Senior Vice President, Head of Product

Koalafi•Arlington, VA

About The Position

At Koalafi, we believe in a world where no one has to put an important purchase on hold. That’s why we’re making it easier for more people to pay for big purchases over time. Retailers across the country rely on us to offer flexible lease-to-own financing to their non-prime consumers, while increasing sales and strengthening customer loyalty. Their 2M+ customers love us because we provide a flexible way for them to make payments and give them an opportunity to improve their credit. Our 200+ Koalafi teammates enjoy inspiring and challenging work that accelerates their careers. Interested in learning more about how we’re transforming the financing experience and joining our team? About the Role Koalafi is seeking a strategic and transformational Senior Vice President of Product to lead our Product organization, which includes both Product Management and Product Design functions. Reporting to the CPTO, this executive will be responsible for the company-wide product strategy and roadmap, partnering closely with the CPTO and executive leadership team to shape the long-term direction of the business. As SVP of Product, you will lead a team of 6 direct reports and oversee the broader Product organization. You will elevate product thinking across the company, strengthen discovery and execution capabilities, and ensure our roadmap drives measurable customer and business outcomes. This role requires both visionary leadership and operational discipline, combining customer empathy, analytical rigor, and strategic judgment in a fintech environment where growth must be balanced with risk, compliance, and long-term portfolio performance.

Requirements

12+ years of Product Management experience, including executive-level leadership
Experience leading both Product Management and Product Design organizations
Significant experience in fintech, financial services, credit, lending, or payments is a plus
Demonstrated ability to balance growth initiatives with risk management and regulatory considerations
Strong analytical and financial acumen; comfort managing to KPIs tied to revenue, margins, and risk-adjusted returns
Deep experience with experimentation and optimization methodologies (A/B testing, funnel optimization, cohort analysis)
Track record of building and developing high-performing product leaders
Insatiable curiosity about AI and other emerging technologies that will evolve the nature of the Product role
Passion for leading a team through an exciting time in Technology where the skills needed to succeed are ever-changing
Exceptional executive communication and cross-functional influence skills

Responsibilities

Product Strategy & Business Impact Co-create and refine Koalafi’s long-term product vision in partnership with the CPTO
Define and own a multi-year product strategy aligned to company growth and profitability goals
Translate strategic priorities into a clear, outcome-driven roadmap across product lines
Identify new market opportunities, platform investments, and innovation bets
Serve as the voice of Product in company-level strategic planning
Fintech Product Leadership: Growth with Risk Discipline Lead product strategy within a fintech environment, balancing customer growth, conversion, and revenue expansion with credit performance, compliance, and portfolio health
Partner closely with Risk, Data Science, and Compliance to align product innovation with underwriting and regulatory guardrails
Ensure product decisions consider unit economics, risk performance, underwriting impact, and long-term value creation
Drive responsible experimentation within regulatory and credit constraints
Build strong collaboration between Product, Risk, and Engineering to enable scalable, compliant growth
Data-Driven Product Leadership & Optimization Establish a culture of analytical rigor, experimentation, and continuous optimization
Drive product decisions through customer insights, behavioral data, and financial performance metrics
Partner with Data and Engineering to improve instrumentation, measurement, and reporting
Champion structured experimentation practices, including: A/B and multivariate testing Funnel and approval rate optimization Cohort analysis and retention measurement Incrementality and impact evaluation
Ensure every major product investment has clear KPIs tied to growth and/or profitability
Roadmap Ownership and Execution Be responsible for the company’s product roadmap and assist in high level prioritization of company goals
Make high-impact tradeoff decisions across competing initiatives and investments
Establish measurable key results, outcomes, and performance indicators for product success
Balance near-term execution with long-term platform scalability and strategic differentiation
Drive disciplined execution while protecting space for discovery and innovation
Organizational Leadership & Team Development Directly manage a team of Product and Design leaders and Senior ICs
Build, scale, and structure the Product and Design organization to support company growth
Recruit, retain, and develop top-tier talent across Product Management and Product Design
Establish clear career paths, leadership expectations, and performance standards
Foster a culture of accountability, ownership, and customer obsession
Elevate the team by evangelizing learning and adoption of emerging technologies, such as AI capabilities for Product, Engineering, and Design, and regularly experiment with these technologies yourself
Executive & Cross-Functional Leadership Partner closely with leaders across Engineering, Risk, Sales, Marketing, Operations, Finance, and Customer Experience
Align product strategy with go-to-market, financial planning, and operational objectives
Communicate strategy, roadmap, and performance clearly to executives and the broader organization
Influence at the board and investor level as needed