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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Banking Administrator

💰 $ - $

BankingOperationsAdministrationComplianceCustomer Service

🎯 Role Definition

A Banking Administrator (also referred to as Banking Operations Administrator, Branch Administrator, or Bank Admin) is responsible for ensuring smooth, compliant, and efficient day-to-day banking operations. This role combines customer-facing account administration with back-office processing, risk and compliance controls, transaction reconciliation, and operational reporting. The ideal candidate maintains high accuracy under volume, enforces KYC/AML and internal controls, and partners with branch managers, compliance, treasury, and technology teams to improve processes and deliver excellent client service.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Bank Teller / Customer Service Representative
  • Administrative Assistant in financial services
  • Loan Processor or Back-Office Operations Clerk

Advancement To:

  • Branch Operations Manager
  • Senior Banking Administrator / Operations Supervisor
  • Compliance Analyst or KYC Team Lead

Lateral Moves:

  • Loan Servicing Specialist
  • Treasury Operations Analyst
  • Fraud or AML Analyst

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Oversee daily branch and back-office operations including account opening and closing, deposit and withdrawal processing, check and cash handling, wire transfers, ACH/EFT settlement, and safe custody activities while maintaining strict compliance with internal procedures and regulatory requirements.
  • Process and review new account documentation, perform identity verification and KYC due diligence, collect required disclosures, and escalate unresolved or high-risk customer onboarding issues to Compliance or Relationship Managers.
  • Execute precise end-of-day balancing and reconciliation of teller drawers, ATM cash levels, vaults, general ledger entries, and clearing accounts; investigate and resolve variances with supporting documentation and root-cause analysis.
  • Monitor and process incoming and outgoing wire transfers, ensuring compliance with funds transfer policies, sanctions screening, beneficiary verification, accurate coding, and timely settlement to meet SLAs.
  • Administer loan servicing tasks including document intake, verification, disbursement coordination, payment posting, escrow management, and support for loan renewals, modifications, and payoff requests in alignment with underwriting and regulatory standards.
  • Conduct transaction monitoring and exception handling, identify unusual or suspicious activity, prepare Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) or internal escalation memos, and collaborate with the AML/Fraud teams on investigations and remediation.
  • Maintain and update customer account information, address changes, signatory authority, power-of-attorney records, fee schedules, holds, and account freezes while ensuring documentation is complete and retention policies are followed.
  • Prepare and deliver accurate daily, weekly, and monthly operations reports for branch managers and regional operations leadership, including key performance indicators (KPIs), exception trends, backlog metrics, and risk exposures.
  • Enforce internal controls by performing routine quality assurance checks, sample audits of transactions and files, and follow-up on corrective action plans; document findings and present recommendations for process improvements.
  • Coordinate regulatory compliance tasks such as CIP, OFAC screening, CTR/SMR reporting support, audit requests, and documentation for regulatory exams, ensuring timely, thorough responses and evidence capture.
  • Manage the end-to-end processing of merchant services, corporate account setups, authorized user changes, and treasury-related tasks, liaising with treasury or commercial teams to resolve settlement or float issues.
  • Support fee assessment, billing adjustments, and revenue reconciliation processes by reviewing account activity, reversing or applying fees per policy, and communicating adjustments to customers and relationship teams.
  • Maintain and administer banking systems and core platforms (e.g., FIS, Temenos, Jack Henry, Finacle, or bank-specific platforms), perform accurate data entry, reconcile system-to-ledger discrepancies, and coordinate with IT for incident resolution.
  • Oversee check clearing and returned item processing including RDI/NSF workflows, dispute handling, customer notifications, and escalation to collections or legal teams when necessary.
  • Lead onboarding, training, and oversight for junior operations staff and tellers on operations procedures, cash handling, regulatory requirements, and system use; document SOPs and provide practical coaching to reduce errors.
  • Administer vendor relationships for outsourced processing, verify SLA adherence, validate vendor reports, and coordinate service-level escalations to ensure operational continuity and cost-effective service delivery.
  • Implement and document process changes, participate in cross-functional projects (core conversions, system upgrades, process automation), and test process flows to confirm changes meet operational, compliance, and customer requirements.
  • Manage archival and records retention processes ensuring physical and electronic documentation is stored according to policy, retrievable for audits, and securely destroyed when required.
  • Respond to escalated customer inquiries related to account discrepancies, payment disputes, transaction histories, and operational errors; communicate resolution steps clearly and follow-up to ensure customer satisfaction.
  • Support fraud detection and prevention efforts by reviewing alerts, analyzing transaction patterns, blocking suspect activity, coordinating with fraud investigations, and documenting mitigation actions.
  • Maintain a current knowledge of banking regulations, industry best practices, and product features (checking, savings, IRAs, CDs, loans) and translate regulatory changes into branch-level procedures and staff training.
  • Execute ad-hoc operational tasks such as large-dollar cash orders, branch cash forecasting, vault reconciliation, ATM balancing, and coordination with armored carriers and logistics partners.
  • Prepare documentation and operational support for internal and external audits, ensuring rapid turnaround of requested files, reconciliation schedules, and control evidence to minimize audit findings.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests, compile operations metrics, and deliver exploratory analysis to identify bottlenecks, error drivers, and opportunities to reduce cycle times.
  • Contribute to process optimization and the organization’s continuous improvement roadmap by piloting automation, RPA, or straight-through processing for repeatable tasks.
  • Partner with business units to translate operational gaps into technical requirements for system enhancements, core banking changes, or vendor integrations.
  • Participate in project planning, sprint ceremonies, and change-control governance for system upgrades and operational initiatives.
  • Cross-train across functions to provide operational redundancy during peak periods, staff shortages, or special projects.
  • Assist Compliance and Risk teams during investigations and remediation efforts by providing transactional data, account files, and operational context.
  • Maintain and update branch procedures and training materials to reflect current compliance expectations and operational best practices.
  • Act as a liaison between branch staff, regional operations, and central support teams to accelerate issue resolution and improve customer outcomes.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Core banking systems proficiency (e.g., FIS, Jack Henry, Temenos, Finacle, Oracle Banking) — account maintenance, transaction posting, and reporting.
  • Strong knowledge of KYC/CIP, AML, OFAC screening, and SAR/CTR support processes and regulatory obligations.
  • Transaction processing expertise including wire transfers, ACH/Direct Debit, check clearing, card settlement, and reconciliation.
  • Account reconciliation and general ledger basics, month-end close support, and variance analysis.
  • Loan administration and documentation handling including disbursements, escrow, payoffs, and lien releases.
  • Cash handling, vault management, ATM balancing, and armored carrier coordination.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, data cleansing) and experience producing operational dashboards and KPI reports.
  • Familiarity with payment rails, settlement cycles, and treasury/cash management fundamentals.
  • Experience with document management systems, digital signature workflows, and records retention compliance.
  • Basic data analysis and reporting skills (SQL familiarity preferred) to support investigations and process improvements.
  • Knowledge of regulatory reporting requirements and audit response preparation.

