Program Manager, Issuer Partnerships

Block•Bay Area, CA, United States of America, CA

15h•$123,400 - $223,100•Remote

About The Position

It all started with an idea at Block in 2013. Initially built to take the pain out of peer-to-peer payments, Cash App has gone from a simple product with a single purpose to a dynamic ecosystem, developing unique financial products, including Afterpay/Clearpay, to provide a better way to send, spend, invest, borrow and save to our 50+ million monthly active customers. We want to redefine the world’s relationship with money to make it more relatable, instantly available, and universally accessible. Today, Cash App has thousands of employees working globally across office and remote locations, with a culture geared toward innovation, collaboration and impact. We’ve been a distributed team since day one, and many of our roles can be done remotely from the countries where Cash App operates. No matter the location, we tailor our experience to ensure our employees are creative, productive, and happy.

Requirements

8+ years of program or product operations management in fintech, issuing, banking, or payments, with direct experience independently owning bank partner and/or card processor relationships at a senior level.
Working knowledge of card issuing economics, BIN sponsorship models, network rules (Visa/Mastercard), and the regulatory landscape for consumer card products.
Demonstrated track record of independently leading complex cross-functional programs through significant ambiguity—from partner onboarding through launch—with full ownership of strategy, timelines, scope, and risk.
Experience independently designing and standing up scalable program operating mechanisms (governance forums, SLAs, oversight reporting, incident response, playbooks) in a regulated environment.
Exceptional stakeholder management and communication skills; adept at influencing without authority across executive partner counterparts and internal product/engineering/compliance teams.
Track record of building partner trust at the executive level and operating with discretion and sound judgment across sensitive commercial and regulatory matters.
A builder’s mindset paired with senior judgment—comfortable with ambiguity, rapid iteration, and hands-on execution in a 0-to-1 product environment without needing structured direction.

Nice To Haves

Experience launching consumer financial products with multiple bank or processor partners; deep familiarity with at least one Tier 1 issuing bank or processor.
Background in compliance program management (KYC, AML, BSA, sanctions) or partner oversight in a regulated fintech.

Responsibilities

Independently own a portfolio of issuer and processor relationships end-to-end: program governance cadences, escalations, contract negotiations and amendments, change requests, and quarterly business reviews—acting as the primary point of contact with partner executives.
Drive partner onboarding and product launches: coordinate diligence, technical integration, BIN setup, network and bank approvals, pilot scope, and GA launch readiness across all stakeholders.
Be the connective tissue across Product, Engineering, Compliance, Risk, Legal, Operations, and Finance: translate partner requirements (network rules, bank policies, local regulatory obligations) into actionable internal plans and accelerate decisions.
Set and drive program execution against the Issuing roadmap: define milestones, surface and resolve risks early, make calls on tradeoffs, and keep partners and internal stakeholders aligned on timelines and dependencies without needing day-to-day direction.
Build durable partner operating mechanisms: SLAs, oversight reporting, incident and SEV handling protocols, MSA-driven obligations, and audit-ready documentation that meet partner, network, and internal policy standards.
Be a go-to expert on the issuing ecosystem at Block: stay current on regulatory developments, network mandates, and partner ecosystem changes; shape program strategy and advise senior leadership on partner selection, sequencing, and tradeoffs.
Communicate with clarity and apply AI for leverage: deliver concise, action-oriented updates to executive stakeholders; escalate risks early with data-backed options; and use AI/LLM-powered tooling for partner reporting, diligence workflows, and document review to reduce cycle time.