Vice President Card Strategy (Hybrid in Syracuse, NY)

Empower Federal Credit Union•Syracuse, NY

1d•$145,768 - $242,947•Hybrid

About The Position

The Vice President, Card Strategy plays a critical leadership role in advancing the organization's growth strategy by maximizing the value of the credit and debit card portfolios as a primary driver of revenue, cardholder acquisition, engagement, and retention. This leader sets the strategic vision for the card business, delivering innovative, secure, and scalable solutions that accelerate portfolio growth, strengthen member relationships, and enhance the organization's competitive position. By ensuring card products provide seamless, connected experiences across the entire cardholder lifecycle, from onboarding and everyday spending to digital servicing and dispute resolution, this leader drives increased usage, deeper member loyalty, and sustainable financial performance. The Vice President balances growth objectives with prudent risk management and regulatory compliance while fostering strong partnerships across the enterprise and with external providers to deliver cohesive, market-leading, and future-ready card solutions that contribute meaningfully to organizational revenue and member growth.

Requirements

10+ years of progressive experience in card products, payments, or product management, including leadership roles.
Proven experience managing credit and/or debit card portfolios within a regulated financial institution.
Demonstrated success deploying solutions that improve both member experience and financial performance.
Strong strategic, analytical, and stakeholder-management capabilities.
Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Marketing, Technology, or related field (or equivalent experience).
Candidates with equivalent formal certifications or professional experience in card services, financial services, or related fields are also encouraged to apply.
Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
Regular use of hands and fingers to operate a computer, keyboard, and telephone.
Near visual acuity required for working with digital content.
Occasional light lifting of office supplies or equipment may be necessary (up to 20 pounds).
Ability to attend in-person events (branch visits, rallies, employee meetings) as needed.
Maintain a basic to moderate understanding of IT and Business Products & Services.
Understand and regularly review financials.
Understand and be able to articulate the organization's strategy up and down the pyramid including alignment with culture, the in-flight year's business plan, and the 'why' behind all of it.
Write and articulate a proper business case, including capital needs, project scope, and recurring OPEX costs.
Effectively lead and manage Request for Proposal (RFP) processes to ensure competitive, strategic outcomes.
Manage vendor performance and successfully negotiate contracts to support organizational goals.
Create and manage a proper budget, maintaining accuracy within +/- 5% of actuals to budget.
Present confidently and with clarity to Board Committees and senior leadership audiences with executive presence i.e. the ability to influence and align stakeholders at all organizational levels, including Board members.
Lead within the context of the big picture to align and work cross-functionally and vertically.
Properly facilitate and manage member-impacting incidents.
Properly facilitate and manage communications for both members and staff, ensuring clarity, transparency, and timely updates.
Work through performance management issues with HR (and/or appropriate leadership), including writing and delivering feedback up and down the organization, and implementing Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs) when needed.
Write and communicate goals and objectives aligned from the top of the organization down to individual contributors.
Facilitate and plan meaningful All Hands Meetings for and with teams, building and creating alignment and clarity across the organization.
Create and foster a culture of delegation, empowerment, and accountability with managers, ensuring they do the same with their teams.
Consistently lead the way through Empower FCU's Leadership Excellence competencies and coach direct reports to demonstrate the same behaviors.

Nice To Haves

Experience in a credit union or other member-centric financial institution.
Familiarity with card networks, processors, digital wallets, and modern payment ecosystems.
Experience leading complex cross-functional initiatives and developing senior product talent.
Empower FCU recognizes and values a variety of educational and professional backgrounds that contribute to success in this role.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.

Responsibilities

Define and execute the strategic roadmap for credit and debit card portfolios, balancing growth, profitability, and risk.
Lead product development, enhancements, and lifecycle management across physical and digital channels.
Optimize portfolio performance through product design, pricing, benefits, and controls that support responsible use and sustainable revenue.
Identify and deploy solutions that elevate the member experience and improve engagement, efficiency, and financial outcomes.
Translate member insights into intuitive, easy-to-use card experiences in partnership with Design, Content, and Research teams.
Ensure card features and journeys are cohesive, connected, and friction-free across the full lifecycle.
Lead strategy and implementation of commerce solutions such as digital wallets, tokenization, merchant offers, rewards integration, installments, and real-time controls.
Partner with fintechs, networks, processors, and merchants to expand everyday card utility and drive usage.
Deliver solutions that grow revenue and engagement while maintaining strong fraud, risk, and compliance controls.
Monitor portfolio performance using data and analytics (usage, penetration, engagement, losses, fraud, revenue).
Make data-driven recommendations to improve growth, profitability, risk outcomes, and member experience.
Own portfolio financials, including budgeting, investment prioritization, vendor economics, and ROI evaluation.
Work closely with Technology, Operations, Risk, Compliance, Marketing, Finance, and Member Service to ensure solutions are scalable, compliant, and operationally sound.
Serve as a strategic advisor to executive leadership on card strategy, performance trends, risks, and investment opportunities.
Stay current on payments trends, emerging technologies, and regulatory developments.
Translate market and competitive insights into strategies that strengthen portfolio performance and differentiation.
Lead, mentor, and develop a team of card specialists and product managers.
Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, innovation, and disciplined execution.
Establish clear goals and success metrics aligned with enterprise strategy.
Perform all other duties as assigned.