Strategic Program Director

Come build the next-gen fintech at Zelle®, where we're relentlessly focused on empowering prosperity in all its forms.

From fast money movement for over 100 million people who can access Zelle® directly through their banking app to new account opening and beyond - we make a difference in the lives of consumers and businesses every day and enable them to live their best financial lives. And we're only getting started.

With a new, state-of-the-art HQ in Scottsdale, AZ - plus growing presences in San Francisco, New York City, and Chicago - we're entering our next big chapter.

Make your mark on what's next in fintech with Zelle®.

Overall Purpose

Responsible for designing Early Warning's product launch program management model for our product portfolio, including Zelle®. Creates a seamless flow from product creation to customers using and loving the products we build. This role will require you to establish a new scalable blueprint for delivering very large, complex programs focused on coordinating product launch activities of cross functional teams and external partners, creating greater efficiency, alignment, and attainment of our strategic business goals. This is a unique opportunity with high visibility to bring your expertise to the table and define and execute best-in-class.

Essential Functions

• Deeply understand how software products are created and go live while applying program management excellence to create realistic, integrated, and comprehensive plans.
• Engage partners across the enterprise to define our end-to-end product portfolio operating model and playbook; roles, responsibilities, processes, and procedures that are comprehensive and thorough to customer adoption.
• Implement and program manage a pilot rollout leveraging the new framework.
• Challenges partners to define realistic schedules and drives the process, ensuring deliverable owners are meeting their committed outcomes while looking ahead to identify emerging blockers and proactively managing risks.
• Engages external partners to assess their schedules and constraints, integrates impacts and dependencies into overall planning to ensure success.
• Evaluates resource capacity and constraints, defines program resource model, challenges the team to develop comprehensive and realistic timelines.
• Align the product launch strategy with our Scaled Agile product development methodology and toolsets.
• Owns the communication of program progress updates with executive leadership as well as cross functional workstream leads.
• Develop a rollout plan for expanding the framework across the product portfolio and coach other program and project managers on the model.
• Provides effective leadership and coaching to all stakeholders, ensuring effective delivery of program outcomes.

Minimum Qualifications

• Education and experience typically obtained through completion of a Bachelor's Degree in Business, Program Management and/or Computer Science, or related field.
• Minimum of 15 or more years of program management, product operations, product launch, or related experience.
• Proven experience with modern B2B SaaS software development and product launch motions (sales, marketing, legal/compliance, operational readiness, customer engagement, etc.).
• Demonstrated program management excellence and people leadership in matrixed business and technical environments, related to product launch coordination.
• Ability to lead and coach program/project managers in the successful delivery of the developed framework.
• Possess excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities, able to deal effectively with ambiguity and change.
• Highly engaged, self-starter with excellent communication skills and the ability to balance achieving business results, fostering collaboration, and influencing business strategies.
• Demonstrated experience with Agile and Waterfall methodologies and all aspects of the System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) methodology and tools.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with launching new technology products from the ground up; bonus for start-up experience.
• Experience leading product operations with a heavy focus on managing end-to-end coordination of product launches and related cross functional teams.
• Experience in financial institutions or similarly regulatory industries and/or software development processes with background in the data processing environment, application systems, and communication systems.
• Experience with launching products for B2B2C software providers.

• Experience with Scaled Agile (SAFe); Lean Six Sigma, Project Management Professional (PMP) and other methodology certifications.

The above job description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of duties and standards of the position. Incumbents will follow instructions and perform other related duties as assigned by their supervisor.

Physical Requirements

Working conditions consist of a normal office environment. Work is primarily sedentary and requires extensive use of a computer and involves sitting for periods of approximately four hours. Work may require occasional standing, walking, kneeling and reaching. Must be able to lift 10 pounds occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently. Requires visual acuity and dexterity to view, prepare, and manipulate documents and office equipment including personal computers. Requires the ability to communicate with internal and/or external customers.

Employee must be able to perform essential functions and physical requirements of position with or without reasonable accommodation.

Some of the Ways We Prioritize Your Health and Happiness

• Healthcare Coverage - Competitive medical (PPO/HDHP), dental, and vision plans as well as company contributions to your Health Savings Account (HSA) or pre-tax savings through flexible spending accounts (FSA) for commuting, health & dependent care expenses.
• 401(k) Retirement Plan - Featuring a 100% Company Safe Harbor Match on your first 5% deferral immediately upon eligibility.
• 12 weeks of Paid Parental Leave
• Paid Time Off - Unlimited Time Off for Exempt (salaried) employees, as well as generous PTO for Non-Exempt (hourly) employees, plus 11 paid company holidays
• Maven Family Planning - provides support through your Parenting journey including egg freezing, fertility, adoption, surrogacy, pregnancy, postpartum, early pediatrics, and returning to work.

And SO much more! We continue to enhance our program, so be sure to check our Benefits page here for the latest.

*Unlimited Time Off available to regular, full-time exempt roles only. Our team can share more during the interview process!

Early Warning Services is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants and employees will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, religious creed, ethnicity, ancestry, national origin, sex, pregnancy, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, citizenship, ancestry, disability, veteran status, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by law.