Valletta Credit Finance Corporation Ltd is a licensed entity by the Malta Financial Services Authority as a Financial Institution and offers its clients payments related services and is a principal member of VISA and Mastercard.
As a Payments Officer, you will be responsible for the accurate, timely and controlled execution of client payment instructions across VCFC’s banking and payment systems, including SEPA, SWIFT and FX transactions. This is a hands-on operational role requiring strict adherence to client instructions, internal procedures and compliance requirements, with particular focus on the correct source account, currency, beneficiary details, FX rate, fees, payment reference and final amount debited. You will also support the Payments Team Leader with payment-related issues, provider onboarding and the continuous improvement of payment operations.
Key Responsibilities:
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Process, execute, authorise and verify domestic and international payments, including SEPA, SWIFT and FX transactions.
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Ensure payments are processed from the correct client account and currency, with accurate beneficiary, amount, reference and banking details.
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Perform all required pre-execution checks, including available balance, approvals, Compliance clearance, FX rates, fees and maker-checker controls.
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Verify FX transactions and ensure the correct authorised rate, converted amount, client debit and applicable fees are applied.
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Conduct post-execution checks to confirm that transactions were processed correctly and correspond with the approved client instruction.
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Monitor payment statuses and schedules, including pending, rejected, delayed and returned transactions, and follow up with banking or payment partners where required.
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Maintain accurate transaction records, supporting documentation, reconciliation records and complete audit trails.
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Complete daily payment reconciliation and end-of-day controls, promptly identifying and escalating any discrepancies or unresolved issues.
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Immediately report and escalate payment errors, suspicious transactions, system discrepancies or transactions that are inconsistent with approved instructions.
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Ensure that payment errors are not independently reversed, amended or corrected without appropriate authorisation and documented procedures.
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Handle internal and external inquiries related to payments, resolving any discrepancies or operational issues.
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Comply with VCFC's AML, sanctions, fraud-prevention, transaction-monitoring and confidentiality requirements, while recognising that final Compliance/AML decisions remain with the authorised Compliance/MLRO function.
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Collaborate with Finance, Compliance, Operations and external partners, while supporting new provider onboarding, process improvements and the maintenance of payment-related procedures.
Talent Profile:
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Previous hands-on experience in banking payment operations, payment processing, or back-office banking operations.
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Practical experience manually processing international payments.
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Good understanding of SWIFT, SEPA, IBANs, correspondent banking, and multi-currency payments.
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Practical understanding of FX calculations and banking/payment fees.
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Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (particularly Excel).
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Strong numerical skills and exceptional attention to detail.
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Ability to work accurately under time pressure.
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Understanding of AML, sanctions, and payment-control requirements.
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Strong sense of personal responsibility and operational discipline.
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Good written and spoken English.
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Experience in a digital bank, private bank, payment institution, EMI, or fintech with manual payment processing would be highly desirable.