Head of Network Partnerships & Product Commercialization

Citi • Schaumburg, IL

4d • Onsite

About The Position

The Head of Network Partnerships & Product Commercialization role within the Card Payments and Network Partnerships team manages day-to-day relationships with the networks, prioritizes Network VAS product commercialization, and project manages network tech funding. This leader will be responsible for a team of professionals, setting priorities, managing workstreams, and providing direction, leadership, and SME guidance. The role involves cultivating and maintaining relationships with network partners to create new product features for US Consumer Cards. It requires working with legal, ops, tech, and product teams to develop product pipelines, manage contract negotiations, and create launch roadmaps for commercializing integrations, along with ongoing vendor oversight. The position also provides business development support from a network perspective on cobrand opportunities, new card benefits, commerce, and new value propositions. Establishing joint goals, ownerships, and KPIs for key network initiatives and managing progress through regular business reviews are crucial. Evaluating VAS and advisory offerings from Networks aligned with Citi’s business objectives and leading workshops for commercialization are also key responsibilities. Prioritizing and project-managing the tech book of work related to network enhancements, new capabilities, and product launches is essential. The role serves as an SME for the cards ecosystem, including networks, VAS, processors, and acquirers across both credit and debit rails. Managing a team of professionals to achieve goals, conducting personnel duties (performance evaluations, hiring, disciplinary actions), and negotiating/making decisions on critical business issues are part of the role. The position requires assessing risk, demonstrating consideration for the firm's reputation, safeguarding assets, ensuring compliance, adhering to policy, applying ethical judgment, and escalating/managing control issues with transparency. It also involves supervising others' activities and creating accountability. The role plays a key part as a senior member of the Card Payments and Network Partnerships team.

Requirements

• Proven track record on successfully leading business development, partnerships and product management
• Direct experience in card processing, networks or cobrand relationships with broad understanding of the card ecosystem.
• Demonstrated ability to build strong internal and external relationship with a broad set of stakeholders to common goals and outcomes.
• Strong level of comfort leading successfully in matrixed environment
• Strategic, analytical and systematic thinker who constantly challenges status quo and inspires the team to drive changes
• 15+ years of relevant experience.
• 7+ years of managerial experience

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree preferred

Responsibilities

• Cultivate and maintain relationships with network partners with the aim of creating new product features for US Consumer Cards.
• Work with legal, ops, tech, product teams to develop product pipelines, manage contract negotiations, launch roadmaps to commercialize integrations and provide ongoing vendor oversight.
• Provide business development support from a network lens on cobrand opportunities, new card benefits, commerce and new value propositions.
• Establish joint goals, ownerships, KPIs for key network initiatives and manage progress through monthly/quarterly business reviews.
• Evaluate VAS and advisory offerings from Networks aligned to Citi’s business objectives, and lead workshops / idea explorations sessions with relevant product groups aimed towards commercialization.
• Prioritize and project-manage tech book of work related to network enhancements, new capabilities and product launches.
• Serve as SME for cards ecosystem including networks, VAS, processors, acquirers across both credit and debit rails.
• Manage a team of professionals to accomplish established goals and conduct personnel duties for team (e.g. performance evaluations, hiring and disciplinary actions).
• Negotiate and make decisions on issues/activities having critical impact/influence on company revenues, capital, or business operations.
• Appropriately assess risk when business decisions are made, demonstrating particular consideration for the firm's reputation and safeguarding Citigroup, its clients and assets, by driving compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations, adhering to Policy, applying sound ethical judgment regarding personal behavior, conduct and business practices, and escalating, managing and reporting control issues with transparency.
• Effectively supervise the activity of others and create accountability with those who fail to maintain these standards.
• Play key role as senior member of Card Payments and Network Partnerships team.

Benefits

• medical, dental & vision coverage
• 401(k)
• life, accident, and disability insurance
• wellness programs
• paid time off packages, including planned time off (vacation), unplanned time off (sick leave), and paid holidays

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior