Position Summary:
The Vice President, Retail Operations provides strategic and operational leadership for Prevail Bank’s retail branch network, ensuring consistent execution, exceptional customer and employee experiences, scalable processes, operational excellence, and strong regulatory compliance. Serving as the Bank’s senior operational leader and subject matter expert for teller operations, branch procedures, cash management, deposit account lifecycle processes, retail systems, and operational governance, this role advances the Bank’s retail operating model, leads enterprise-level process improvement, strengthens internal controls, and partners with executive leadership, Branch Managers, Deposit Operations, Compliance, Information Technology, and vendors to improve efficiency, reduce risk, and support successful execution of bank-wide priorities.
Duties and Responsibilities
Retail Operations Leadership
- Provide strategic leadership and oversight of retail operational support across all Prevail Bank branches.
- Establish, govern, and continuously improve retail operational policies, procedures, workflows, and standards to support scalability, consistency, compliance, and operational excellence.
- Lead operational improvements that enhance efficiency, scalability, customer and employee experience, risk management, and long-term performance.
- Develop and monitor performance metrics, dashboards, trend analyses, and emerging retail banking practices, present recommendations to executive leadership.
- Lead retail operational planning, readiness, and execution for new products, services, technologies, branch strategies, automation opportunities, and enterprise initiatives.
Deposit Account Lifecycle Management
- Oversee branch and digital deposit account opening processes to ensure alignment with strategy, compliance, operations, and customer experience goals.
- Monitor account opening quality standards, documentation accuracy, and regulatory compliance.
- Collaborate with Retail Banking, Deposit Operations, Compliance, and Product teams to develop, test, and implement new deposit products, services, and account-opening processes.
- Evaluate deposit products, procedures, and workflows; sponsor enhancements that improve efficiency, compliance, scalability, and customer experience.
- Oversee branch-related deposit account maintenance activities.
- Ensure timely processing of:
- Ownership change
- Beneficiary updates
- Account maintenance requests
- Account restrictions
- Deceased customer accounts
- Legal documentation
- Dormant account administration
Teller Operations & Cash Management
- Provide senior leadership and governance for teller line activities, cash controls, and operational consistency across the branch network.
- Oversee resolution of significant teller outages, balancing issues, posting corrections, operational exceptions, and cash discrepancies; ensure root-cause analysis and corrective action when appropriate.
- Provide oversight for branch cash management, vault operations, and cash ordering processes.
- Analyze teller transaction activity, staffing implications, risk indicators, and service trends to inform operational strategy and resource planning.
Teller Platform Administration
- Serve as Prevail Bank’s senior business owner and subject matter expert for teller software and assigned retail operations platforms.
- Set strategic direction and governance for platform administration, including:
- User administration
- Cash optimization
- Troubleshooting
- Preventive maintenance
- Vendor coordination
- Operational procedures
- Set training expectations and operational standards for proper cash handling, system usage, and branch execution; ensure resources are in place to support consistent adoption.
Branch Support & Training
- Serve as the operational leader, partner, and escalation resource for Branch Managers, retail leaders, and cross-functional stakeholders.
- Provide leadership, guidance, and oversight on operational procedures, regulatory requirements, internal controls, and service standards.
- Sponsor the development and delivery of operational training programs that support role readiness, consistent execution, compliance, and continuous improvement across the retail network.
- Serve as senior escalation authority for complex branch operational matters.
- Lead operational planning and readiness for branch openings, remodels, acquisitions, conversions, and significant retail transformation initiatives.
Compliance & Risk Management
- Oversee governance and timely execution of quality assurance processes and corrective action plans to support consistent execution of retail operational standards and a strong control environment.
- Review and monitor branch cash audits, GL balancing, operational exceptions, and control findings to identify trends, mitigate risk, and strengthen accountability.
- Ensure retail operational practices support compliance with bank policies, procedures, BSA/AML requirements, consumer regulations, audit expectations, and applicable laws.
- Partner with Compliance, Risk Management, Audit, Information Technology, and executive leadership to address operational findings, emerging risks, and enterprise control priorities.
Vendor & Systems Administration
- Manage strategic relationships with key retail operations vendors and technology partners to ensure service quality, accountability, and alignment with business objectives.
- Prioritize and sponsor vendor support, system enhancements, testing, implementation, user support, and optimization efforts that advance retail operational effectiveness.
- Lead retail projects and enterprise technology initiatives, ensuring readiness, stakeholder alignment, change management, and successful adoption.
Leadership
- Lead the retail operations function and provide direction for current and future team structure, staffing, talent development, and departmental priorities as the organization grows.
- Coach, develop, and hold team members accountable for performance, service quality, operational discipline, and professional growth.
- Establish department goals, performance expectations, key results, and accountability measures that support the Bank’s strategic plan.
- Promote a culture of operational excellence, continuous improvement, ownership, collaboration, innovation, accountability, and exceptional service.
Qualifications
- Seven or more years of progressively responsible retail banking, branch operations, or financial services operations experience.
- Five or more years of leadership experience, including experience leading teams, functions, initiatives, or cross-functional work at a senior level.
- Advanced knowledge of retail operations, teller operations, deposit accounts, cash management, branch procedures, internal controls, risk management, and regulatory expectations.
- Demonstrated experience developing operational strategies, leading process transformation, establishing governance standards, managing projects, and implementing sustainable improvements across multiple locations or functions.
- Senior Leadership-level analytical, organizational, communication, influence, problem-solving, and leadership skills.
- Experience with core banking, teller, and deposit account platforms.
- Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, operations, or related field is required; advanced degree or Senior Leadership-level banking education is preferred.
- Experience managing vendor relationships, technology platforms, contracts, service expectations, and implementation priorities is preferred.
Skills and Abilities:
Adaptability:
- Able to anticipate, lead, and adapt to organizational change; remain composed under pressure and guide teams through complex or ambiguous situations.
Attention to Detail:
- Maintain a high standard of accuracy, control, and follow-through while also recognizing broader operational patterns, risks, and opportunities for systemic improvement.
Change Management:
- Lead change effectively by building alignment, communicating the case for change, supporting impacted teams, and driving adoption of management and executive priorities.
Customer Orientation:
- Champion a customer- and employee-centered operating model by recognizing needs, removing barriers, improving processes, and strengthening relationships across the Bank.
Oral/Written Communication:
- Communicate clearly, professionally, and persuasively with employees, managers, executive leadership, vendors, and other stakeholders; tailor messages to the audience and influence outcomes.
Professionalism:
- Represent the Bank with credibility, discretion, sound judgment, and professionalism in interactions with internal partners, external vendors, customers, and community stakeholders.
Time Management:
- Effectively prioritize strategic, operational, and tactical responsibilities; allocate time and resources to high-impact initiatives while ensuring critical day-to-day operations remain on track.
Team Player:
- Lead collaboratively across departments and levels of the organization; support shared ownership of Bank goals and foster alignment between retail operations and enterprise priorities.
Working Environment
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Travel:
Valid driver’s license required for travel to Bank offices, training sessions, customer meetings, Bank and community meetings, etc. May travel up to 50% of the time.
Physical Requirements
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position. Employees may be required to follow other job-related instructions and to perform other job-related duties as requested, subject to all applicable state and federal laws. Certain job functions described herein may be subjected to possible modification in accordance with applicable state and federal laws. There are different experiences that suggest other ways or circumstances where reasonable changes or accommodations are appropriate. All activities, demands, conditions, and requirements are linked to duties and responsibilities.
Job Description subject to change at any time at the discretion of management.
