First International Bank and Trust is a $5.5 billion, family-owned community bank. Our Kotapay division is a leader in ACH processing and in 2023 announced its entrance into banking-as-a-service.

Kotapay is seeking an experienced and knowledgeable Head of Cards to lead operations for card-related initiatives. This role will focus on managing all aspects of card and digital wallet payments, including debit, consumer credit, commercial credit, prepaid, and mobile provisioning. This role will manage card offerings across the FIBT footprint, as well as our banking-as-a-service initiatives with third-party fintech and embedded finance partners.

The ideal candidate will possess strong leadership skills, technical expertise, and a deep understanding of the card payments ecosystem. You will drive operational excellence, build strong vendor relationships, and collaborate cross-functionally to ensure FIBT’s card and wallet products meet the needs of our customers and are competitive within the industry.

Key Responsibilities:

• Work closely with the Chief Payments Officer and other leaders to analyze financial performance of card and wallet-related programs, contribute meaningfully to identify opportunities for improvement and/or cost savings, and forecast future performance for budgetary purposes.
• Lead a team supporting debit and credit card offerings, ensuring successful delivery of services and continuous improvement.
• Manage relationships with third-party transaction processors, call centers, card production facilities, and other external partners to ensure high service levels for FIBT and its clients.
• Work closely with internal teams, including compliance, IT, development, client support, sales, and treasury management to deliver solutions that meet customer needs and align with business objectives.
• Serve as the product owner for card-related systems, capturing requirements for enhancements, managing dependencies, and communicating updates to stakeholders.
• Serve as the primary contact with payment networks, managing periodic reporting, compliance obligations, BIN/ICA administration, and network incentives.
• Analyze financial performance of card and wallet programs, assist with budget forecasting, and ensure KPI tracking and reporting is accurate and timely.
• Contribute meaningfully to all efforts to foster the best possible cardholder experience and ease of use.
• Liaise with retail staff, treasury management, lenders, and branch management to foster a steady referral pipeline of consumer and commercial credit card customers.
• Collaborate with collections, underwriting, fraud, and customer service teams to ensure cohesive customer experiences and successful issue resolution.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Finance, Technology, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• 8+ years of experience in payments, fintech, or a related field, with a focus on card products and digital wallets.
• Previous leadership experience managing cross-functional teams and vendors.
• Proven experience in interpreting standard card-related metrics related to cost of acquisition, underwriting, utilization, and collections, and identification of opportunities to improve portfolio performance.
• Proven experience in ATM fleet management a plus, but not required.

First International Bank and Trust is a family-owned, full-service, community bank with locations in ND, MN, SD, and AZ.

We show our employees we care by providing competitive benefits and training and growth opportunities. Here are the things we offer within our full-time benefits package:

• Health, Dental & Vision
• 401K Retirement Plan with Employer Match
• Paid Parental Leave
• Life and Disability Insurance
• Generous PTO and Holiday pay

If you are interested in learning more, you can apply or if you have questions before applying you can reach out directly at TalentAcquisition@FIBT.com.

Equal Opportunity Employer