Vice President, Disputes

Become an everyday champion — and build a career where your impact fuels financial progress.

What We Do

CardWorks Financial Group is a diversified financial services platform building ethical solutions across credit, lending, and the full customer lifecycle. Through our family of companies, CardWorks Financial Group tackles the complex challenges that larger financial institutions leave behind. We’re embedded throughout the credit card ecosystem as a lender, servicer, and merchant acquirer.

Who We Are

• Merrick Bank: The bank that builds
• CardWorks Servicing: One partner, total performance
• Carson Smithfield: Resolution with respect

With nearly 40 years of operating history, our track record is solid: disciplined in downturns and built to accelerate in recovery. The CardWorks Financial Group companies take precise approach in complex markets, as a top three non-prime focused general purpose card issuer and a top fifteen U.S. merchant acquirer. 

Our team tackles the industry’s most complex credit and payment challenges. And we believe that excellent work starts with a team that feels supported, respected, and empowered to grow.

CardWorks Servicing, LLC provides end-to end operational servicing functions for credit cards, secured cards, and installment loans.  We service consumer and small business loans across the credit spectrum and offers backup servicing and due diligence services to capital providers and trustees.

Founded in 1997, Merrick Bank is an FDIC®-insured financial institution headquartered in South Jordan, Utah, with over $10 billion in assets. A wholly owned subsidiary of CardWorks Financial Group, Merrick Bank serves roughly five million cardmembers and more than 100,000 merchant customers, offering credit cards, recreational loans, deposit accounts, merchant services and bank sponsorships to consumers and businesses.

Carson Smithfield, LLC provides a variety of post-charge-off debt recovery services, including digital self-service, IVR, live agent, and external agency management.

Position Summary and Role Impact:

CardWorks is a consumer finance lender and servicer, and a people-centric, compliance-focused organization enabled by data and technology. At CardWorks, our mission is to provide customized and compliant servicing and asset management to our clients to produce their desired end-customer experience.

Ideally, the qualified candidate will work at the Orlando, FL or Pittsburgh, PA offices. A hybrid work model or fully remote model can be considered based on hiring manager decision and priorities of the role.

The VP, Disputes is responsible for leading and managing the end-to-end dispute resolution process for Fraud, Non-Fraud (Billing Disputes), and Client Accounting (Payment Disputes) for Merrick Bank and non-affiliate clients. This includes ensuring customer disputes are handled in a timely, accurate, and compliant manner while minimizing risk and exposure to clients. The role requires strong leadership skills, deep domain expertise, and a strategic approach to optimizing operational processes within the business. This position is also responsible for coordinating closure of all Audit, Compliance, and Regulatory issues. The VP, Disputes will collaborate cross-functionally with clients, Fraud Strategy teams, Learning & Development, and Change Management to drive efficiencies.

Essential Functions:

• Lead and develop a high-performing team responsible for handling all aspects of credit card disputes, including chargebacks, fraud, billing, and payment disputes.
• Define and implement the strategic direction for dispute resolution processes to improve operational efficiency, customer experience, and compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Ensure timely resolution of disputes, minimizing financial loss, fraud exposure, and customer dissatisfaction.
• Work with risk and fraud management teams to design proactive strategies to mitigate future disputes and fraud-related issues.
• Develop and implement strategies to improve the customer experience during the dispute process, ensuring customers are informed, supported, and satisfied.
• Responsible for adherence to departmental budget and overall FTE adherence.
• Collaborate with senior leadership to establish goals, objectives, and key performance indicators for the disputes team.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders, including Compliance, Customer Service, Collections, and Operations teams, to address complex issues, mitigate risks, and enhance processes.
• Serve as a customer advocate within the organization, championing customer-centricity, addressing customer concerns, and driving initiatives to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty.
• Stay updated on regulatory requirements, industry standards, and best practices, ensuring adherence to legal and regulatory guidelines.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements for Success:

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, or related field preferred.
• Minimum 10 (ten) years of experience in credit card disputes or related roles.
• Minimum 5 (five) years of leadership experience.
• In-depth knowledge of credit card processing systems, dispute management protocols, and relevant regulations.

Knowledge, Skills and Capabilities:

• Strong knowledge of banking operations, financial transactions, and regulatory requirements.
• Strong customer-centric approach with a commitment to delivering high-quality service.
• Excellent analytical skills with the ability to identify trends, risks, and opportunities for process improvement.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively engage and influence stakeholders at all levels of the organization and with clients.
• Ability to inspire and motivate teams, foster collaboration, and drive results in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to work within existing processes while understanding and defining where new, different, or abridged processes should be used.
• Proficiency in dispute management software and systems; experience with automation tools.
• Excellent problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
• Ability to be a persuasive leader who can serve as an effective member of the leadership team and communicate project management and business analysis concepts to a broad range of technical and non-technical employees.

Compliance with Laws & Regulations: 

• Responsible for developing, documenting, communicating, maintaining, and enforcing effective control system policies and procedures within your area of oversight.
• Responsible to act in a timely manner to update policies and procedures when changes in operating conditions occur and / or breakdowns or noncompliance with laws and regulations appear.
• Responsible for complying with all of the Bank’s internal control policies and procedures.
• Responsible for understanding and complying with all laws and regulations to which the Bank is subject.
• Responsible for communicating problems in operations, noncompliance with the code of conduct, noncompliance with laws and regulations, policy violations, or illegal acts.

Our Employee Value Proposition

• Competitive Pay, including a Bonus Target or Variable Pay Incentive Program
• Benefits Package -Medical, Dental, and Vision (plus much more)
• 401(k) Plan with Company Match
• Short- & Long-Term Disability
• Wellness Programs
• Group Life and AD&D Insurance
• Paid Vacation, Sick Days and bank Holidays
• Employee Engagement Activities including Employee Appreciation Day, DEI Employee Resource Groups, Corporate Social Responsibility, Service Recognition

We offer a total rewards package comprised of a competitive base rate of pay, variable pay incentive programs based on the role, and a comprehensive benefit suite.  Offered rates of pay are determined based on job-related knowledge, relevant experience, skills, certifications, and geographic location.

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to age, race, color, sex, or gender identity/expression (including pregnancy, childbirth, transgender status, or sexual orientation), religion or creed, ancestry, citizenship, national origin, disability, military or veteran status, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

We do not tolerate discrimination, harassment, or retaliation. Employment decisions are based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs. Everyone is welcome here, and we hire based on your ability to do the job, not any protected characteristics.

If you need help or reasonable accommodation during the application or hiring process, please let your TA Partner know.