Senior Director, Operations - Settlements (P&S)

Senior Director, Operations - Settlements (P&S)

Apex Fintech Solutions (Apex) powers innovation and the future of digital wealth management by building tech-forward solutions that help simplify, automate, and facilitate access to financial markets for all. Our robust suite of fintech software enables us to support clients such as Stash, Betterment, SoFi, Webull, and eToro, amongst many others; collectively, Apex powers access to the stock market for over 22+ million end customers.

At Apex, we are changing how the securities industry operates by reinventing the status quo, which was manual, slow, and accessible only by the ultra-wealthy. We're digitizing and democratizing systems so that everyone has an opportunity to invest.

When you're at Apex, you drive this change. You're part of a global team with a clear vision: to be the trusted technology that powers the digital economy. Our offices in Austin, Dallas, Chicago, New York, Portland, Belfast, and Manila are home to over 1,000 employees.

Together, we're shaping the future of financial innovation. Embrace change. Solve big. Win together. And be G.R.E.A.T. grit, results, empathy, accountability, and teamwork with Apex.

We're proud to be recognized for the innovative work we do, the purpose-driven nature of our work, and the collaborative culture we've created. Here are just a few of the many awards we've recently received:

• Best Places to Work 2026, 2025, 2024, 2023 - Presented by BuiltIn
• WealthTech of the Year 2025 - Presented by US FinTech Awards
• The World's Top 250 Fintech Companies 2024 - Presented by CNBC

About This Role

Apex is seeking an experienced Senior Director, Operations - Settlements (P&S) to lead our post-trade operations and drive the strategic vision for our settlements function. This senior leadership role requires deep expertise in settlement processes with particular emphasis on options processing and OCC operations, regulatory compliance, and operational risk management across multiple asset classes. The ideal candidate will be both a strategic thinker and exceptional people developer who can elevate our settlements capabilities while building a world-class team to ensure flawless execution.

Duties/Responsibilities

• Strategy and roadmap: Define and execute a multi-year settlements/P&S strategy aligned to growth, automation, and STP; lead make-vs-buy decisions, vendor selection, and investment cases.
• Core settlements: Oversee daily settlement across equities, fixed income, derivatives, and alternatives; manage affirmations/allocations/confirmations; minimize fails and aged exposures; resolve breaks/exceptions; direct DTC, NSCC, Fedwire, OCC activities.
• Options/OCC: Lead options clearing/settlement, exercises/assignments, expiration management and pin risk; position reconciliation, margin, collateral; corporate action adjustments and deliverables; complex strategies (spreads, combos, multi-leg); primary liaison to OCC on operations, risk, technology; manage trade matching, allocation, and give-ups.
• Purchase & Sales functions: Ensure accurate booking, allocation, and pricing; produce client confirmations/statements; oversee street-side matching/comparison; commissions, options premium and fee processing, billing; corporate actions (dividends, interest, reorganizations, spin?offs, proxy); special deliverables.
• Risk and compliance: Implement robust controls for operational/credit/settlement risk (with options focus); ensure compliance with SEC, FINRA, OCC, DTC rules including Reg SHO and Rule 15c3?3; lead audits; maintain policies, procedures, and DR plans; monitor exercise/assignment exposures.
• Technology and process improvement: Enhance settlement systems and OCC connectivity; increase automation/STP; evaluate and implement vendor solutions; lead system upgrades/integrations; use analytics to surface trends, risks, and opportunities.
• Leadership and team development: Hire, mentor, and grow a high?performing team; build structured learning paths and training on options/OCC and complex scenarios; establish KPIs/SLAs; manage staffing and workflows; drive a culture of excellence, accuracy, and continuous improvement; succession planning and cross?functional resilience.
• Relationship management: Primary contact for OCC, DTC, NSCC, custodians, primes, and clearing firms; partner with front/middle office, compliance, finance, and client service; communicate issues and initiatives to senior stakeholders; represent Apex at industry forums and OCC member meetings.

Education and/or Experience

• Bachelor's in Finance, Business, Accounting, or related field (or equivalent work experience) required
• 12+ years in settlements/P&S/post-trade operations/multi-asset experience.
• 5+ years in senior leadership with proven strategic planning and transformation.
• FINRA Series 7 and 24 licenses required (or willingness to obtain)
• Experience in broker-dealer, prop trading, market maker, or institutional AM with significant options activity.
• Track record building high-performing teams and delivering training.
• Experience with large-scale project management/implementations preferred

Required Skills/Abilities

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, decision-making, and communication skills.
• Familiarity with OCC systems (e.g., ENCORE).
• Familiarity with options margin methodology and risk calculations.
• Deep knowledge of securities settlement and clearance (DTC, NSCC, Fedwire, OCC) and industry standards.
• Deep knowledge of listed options processing and OCC clearing
• Knowledge of OMS/EMS, options trading platforms, settlement systems, and reconciliation tools preferred.
• Comprehensive regulatory expertise (SEC Rule 15c3?3, Reg SHO, FINRA, OCC).
• Ability to train and develop others
• Strategic vision with operational rigor; accuracy under pressure (especially expirations).
• Collaborative, change-ready, ethical, and focused on continuous improvement.

Work Environment

• This job operates in a hybrid, office environment 3 days per week.

#operations #director #full-time #APEX

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Our Rewards

We offer a robust package of employee perks and benefits, including healthcare benefits (medical, dental and vision, EAP), competitive PTO, 401k match, parental leave, and HSA contribution match. We also provide our employees with a paid subscription to the Calm app and offer generous external learning and tuition reimbursement benefits. At AFS, we offer a hybrid work schedule for most roles that allows employees to have the flexibility of working from home and one of our primary offices.

Salary Range

$200,000-$250,000

The annual base salary range for this position is noted above. Exact compensation offered may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and office location.

EEO Statement

Apex Fintech Solutions is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, or any other protected characteristic. Our hiring practices ensure that all qualified applicants receive fair consideration without regard to these characteristics.

Disability Statement

Apex Fintech Solutions is committed to creating an inclusive and accessible workplace for all candidates, including those with disabilities. We are dedicated to ensuring equal employment opportunities and providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. If you require reasonable accommodations to participate in the application or interview process, please submit your request via the Candidate Accommodation Requests Form. We will work with you to provide the necessary accommodations to ensure your full participation in our hiring process.