Sr. Director, Customer & Bank Operations

Who we are:

Our mission at FHLBank Chicago: To partner with our members in Illinois and Wisconsin to provide them competitively priced funding, a reasonable return on their investment, and support for their community investment activities.

Simply said, we're a bank for banks and other financial institutions, focused on being a strategic partner for our members and working together to reinvest in our communities, from urban centers to rural areas. Created by Congress in 1932, FHLBank Chicago is one of 11 Federal Home Loan Banks, government sponsored in support of mortgage lending and community investment.

What it's like to work here

At FHLBank Chicago, we bring people together. We are committed to a high performing, engaged workforce, and to supporting the communities we serve across Illinois and Wisconsin. Our Buddy Program pairs new hires with tenured employees to guide their onboarding. Our professional development and training opportunities through upskilling, mentorship programs, and tuition reimbursement allow employees to grow their career with us. Our collaborative, in-office operating model brings teams together to foster innovation, connection, and shared success. To support balance and flexibility, employees are provided an allocation of remote days to use as needed throughout the year.

What You'll do

In this role, you will report to our Group Head of Operations. This role is critical to transforming our operations function. We are seeking an experienced and highly strategic Senior Director of Customer and Bank Operations to lead critical operational functions including middle office, customer support, payment processing, deposit account management, and the member transaction desk. This role is central to ensuring a seamless, reliable, and customer centric operational experience for our members. The ideal candidate brings deep technical expertise in banking and cash management operations, a strong command of financial systems and controls, and a proven ability to lead high-performing teams in a fast-paced, regulated environment.

This leader will need to leverage data to provide operational reporting and performance metrics to drive transparency, efficiency, and continuous improvement. With a "customer-first" mindset, this individual will champion operational excellence that enhances member satisfaction and trust.

How you'll make an impact:

• Lead with deep financial operations, cash and transaction operations expertise to ensure accuracy, timeliness, and risk mitigation across payment processing and funds transfers.
• Drive transformational change by reimagining operational workflows, implementing automation, and introducing scalable solutions that improve efficiency and reduce manual touchpoints.
• Elevate the customer experience by modernizing transaction-related processes, enhancing transparency, and delivering faster, more reliable service in a highly regulated environment.

What you can expect:

• Lead and manage the middle office, member support and member transaction desk teams, ensuring smooth daily operations and exceptional service delivery.
• Evaluate existing operational processes, identify areas for improvement, and develop strategies to streamline processes. Implement best practices and standardize processes across the operations function.
• Provide expert oversight and direction on complex banking and cash management issues, with an ability to solve technical problems and mitigate operational risks.
• Develop and execute operational strategies that support business growth, regulatory compliance, and customer satisfaction.
• Collaborate closely with the sales team to support onboarding efforts, and resolve member issues with speed and precision.
• Lead change management efforts associated with operational transformation initiatives. Develop and execute comprehensive change management plans to ensure successful adoption of new processes, systems, and ways of working.
• Build and lead a strong, service-oriented team, fostering a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and professional development.
• Mentor and develop team members, helping them develop their knowledge and competencies. Encourages teamwork, professionalism and high morale, throughout the department and the Bank.
• Creates efficiencies within work tasks to eliminate or reduce manual processes.
• Partner closely with internal stakeholders including product ownership, finance, technology, compliance, and risk to support new initiatives, system enhancements, and policy updates.
• Oversee the development and reporting of operational metrics, dashboards, and KPIs/KRIs to assess performance and identify opportunities for optimization.
• Maintain a deep understanding of banking operations, financial instruments, and regulatory requirements (e.g., ACH, wires, reconciliations, settlements).
• Ensure appropriate controls are in place for operational integrity, audit readiness, and regulatory compliance.
• Act as a champion for the customer, constantly evaluating processes, systems, and policies to improve service delivery and satisfaction.
• Lead or support enterprise-level projects and initiatives related to operations, automation, and customer experience

What you'll bring:

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Business, or a related field required; Master's degree preferred (e.g., MBA).
• 20+ years in banking operations, with a focus on cash management, financial transactions, and member/customer service functions.
• 8+ years in leadership/management
• Experience in regulated environments (e.g., financial institutions, credit unions, fintech) is required.
• Proven leadership experience managing large, cross-functional operational teams, including middle office or transaction processing groups.
• Deep technical expertise in cash management products, transaction processing, reconciliations, and related banking operations.
• Strong analytical skills and experience using data to drive operational decisions and improvements.
• Demonstrated success in enhancing customer/member satisfaction through operational excellence.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with a collaborative leadership style.
• Familiarity with systems and tools related to cash management, CRM, and workflow automation is highly desirable.

The Perks

At FHLBank Chicago, we believe in rewarding our high performing workforce. We offer a highly competitive compensation and bonus package, and access to a comprehensive benefits program designed to meet the needs of our employees. Our retirement program includes a 401(k) and pension plan. Our wellbeing program supports employees at work and in their personal lives: Our PTO plan provides five weeks of vacation for new employees and 11 paid holidays per year; our Lifestyle Spending Account provides an annual stipend for employees to support wellbeing activities; and our central downtown location at the Old Post Office provides easy access to public transportation and breathtaking views from our award-winning rooftop. Visit FHLBCbenefits.com for additional details about our benefits. Step into a brighter future with us.