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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Head Teller

💰 $ - $

BankingRetail BankingTellerBranch OperationsCustomer ServiceLeadership

🎯 Role Definition

The Head Teller is the senior front-line leader for teller operations within a bank branch, responsible for ensuring accurate and efficient cash handling, maintaining compliance with policies and regulatory requirements (including BSA/AML), coaching and scheduling teller staff, resolving complex customer transaction issues, and partnering with branch management to meet operational goals and deliver a high-quality customer experience. The Head Teller acts as the escalation point for teller exceptions, leads daily balancing and vault activities, and drives continuous improvement in teller processes.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Senior Teller with consistent accuracy and customer service excellence.
  • Teller Supervisor or Lead Teller with proven coaching and reconciliation experience.
  • Customer Service Representative or Personal Banker with strong transactional background.

Advancement To:

  • Branch Operations Manager
  • Assistant Branch Manager
  • Branch Manager
  • Regional Teller Supervisor / Retail Operations Manager

Lateral Moves:

  • Vault/Assisted Services Specialist
  • Cash Management or Operations Specialist
  • BSA/AML Analyst (for candidates with compliance aptitude)

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Lead and manage daily teller operations by assigning teller stations, balancing cash drawers, and verifying that all transactions are processed accurately and in accordance with bank policies and regulatory requirements; serve as the primary escalation point for teller exceptions and discrepancies.
  • Oversee and perform complex cash vault duties including ordering, receiving, reconciling and safeguarding currency and coin; manage vault reconciliations, prepare variance reports, and escalate unresolved differences to branch management.
  • Ensure strict adherence to BSA/AML, OFAC, and internal compliance procedures by monitoring transactions for suspicious activity, completing required monitoring documentation, supporting SAR/STR referrals and participating in periodic compliance reviews and audits.
  • Coach, train and develop teller staff through one-on-one feedback, formal training sessions, and on-the-job mentoring to improve accuracy, speed, cross-selling skills, and customer service metrics; create development plans and track progress.
  • Conduct and document daily opening and closing procedures, including dual control cash counts, deposit bag audits, ATM balancing, and vault access logs to maintain operational integrity and minimize loss.
  • Reconcile end-of-day teller balancing reports, investigate and resolve imbalances, prepare variance documentation, and implement corrective actions to prevent repeat discrepancies.
  • Supervise teller scheduling, breaks and leave coverage to ensure optimal staffing for peak transaction periods while controlling labor costs and maintaining service-level targets.
  • Serve as a primary contact for internal and external audits related to teller and cash operations, gather requested documentation, explain teller procedures, correct audit findings and implement remediation plans.
  • Resolve escalated customer issues and exceptions such as large cash withdrawals, check holds, endorsement issues, fraud-related transactions, and transaction disputes with professionalism and in accordance with bank policies.
  • Monitor teller performance metrics (transaction accuracy, average transaction time, customer satisfaction scores, cross-sell rate) and deliver regular performance feedback, recognition and corrective coaching as necessary.
  • Manage the physical security of cash-handling areas by enforcing dual control, secure storage procedures, and branch cash movement protocols; coordinate with loss prevention and security for incidents.
  • Maintain and update teller procedure manuals and job aids; recommend and implement process improvements that increase efficiency, reduce errors, and enhance the customer experience.
  • Conduct regular teller drawer audits and spot checks to validate compliance and accuracy, document findings, and partner with HR or management for follow-up actions when necessary.
  • Lead daily briefings with teller staff to review policy changes, promotions, security alerts, expected transaction volumes and role assignments to ensure alignment and preparedness.
  • Coordinate with branch leadership to support promotional campaigns and referral programs by training tellers on product promotion scripts, tracking referrals and ensuring consistent cross-sell behaviors.
  • Administer and enforce cash handling limits, check-cashing policies and identification verification procedures for high-value transactions and non-customer activity.
  • Participate in recruiting, hiring and onboarding of teller personnel, conducting interviews, skills assessments and ensuring new hires complete required compliance and operational training.
  • Prepare and submit periodic operational reports including teller balancing summaries, exception logs, training completion reports and staffing metrics to branch management and regional operations teams.
  • Work closely with operations, card services and ATM teams to troubleshoot ATM discrepancies, coordinate replenishment, and ensure ATM cash levels are reconciled with branch records.
  • Lead incident response for transactional anomalies including suspected fraud, teller theft, or significant reconciliation variances, documenting events thoroughly and collaborating with security, legal and compliance teams.
  • Maintain expert knowledge of bank products and services to support referrals, assist tellers with complex product questions, and escalate account opening or lending referrals to personal bankers or branch management as appropriate.
  • Manage vendor and armored carrier interactions for cash transports, ensuring accurate receipts, verifying manifests and aligning schedules with branch operations to minimize disruption.

