Accountant / ACH & Payment Settlement

Our Purpose

To create joy and ignite Michiganders’ Impossible Dreams. 

Shared Commitments 

At orsa, our commitments start with our purpose and are guided by our vibrantly lived values.  We walk together toward strategic ends, galvanized by regenerative leadership and a growth orientation which moves us toward our human potential, so that we can support Michiganders in shaping the life they desire.

Role Purpose

The accountant/ACH & payment settlement ensures the integrity and accuracy of orsa's electronic payment activity, protecting the credit union's financial position through disciplined reconciliation, timely exception resolution, and rigorous compliance with payment network rules. This role sits at the intersection of accounting precision and payment operations, serving as a critical control point for ACH, wire, card settlement, and other electronic transactions. By keeping orsa's settlement activity clean, accurate, and compliant, this role directly enables the financial trust that our members place in us.

Primary Responsibilities 

As an impact-driven team, our work is collaborative and dynamic. This role, like all positions at orsa, will be counted on to perform a variety of tasks as directed by leadership. Some of the core deliverables for this role are: 

Role-Specific Contributions

• Perform daily reconciliation of ACH origination and receipt activity, ensuring all items are accurately posted, exceptions are identified promptly, and resolution is documented with rigor.
• Reconcile payment settlement accounts, including card settlement, wire transfers, and other electronic payment channels, while maintaining a current and accurate view of orsa's settlement position at all times.
• Identify, research, and resolve settlement discrepancies, unposted items, and aged reconciling items in a timely manner; escalate items that present financial or compliance risk.
• Support month-end and year-end close by ensuring all settlement-related accounts are reconciled, documented, and presented in accordance with orsa's close calendar.
• Maintain accurate records of all reconciliation activity, exception handling, and resolution documentation to support internal audit, external audit, and regulatory examination readiness.
• Monitor ACH returns, notifications of change (NOCs), and unauthorized transaction activity; take appropriate action in accordance with NACHA rules and internal policy.
• Collaborate with payment operations, retail, and technology teams to investigate and resolve member-impacting payment exceptions and errors.
• Support the design, documentation, and ongoing improvement of reconciliation processes and controls to reduce error rates, cycle times, and operational risk.
• Stay current on NACHA operating rules, Reg E requirements, card network settlement rules, and other applicable regulatory and compliance standards.
• Fulfill other responsibilities as needs evolve.

ACH & Payment Settlement Operations

• Execute ACH file processing functions, including file review, release, and exception handling, in coordination with the payment operations team and core system workflows.
• Reconcile correspondent bank accounts and Federal Reserve settlement accounts on a daily basis, ensuring accurate and timely identification of all outstanding items.
• Maintain and manage wire transfer reconciliation, ensuring same-day resolution of open items and accurate accounting for all incoming and outgoing wire activity.
• Prepare and distribute daily settlement reports to finance leadership, flagging items that require escalated attention or decision-making.

Compliance & Controls

• Ensure all ACH and payment activity adheres to NACHA operating rules, Reg E, BSA/AML policies, and applicable orsa internal controls.
• Support BSA/AML monitoring as it relates to payment activity by flagging unusual patterns or activity for review by the compliance team.
• Participate in internal and external audit activities by providing documentation, answering examiner questions, and supporting control testing related to payment reconciliation.
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of desk procedures and control documentation for all settlement reconciliation functions.

Qualification and Competency Requirements

As an organization focused on creating belonging, we appreciate that outstanding team members have different roads to excellence. Therefore, we don’t compromise on capability but are capability but use qualifications as guidelines. Typically, we’d expect an accountant/ACH & payment settlement to have built capabilities through experiences that would include a minimum of:

• Education: An associate's or bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or a related field and/or at least three years of additional related experience.
• Work Experience: Demonstrated experience in accounting reconciliation, payment operations, or a related function. Direct experience with ACH processing, payment settlement reconciliation, or cash management strongly preferred. Familiarity with NACHA operating rules, Reg E, and core banking systems required.
• Industry Experience: Experience in financial services preferred; credit union experience a plus.
• Professional Credentials and/or Certifications: AAP (Accredited ACH Professional) preferred or willingness to pursue.

The outcome of experience is our priority, so proficiency will be evaluated over means of acquiring it. Necessary competencies include: 

Functional

• Accounting Standards & Financial Reporting: Technical accounting knowledge and the ability to produce accurate, timely, and compliant financial statements, reconciliations, and reports. For this role, this competency centers on the application of GAAP principles to electronic payment activity, settlement accounting, and the production of reconciliation documentation that meets audit and regulatory standards.
• ACH & Payment Settlement Operations: Deep operational knowledge of ACH network rules, electronic payment settlement processes, exception item management, and the reconciliation of correspondent and Federal Reserve accounts. This includes proficiency with NACHA operating rules, return and NOC handling, and the core system workflows that support daily settlement activity. This is the defining specialty competency for this role.
• Compliance & Regulatory Fulfillment: The knowledge and discipline to operate within applicable legal, regulatory, and internal control frameworks — and to identify when activity may fall outside those boundaries. For this role, this competency applies directly to Reg E, BSA/AML monitoring as it intersects with payment activity, NACHA rule compliance, and readiness for NCUA examination of payment processing and reconciliation controls.
• Operations & Process Management: The ability to execute daily operational responsibilities with accuracy, efficiency, and consistency — and to identify opportunities to improve processes, reduce risk, and strengthen controls. For this role, this competency supports the design and execution of reliable reconciliation workflows, desk procedure documentation, and the judgment to escalate exceptions appropriately.
• Financial Acumen: The ability to understand and apply financial principles to operational decisions and reporting. For this role, financial acumen supports the interpretation of settlement variances, the preparation of management-ready reconciliation summaries, and an awareness of how payment activity connects to orsa's overall financial position.

Work Model and Conditions:Hybrid

This position works in-office where working conditions, lighting, temperature, audio, and workspace are all sufficient. This position also works from home, where an appropriate work environment is required. Work requires the ability to constantly operate a computer and the ability to read, type, and communicate. Work may require the ability to move work-related supplies weighing up to 10-15 pounds. 

The hybrid classification provides the opportunity to flex with purpose, empowering team members to work in locations best suited for work and life. In that spirit, those in a hybrid role are encouraged to maintain a commutable proximity to their primary work location because:

• The organization expects hybrid team members to attend certain meetings in person 
• Managers may require onsite work to support outcomes
• Work model classification is subject to change

As a team member of orsa, you’ll enjoy:

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans 
• Generous paid time off package for all full-time team members 
• Up to 12-weeks paid paternity/maternity leave
• Lifestyle Accounts to help with your personal wellbeing 
• Family Health Benefits 
• Paid time off to observe all Federal Holidays 
• Flexible work options depending on position
• A generous 401k match 
• Numerous employee engagement activities 
• Community Resource Groups 
• Paid time off for occasions such as volunteering, caregiving, and family events 

Contact/application information:

If this description appeals to you, please submit an application! A member of orsa’s talent acquisition team will be in contact with you shortly!

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy:

orsa credit union is an equal opportunity employer (M/F/D/V). We recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote without regard to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable Federal, State or local laws. 

Disclaimer:

This job posting highlights some of the most critical responsibilities and requirements of the position. There may be additional duties and responsibilities that are not listed above. A Talent Acquisition Specialist will be sure to discuss the role in further detail should your application be selected to move forward. 

Please note that orsa credit union does not involve Artificial Intelligence (AI) when evaluating applications. Applications for this position are reviewed by a member within the Talent Acquisition team. We are dedicated to providing an equitable and thorough review of all submissions and look forward to additional connection as the recruitment process continues!