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional attention to detail and a strong bias for accuracy when processing financial transactions.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication for interacting with customers, branch staff, and compliance or audit teams.
  • Analytical problem-solving with ability to triage issues, identify root causes, and implement corrective actions.
  • Customer service orientation with empathy and professionalism when resolving disputes and escalations.
  • Strong organizational skills and time management to prioritize high-volume tasks and meet service level agreements.
  • High integrity and commitment to confidentiality with sensitive financial information.
  • Adaptability to regulatory or system changes and willingness to learn new platforms and procedures.
  • Team-oriented mentality with experience coaching or mentoring junior staff.
  • Proactive mindset toward process improvement, automation, and operational excellence.
  • Stress tolerance and resilience in fast-paced, deadline-driven banking environments.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma or equivalent (required).

Preferred Education:

  • Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Economics, or related field (preferred).

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Finance
  • Accounting
  • Business Administration
  • Economics
  • Information Systems / FinTech

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 1 to 5 years of experience in banking operations, branch operations, customer service in financial services, or related administrative roles.

Preferred:

  • 3+ years of progressive experience in bank operations or back-office processing with demonstrated knowledge of compliance, reconciliation, and core banking platforms.
  • Prior exposure to treasury, loan servicing, or AML/fraud investigation functions is highly desirable.
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