Product Manager, Core Payments Product

Payments Canada•Toronto, ON

21h•CA$105,750 - CA$176,250•Hybrid

About The Position

Payments Canada is seeking a Product Manager, Core Payments, Digital to join their Core Payment Products team. This role focuses on understanding member needs and the evolution of existing platforms, ensuring products are practical, efficient, and responsive. The Product Manager will explore, define, and deliver the strategic direction for emerging payment assets, specifically stablecoins and tokenized deposits, by understanding the evolving landscape of digital currencies and DLT. The goal is to ensure initiatives in this space are practical, efficient, and responsive to market and regulatory demands.

Requirements

University degree (or college diploma) in Business, Engineering, Finance, Computer Science or related field.
Minimum seven (7) to ten (10) years of experience in consulting, payments, transaction banking, fintech or related field, with at least three (3) years in digital asset strategy, product management or strategic planning roles.
Proven track record of defining strategies for innovative payment products, including specific experience or deep conceptual knowledge of blockchain, distributed ledger technology (DLT), stablecoins, and tokenized deposits.
Strong understanding of payment systems (clearing, settlement, retail payments), ideally within the Canadian context (including familiarity with settlement streams, rule/standard frameworks, payment-platform operations).
Excellent strategic thinking, commercial acumen and ability to build financial business cases (P and L, ROI, cost-benefit).
Exceptional communication and presentation skills, including the ability to engage senior leadership, boards and external stakeholders.
Ability to gather and synthesize information in a concise and clear manner.
Superior oral and written communication skills, with the ability to develop and deliver briefings and presentations for senior audiences.
Experience in influencing decision-making based on data-based suggestions, applying critical thinking accordingly and inspiring teams to work towards a vision.
Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively.
Eligibility to successfully complete background checks that will be carried out by Payments Canada, including criminal, credit, identity, employment, and education checks.

Nice To Haves

MBA or advanced degree preferred.
Bilingualism is considered an asset.
Occasional travel will be required.

Responsibilities

Develop and continuously refine the strategic direction of the Core Payments Product portfolio, in partnership with the Director, Core Payments Product and the VP, Product.
Lead the creation and maintenance of a multi-year product road map, ensuring alignment with Payments Canada’s strategic objectives, member needs, and regulatory frameworks.
Partner with platform product managers on the development of product strategy, prioritization and road mapping frameworks to consolidate a solid overall product strategy.
Translate high-level strategic objectives into actionable product initiatives and measurable outcomes.
Establish and manage prioritization frameworks to balance innovation, operational needs, and regulatory requirements across the product portfolio.
Provide expert advice and analysis to Payments Product leadership, contributing to executive and Board materials, including product updates, progress reports, and recommendations.
Partner with cross-functional leaders in Operations, Technology, Risk, Finance, and Regulatory Affairs to ensure the strategic intent of each initiative is carried through to execution.
Conduct ongoing market and ecosystem research to identify trends, competitive dynamics, and emerging opportunities across domestic and international payments environments.
Develop and maintain a deep understanding of members’ business models, operational challenges, and regulatory obligations to inform strategic decisions.
Create and maintain analytical models, dashboards, or frameworks to track key metrics on adoption, performance, and the market evolution of ACSS and related payment streams.
Lead the development of business cases that include financial analysis (P&L impact, ROI, cost/benefit), member value assessment, and risk considerations.
Provide insights to inform the evolution of operational rules, standards, and processes, ensuring alignment with product strategy and member needs.
Manage the end-to-end lifecycle of the product road map, from strategic planning and feasibility assessment to prioritization and ongoing review.
Collaborate with Platform Product Managers (Retail Payments and Lynx) to jointly develop and maintain synchronized product road maps, ensuring interdependencies, timelines, and strategic priorities are coordinated across payment rails.
Facilitate portfolio governance forums with senior management to align priorities, track progress, and manage interdependencies across initiatives.
Partner with Product Managers, Operations and Technology teams to ensure road map initiatives are scoped, resourced, and sequenced according to strategic value.
Monitor key success metrics and report on progress against defined goals and strategic outcomes.
Contribute to the annual planning cycle by translating strategic priorities into deliverables, investment requirements, and implementation plans.
Build and maintain strong relationships with member financial institutions, regulators, and ecosystem partners to ensure strategic alignment and proactive collaboration.
Represent Payments Canada in strategic working groups, industry committees, and external forums to influence and stay informed on industry developments.
Lead and facilitate workshops or consultations with members and partners to validate product strategy and road map priorities.
Serve as a strategic advisor to internal leadership and external stakeholders, providing context, insight, and guidance on the direction of retail payments modernization and batch settlement evolution.
Work in close partnership with the Platform Product Managers for Retail Payments and Lynx to enable cohesive strategy-to-execution alignment across products, ensuring consistent prioritization and value delivery within the broader payment’s modernization framework.
Support the transition from strategy to delivery by providing clarity on objectives, scope, and success metrics.
Participate in steering committees or project task forces to ensure alignment between strategy, execution, and operational readiness.
Promote consistent adoption of product management and strategic planning best practices across the team.
Dedicate a minimum of 5–10 days annually to professional development, ensuring knowledge of evolving payment trends, product management methodologies, and regulatory changes.
Actively contribute to a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement within the Core Payments Product team.
Mentor or support peers by sharing insights and tools that strengthen the organization’s overall product strategy capability.

Benefits

Flexible, hybrid (remote/office) environment.
Competitive compensation package, including annual variable bonus and defined contribution pension plan with employer matching percentage (if eligible).
Comprehensive health and dental benefit coverage, including mental health coverage, life insurance and a health spending account for you and your dependents (Permanent and temporary employees with contracts 12 months and over).
Paid time off: minimum four weeks paid vacation, sick and personal days, December holiday shutdown and cultural holiday observance days.
26 weeks of paid maternity and parental leave top-up (if eligible)
Rewards and recognition program.
Access to office gym facilities.
Internal and external professional development opportunities.
Fun team and organizational events.
Monthly all staff forums led by our Executive Leadership Team.