Founding Product Manager

Recruiting From Scratch•San Francisco, CA

9h•Onsite

About The Position

Our client is an early-stage fintech/AI startup building next-generation infrastructure for banking. They are replacing legacy systems with AI-native software that automates complex workflows across lending, underwriting, and financial operations. The company is experiencing rapid growth, already working with top-tier financial institutions and breaking into major U.S. banks. Backed by leading investors and founded by a highly technical team, they are tackling one of the largest opportunities in financial services. With strong traction, a growing team, and a massive market opportunity, this is a unique chance to join as a founding product leader and shape the future of AI-powered financial infrastructure.

Requirements

5 plus years of experience in product management or product-adjacent roles
Background in fintech, banking, or financial products (especially lending/loan origination)
Strong technical foundation (former engineer or highly technical PM preferred)
Experience working at high-growth startups (Seed → Series D)
Proven ability to own products end-to-end in fast-paced environments
Strong documentation and communication skills with engineers
Experience building complex systems or enterprise software

Nice To Haves

Prior experience as a software engineer before transitioning to product
Experience with SMB lending, loan origination systems, or fintech infrastructure
Experience at companies like Notion, Ramp, Brex, Mercury, Rippling, etc.
Strong product taste and UX judgment for operational/admin-heavy tools
Experience building AI-native or automation-driven products
Top-tier academic background (CS or related field)

Responsibilities

Own end-to-end product development from discovery → launch → iteration
Work directly with customers (banks, financial institutions) to understand workflows and pain points
Translate complex financial and operational requirements into clear product specs
Write high-quality product documentation, PRDs, and detailed feature requirements
Partner closely with engineering to scope, prioritize, and ship features quickly
Drive product roadmap and strategy in collaboration with the CEO
Build and improve systems of record for financial workflows (lending, underwriting, etc.)
Ensure high product quality, especially in complex, ops-heavy UX environments
Iterate quickly based on customer feedback and real-world usage
Take ownership of key product areas and scale them over time