Credit Strategy Manager

Role Description

As Credit Strategy Manager, you will own the strategy and execution of new acquisition channels at Imprint, operating at the intersection of credit risk and marketing. This is a high-impact individual contributor role where you will define how Imprint acquires cardholders profitably across new and emerging channels, balancing growth targets with credit performance and risk appetite.

• Partner directly with credit policy, data science, finance, and marketing to set targeting criteria, evaluate channel economics, and ensure every acquisition path aligns with Imprint's credit strategy and operating plan.
• Work closely with GMs, marketing and brand partners to tailor channel strategies to partner economics while maintaining portfolio quality.
• Requires equal fluency in credit fundamentals and acquisition mechanics.
• Comfortable analyzing approval rates and vintage loss forecasts as well as building an invitation-to-apply strategy.

What Success Looks Like in the First 90 Days

• Successfully launched at least one new acquisition channel (e.g., affiliate, invitation-to-apply email, paid social, or direct mail) with clear targeting criteria informed by credit risk parameters and measurable performance data.
• Built proof of concepts for affiliate partnerships tailored to specific brand partners, with acquisition economics modeled against credit performance expectations.
• Established a pilot program for invitation-to-apply emails and direct mail with targeting criteria developed in partnership with data science and credit policy, including early reads on approval rates and portfolio quality signals.
• Partnered with data science and risk to define and refine targeting models that improve acquisition quality and align with risk appetite at the channel level.
• Translated channel performance into business cases that connect application volume to contribution profit, expected loss rates, LTV, CAC, and LTV-to-CAC ratios, gaining alignment from finance and leadership on channel viability.
• Earned trust as a decisive, action-oriented partner who balances speed with credit rigor and delivers clarity to cross-functional stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Own the credit risk strategy, underwriting parameters, and ongoing optimization of new acquisition channels, including affiliates (Credit Karma, NerdWallet, Doctor Of Credit), invitation-to-apply emails, paid social, display, direct mail, and instant prescreens.
• Define targeting strategies and risk criteria for each channel in partnership with credit policy, risk, data science, and marketing teams, ensuring acquisition quality meets portfolio standards.
• Partner with data science and credit risk to influence targeting models, evaluate credit performance by channel, and refine acquisition criteria based on early portfolio signals.
• Build business cases and ROI analyses that connect application volume to credit outcomes, including approval rates, expected losses, contribution profit, LTV, CAC, and LTV-to-CAC ratios.
• Monitor channel-level credit performance post-launch, identifying early warning signals and adjusting targeting or risk parameters as needed.
• Partner with finance to ensure acquisition strategies remain within LTV-to-CAC thresholds and align with Imprint's operating plan and loss budgets.
• Collaborate with GMs and brand partners to design channel strategies that balance partner growth goals with credit quality expectations.
• Pull and analyze data independently using SQL to build data cohorts, diagnose performance, evaluate credit quality by channel, and inform strategy.
• Manage stakeholder alignment across risk, credit policy, marketing, finance, and data science to ensure clarity, speed, and accountability.
• Establish a test-and-learn cadence for channel experimentation, with structured readouts on both acquisition metrics and credit performance.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in credit strategy, acquisition strategy, or risk-adjacent marketing roles, preferably in card issuers, fintech or financial services.
• Strong understanding of credit card economics, including approval rates, vintage loss rates, LTV, CAC, LTV-to-CAC ratios, and contribution profit modeling.
• Proven experience working cross-functionally across risk, marketing, finance, and data science to drive acquisition outcomes.
• Advanced proficiency in SQL to pull and analyze data independently.
• Demonstrated ability to build business cases that connect acquisition performance to credit outcomes and portfolio economics.
• Familiarity with targeting models and the ability to partner with data science on model design, segmentation, and performance evaluation.
• High ownership and bias for action, with a track record of launching new initiatives from concept to execution.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to translate credit and financial details into clear narratives for leadership.
• Test-and-learn mindset with comfort in ambiguity and iteration.

Nice to Have

• Experience setting risk appetite or targeting criteria for acquisition channels at a card issuer or fintech.
• Familiarity with regulatory frameworks governing credit marketing.
• Familiarity with affiliate platforms, invitation-to-apply programs, instant prescreens, or direct mail targeting.
• Experience working with brand partners or co-branded products.
• Exposure to underwriting criteria, credit policy frameworks, or portfolio monitoring.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation and equity packages.
• Leading configured work computers of your choice.
• Flexible paid time off.
• Fully covered, high-quality healthcare, including fully covered dependent coverage.
• Additional health coverage includes access to One Medical and the option to enroll in an FSA.
• 20 weeks of paid parental leave for the primary caregiver and 8 weeks for all new parents.
• Access to industry-leading technology across all of our business units, stemming from our philosophy that we should invest in resources for our team that foster innovation, optimization, and productivity.