Secondary Functions

  • Assist branch management with ad-hoc operational projects such as process standardization, new system rollouts, or pilot programs to improve teller productivity and control environment.
  • Provide backup support to other front-line roles including Phone Center escalation, basic account maintenance, and limited personal banking tasks during peak volume or staffing shortages.
  • Monitor and contribute to weekly and monthly operational planning by forecasting teller staffing needs based on historical transaction volumes, marketing campaigns and community events.
  • Partner with training and development teams to enhance teller training curricula, provide subject matter expertise on cashiering tasks, and recommend improvements based on frontline observations.
  • Support internal operational reviews and risk assessments by compiling transactional samples, assisting with root-cause analysis for recurring issues, and proposing process changes to mitigate risk.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Cash handling and cash management: advanced experience with balancing teller drawers, vault reconciliation, coin and currency ordering, and armored carrier coordination.
  • Teller systems and core banking platforms: proficiency with common teller software (e.g., Fiserv, FIS, Jack Henry, Symitar, or equivalent) for transaction processing and balancing.
  • Regulatory compliance and risk management: practical knowledge of BSA/AML rules, OFAC screening, CIP/KYC processes, and internal audit/preventative controls for cash operations.
  • Check processing and endorsement verification: ability to interpret and process complex negotiable instruments, holds and special endorsements accurately.
  • Fraud detection and loss prevention: experience identifying suspicious transactions, completing incident documentation, and collaborating with fraud or security teams.
  • ATM and cash recycler operations: hands-on experience with ATM balancing, cash recycler replenishment and troubleshooting cash dispensing discrepancies.
  • Microsoft Office and reporting: strong Excel skills for reconciliation spreadsheets, variance analysis and daily/periodic reporting; MS Outlook and Word for documentation.
  • Reconciliation and variance analysis: ability to investigate balancing differences, prepare variance reports, and perform root cause analysis.
  • POS and coin machine operation: knowledge of coin counting machines, counterfeit detection tools, and point-of-sale reconciliation processes.
  • Operational audit readiness: experience preparing for and responding to internal and external audits, compiling documentation and implementing remediation.
  • Basic product knowledge: familiarity with deposit accounts, withdrawal limits, holds, teller-initiated transfers, and payment processing to support referrals and customer questions.

Soft Skills

  • Leadership and team coaching: proven ability to supervise, motivate and develop teller staff while maintaining accountability and high performance standards.
  • Excellent communication: clear, professional verbal and written communication skills to interact with customers, team members and management.
  • Attention to detail: meticulous focus on accuracy in cash handling, documentation and compliance tasks to minimize risk.
  • Problem solving and critical thinking: ability to investigate discrepancies, identify root causes and implement practical corrective actions.
  • Customer service orientation: commitment to delivering an exceptional customer experience while balancing cross-sell and operational requirements.
  • Time management and prioritization: capability to manage competing demands, daily balancing tasks and supervisory responsibilities under peak volumes.
  • Conflict resolution and de-escalation: skill in handling difficult customer interactions, transaction disputes and staff performance conversations calmly and effectively.
  • Adaptability and continuous improvement mindset: willingness to adopt new procedures, technologies and to recommend process enhancements.
  • Ethical judgment and integrity: strong ethical standards in handling cash, confidential information and compliance matters.
  • Coaching and mentoring: patience and instructional skill to train new tellers, reinforce policy adherence and teach best practices.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma or GED.

Preferred Education:

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

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Business Administration
  • Finance or Accounting
  • Hospitality / Customer Service Management
  • Criminal Justice (for fraud/compliance emphasis)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 3–7 years of progressive teller experience in retail banking, including at least 1–2 years in a lead or supervisory capacity.

Preferred:

  • 5+ years of teller operations experience with demonstrated experience in vault management, compliance (BSA/AML), reconciliation and staff coaching; prior experience with branch audits and loss prevention preferred.
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