Operations Specialist

Description

If you’re looking for an exciting career opportunity, you’re in the right place.

West Coast Community Bank is a top-rated community bank with a focus on serving the banking needs of businesses and individuals along the Central Coast, in Silicon Valley and throughout the Bay Area.  We operate full-service branches in Aptos, Capitola, Cupertino, King City, Monterey, Salinas, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley and Watsonville.

Delivery of relationship-based service with a solutions-driven focus sets us apart from the competition. We offer direct access to decision-makers combined with modern banking technologies and digital tools. The Bank is a leading SBA lender in Santa Cruz County and Silicon Valley and a top USDA lender in the state of California. 

Since opening in 2004, we have proudly upheld our commitment to support regional well-being by actively participating in and donating to local nonprofit organizations. We engage in impactful volunteerism and support the greater economic vitality within our four-county reach, contributing more than 2,000 hours of volunteering annually.

Our success is driven by our exceptional team — experienced, knowledgeable and focused on delivering results!

National, regional and local honors we’ve received include:

• Newsweek –  America’s Best Regional Banks and Credit Unions 2025
• American Banker Magazine – Top 100 Best Performing Community Banks in the U.S., 10 years
• Good Times –  Readers’ Poll, Best Bank in Santa Cruz County, 13 years
• Santa Cruz Sentinel –  Readers’ Choice, Best Bank in Santa Cruz County, 10 years
• Farm Bureau of Santa Cruz County and Agri-Culture – Al Smith Friend of Agriculture Award
• Second Harvest Food Bank – Big Step and Platinum Awards for Holiday Food and Fund Drive
• Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce –  Business of the Year 2025, 2021 and 2018
• The Pajaronian – Best of the Pajaro Valley 2024 Readers’ Poll, Best Bank 
• The Press Banner – The Best of Scotts Valley 2024 Readers’ Poll, Best Local Bank 

Position Overview  

The Operations Specialist role is designed for a detail-oriented and motivated individual to support financial services operations, focusing on efficiency and accuracy. The position includes performing routine operational duties such as account reconciliations, managing Regulation E claims, collection items, wire transfers, NSF items and reviewing remote deposits. This role may serve as an escalation point for operational challenges, requiring frequent communication with other departments and branch employees to effectively resolve issues. The Operations Specialist is expected to provide excellent customer service, ensuring that a professional image of the Bank is maintained at all times.

Requirements

Essential Job Functions 

• Support branches and various departments within the bank by conducting research or problem resolution in response to client inquiries 
• Review mobile deposits, wire transfers, NSF items, non-post items and stop payments
• Perform daily exception item processing, including check adjustments and return deposited items
• Evaluate in-clearing checks by utilizing transaction and image analysis via ARGO OASIS platform
• Process Levies, Attachments, Subpoenas and Reclamations
• Remit IOLTA to State Bar and backup withholding to IRS
• Report unclaimed property
• Responsible for documenting and filing EFT disputes
• Perform daily and monthly reconciliations for various accounts and performs research to resolve discrepancies
• Provide support on ACH returns, reversals and respond to inquiries related to ACH transactions
• Assist in identifying operational improvements
• Serve as backup support for Call Center 
• Ensures compliance within all Bank policies and procedures, as well as all applicable state and federal banking regulations
• Other operational duties as assigned 

Requirements

• Thorough knowledge of Bank products
• Time management
• Organizational skills and attention to detail
• Excellent verbal and written communication 
• Intermediate proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel and Outlook
• Complies with all State and Federal Banking regulatory requirements, including but not limited to: Regulation E, Regulation CC, and BSA, Anti-Money Laundering OFAC, CIP, Financial Elder Abuse Reporting. This position will elevate suspicious activity to supervisory staff and/or BSA department
• Completes compliance and other technical training workshops as assigned

Education and Experience 

• AA Business Administration or equivalent 
• 3 - 5 years in banking environment
• Central Operations experience preferred

Supervisory Responsibility 

None. 

Physical Demands 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a teammate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be regularly required to stand, sit, talk, hear, reach, stoop, kneel, and use hands and fingers to operate typical office equipment such as a computer, telephone, mouse and keyboard.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision requirements due to computer work.
• Light to moderate lifting may be required. 
• Regular, predictable attendance is required; including the occasional overtime work as business demands dictate.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those a teammate encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Moderate noise (i.e., business office with computers, phone, and printers, moderate traffic).
• Ability to work in a confined area.
• Ability to sit or stand at a computer terminal for an extended period.