Entry Level Accountant - Payment Processing

Job Title: Payment Operations Associate

(Open to Entry-Level Candidates)

Job Description

The Payment Operations Associate provides day-to-day operational support for payment processing activities, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and timely resolution of transactions. This role supports both members and internal teams by processing checks, ACH, wires, and deposit activity while adhering to regulatory, departmental, and credit union policies. The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, reliable, and comfortable working in a fast-paced, onsite operations environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Review and research Share Draft posting exceptions and chargeback items, making pay/no-pay and return/redeposit decisions in accordance with departmental guidelines
• Create, balance, and transmit daily Share Draft and Chargeback files to the Federal Reserve Bank while meeting security and regulatory timeframes
• Process Share Draft disputes and fraud claims in compliance with check-processing rules and internal procedures
• Perform daily proof and reconciliation for Share Draft and Chargeback activity, maintaining documentation for outstanding items
• Research clearing inquiries and perform account adjustments related to checks and deposits as needed
• Review remote deposit capture and ATM deposits, making accept/reject decisions per established guidelines
• Process bank-by-mail transactions, including scanning and repairing checks through Check 21/VIP forward collection systems
• Sort and date-stamp department mail according to rotation schedules
• Process collection items, including Canadian and foreign checks, stop payments, and check protests
• Review assigned service requests daily and resolve them within established service-level timeframes
• Maintain a high level of accuracy while protecting member information and confidentiality
• Compile daily and monthly operational statistics and reporting according to deadlines
• Identify and report any procedural or compliance issues to management promptly
• Partner with Accounting and other Operations teams to resolve exceptions and reconcile discrepancies
• Stay current on system updates, regulatory requirements, and industry best practices

Required Skills & Experience

• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel
• Experience with data entry, operational processing, or administrative support
• Strong attention to detail and ability to manage high-volume, transaction-based work
• General understanding of financial operations, reconciliations, or accounting concepts
• Strong customer service and communication skills
• Ability to multitask, prioritize work, and meet daily deadlines in a fast-paced environment

Preferred Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED required
• 1+ year of experience in accounting, banking, financial services, or operations preferred
• Experience with general ledger reconciliation or exception resolution is a plus
• Prior experience in a back-office or payments operations environment is advantageous

Work Environment

This is a fully onsite position, Monday through Friday, with working hours of either 8:00 AM–4:30 PM or 8:30 AM–5:00 PM. The role is based in a fast-paced operational environment that requires precision, confidentiality, and consistent multitasking.

This is a Contract position based out of Albany, NY.

The pay range for this position is $17.00 - $20.75/hr.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:
• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

This is a fully onsite position in Albany,NY.

This position is anticipated to close on Apr 24, 2026.

About Aston Carter:

Aston Carter provides world-class corporate talent solutions to thousands of clients across the globe. Specialized in accounting, finance, human resources, talent acquisition, procurement, supply chain and select administrative professions, we extend the capabilities of industry-leading companies. We draw on our deep recruiting expertise and expansive network to meet the evolving needs of our clients and talent community with agility and excellence. With offices across the U.S., Canada, Asia Pacific and Europe, Aston Carter serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® double diamond winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email astoncarteraccommodation@astoncarter.com for other accommodation options.