interviews, and final decisions are conducted by real humans.
EEO Statement
Applied Systems is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. Diversity and Inclusion is a business imperative and is a part of building our brand and reputation. At Applied, we don't discriminate, and we are committed to recruit, develop, retain, and promote regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, veteran status, and other protected status as required by applicable law.
#LI-Hybrid
#LI-CA