Product Owner, Card Programs

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Product Owner, Card Programs based in United States.

This role sits at the center of a rapidly scaling financial infrastructure focused on building and operating next-generation card programs for high-value business customers. You will own the end-to-end card ecosystem, spanning credit, rewards, and emerging payment rails such as stablecoin-based flows. The scope is both technical and operational, requiring deep fluency in how card issuing systems actually work in practice. You will be responsible for scaling from a single active program to a multi-program portfolio operating at significantly higher transaction volume. This is a builder role where you will define systems, processes, vendor relationships, and operational foundations from the ground up. You will work closely with engineering and leadership to translate complex card infrastructure into scalable product and business decisions. The environment is fast-moving, highly technical, and focused on building durable financial infrastructure at scale.

Own and scale the full lifecycle of card programs, ensuring seamless integration across issuing, processing, servicing, and operational infrastructure. Responsibilities include:

• Owning end-to-end product strategy and execution for card programs, including credit, rewards, and emerging payment structures such as stablecoin-linked cards
• Managing core infrastructure components including ledger systems, card processing platforms, BIN sponsorships, network relationships, servicing, and fulfillment operations
• Leading processor and vendor strategy, including selection, negotiation, technical validation, and ongoing performance management
• Building scalable operational frameworks capable of supporting multiple concurrent card programs without degradation in customer experience or system reliability
• Defining the architecture and roadmap required to scale card volume significantly across multiple product lines
• Partnering closely with engineering to translate card infrastructure complexity into clear, buildable product requirements
• Recruiting and shaping the future card programs team as the function expands from early-stage to full-scale operation
• Acting as the primary translator between technical card infrastructure, vendor ecosystems, and internal product and business stakeholders
• Ensuring compliance, reliability, and operational integrity across all issuing and payment flows

Requirements

This role requires deep, hands-on experience building and operating card programs end-to-end, combined with strong technical and operational judgment in financial infrastructure environments. Ideal qualifications include:

• 8–12+ years of experience in product, payments, fintech, card issuing, or financial infrastructure roles
• Proven ownership of at least one full card program from inception to production (must-have requirement)
• Deep understanding of card ecosystem components including ledger systems, processing platforms, servicing, fulfillment, BIN sponsorship, and network operations
• Strong familiarity with issuer-processor relationships and card network rules and dynamics
• Experience negotiating and managing relationships with payment processors, BIN sponsors, and card networks
• Ability to evaluate vendor claims critically and distinguish real system capability from sales abstraction
• Strong systems thinking and ability to design scalable financial and operational architectures
• Comfort operating in ambiguous, fast-paced environments with high ownership expectations
• Strong communication skills with the ability to simplify complex payment infrastructure for cross-functional teams
• Bonus: experience across multiple card programs or payment rails (credit, debit, rewards, or alternative payment systems)

Benefits

• Competitive compensation aligned with senior product ownership and infrastructure leadership roles
• Opportunity to build and scale multiple high-volume card programs from the ground up
• High-ownership environment with direct influence over product, infrastructure, and vendor strategy
• Exposure to cutting-edge financial systems including credit, rewards, and stablecoin-based payment models
• Fast-paced, execution-driven culture focused on building durable financial infrastructure
• Close collaboration with engineering and leadership in a small, high-impact team environment
• Opportunity to define and scale a full business unit within a rapidly growing fintech platform
• Flexible working model with presence in major U.S. hubs and select international locations