Vice President Card Strategy (Hybrid in Syracuse, NY)

Role The Vice President, Card Strategy sets the strategic vision for the credit and debit card portfolios, driving innovative, secure, and scalable solutions that fuel sustainable growth and exceptional member experiences. This leader ensures card products deliver simple, connected journeys from onboarding and everyday to digital servicing and dispute resolution while maintaining strong financial performance, prudent risk management, and regulatory compliance. The role requires deep partnership across the enterprise and with external partners to deliver cohesive, competitive, and future‑ready card solutions. Location: Our headquarters are based in Syracuse, NY. We work in a Hybrid Model requiring a minimum of 5 days in office per month. Salary range: $145,767.96–$242,946.59. Essential Functions & Responsibilities 25% Card Portfolio Strategy & Ownership 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. 20% Member Experience & Innovation 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. 20% Card-Based Commerce Solutions 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. 15% Performance, Financials & Risk Management 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. 10% Cross-Functional Collaboration 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. 5% Market & Industry Awareness Stay current on payments trends, emerging technologies, and regulatory developments. Translate market and competitive insights into strategies that strengthen portfolio performance and differentiation. 5% People Leadership 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. Performance Measurements See Dayforce (HRIS) Performance Management for goals upon start in the role, and annually. Knowledge and Skills Experience: 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. Preferred Experience 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. Education 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. Empower FCU recognizes and values a variety of educational and professional backgrounds that contribute to success in this role. Interpersonal Skills We lead by example with fairness, integrity, and honesty, always assuming positive intent. We are present, collaborative, and responsible for the results and actions of Empower FCU. Leadership Competencies - How You Lead Integrity and Transparency Empathy and Compassion Communication and Collaboration Empowerment and Mentorship Adaptability and Continuous Learning Resilience and Accountability Recognition and Celebration Strategic Vision and Decision‑Making Accessibility and Approachability Inspiration and Influence Other Skills IT and Business 101: Maintain a basic to moderate understanding of IT and Business Products & Services. Financial Acumen: Understand and regularly review financials. Know how financial levers work and how your team can influence and drive results. Strategic Thinking: Articulate the organization's strategy and its alignment with culture, business plans, and underlying purpose. Business Case Development: Write and articulate a proper business case, including capital needs, project scope, and recurring OPEX costs. Managing an RFP: Lead and manage Request for Proposal processes to ensure competitive, strategic outcomes. Vendor Management: Negotiate contracts and manage vendor performance to support organizational goals. Budget Management: Create and maintain a budget with accuracy within +/- 5% of actuals. Executive Communication: Present confidently to Board Committees and senior leadership audiences, building trusted relationships with executives. Big Picture Leadership: Align and work cross‑functionally, facilitating progress on projects, change management, and resource allocation. Incident Management: Facilitate member‑impacting incidents and, if applicable, participate in member incident committees. Communications Management: Ensure clarity, transparency, and timely updates for members and staff. People Leadership - How You Build High‑Performing Teams Performance Management: Work with HR to manage performance, deliver feedback, and implement PIPs when necessary. Goal and Objective Setting: Communicate goals aligned across all levels, explaining the ‘why’ and ‘how’. Team Engagement: Plan all‑hands meetings to build alignment and clarity. Culture and People Leadership: Foster delegation, empowerment, and accountability within teams. Leadership Excellence: Lead by example, coaching direct reports to demonstrate the organization’s competencies. Physical Requirements 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 (up to 20 pounds). Ability to attend in‑person events as needed. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. Work Environment Hybrid work model requiring a minimum of 5 days per month in‑office at the Syracuse, NY headquarters. Standard office environment with moderate noise levels. Regular collaboration via Microsoft Teams, email, and in‑person meetings. Occasional travel within the region for branch or department visits, volunteerism, leadership meetings, or employee engagement events. This Job Description is not a complete statement of all duties and responsibilities comprising the position. #J-18808-Ljbffr