ICBA PAYMENTS OPERATIONS - PRODUCT MANAGER

The Product Manager plays a key role in identifying strategic opportunities, evaluating solution providers, developing business cases, and coordinating successful launches. The Product Manager combines payments expertise, financial analysis, market intelligence, and stakeholder management to help ICBA Payments maintain competitiveness and deliver meaningful value to community banks. The role brings the strategic insight, research, diligence, and cross-functional coordination needed to evaluate opportunities, recommend solutions, and help bring the right capabilities to market.

Community banks partner with ICBA Payments to offer competitive, feature-rich, and progressive card issuing solutions to their customers. ICBA Payments leverages its partnerships, deep understanding of payments, strategic vision, and technology ecosystem to help community banks achieve parity with larger financial institutions .

This position is open to candidates in the following areas. AL, AZ, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, MD, MA, MN, MO, MS, NH, NJ, NC, OH, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, WI .

What You’ll Do

Opportunity Identification and Market Insight

• Monitor market trends, competitive dynamics, and portfolio performance to identify opportunities for new or enhanced solutions across fraud, digital enablement, loyalty, portfolio optimization, and emerging payment rails.
• Develop strategic recommendations that help ICBA Payments maintain competitive parity and differentiation for community banks.
• Identify process and product improvements across ICBA Payments portfolio of services and solutions.
• Build requirements documentation for prioritized opportunities, capturing internal stakeholder needs before engaging external providers.
• Lead evaluation efforts and develop recommendations for executive decision-making.

Vendor Identification and Due Diligence

• Identify and assess competing providers, typically evaluating four to five alternatives per solution category.
• Review solution capabilities, competitive positioning, implementation considerations, processor and network compatibility, commercial terms, and references.
• Conduct structured due diligence and present findings, tradeoffs, and recommendations to leadership.

Financial Modeling and Business Case Development

• Build financial models for recommended solutions, including cost structures, revenue opportunities, pricing considerations, return on investment, and scenario analysis.
• Partner with sales, marketing, operations, and other stakeholders to ensure recommendations reflect organizational priorities and member bank needs.
• Develop business cases that support informed decision-making and resource prioritization.

Go-to-Market and Ongoing Vendor Management

• Coordinate with internal teams and external partners to bring selected solutions to market.
• Own P&L for products brought to market.
• Build alignment across internal stakeholders, including sales, marketing, operations, risk, and executive leadership, to support successful implementation and adoption.
• Support launch planning and execution to ensure a coordinated go-to-market approach.
• Own ongoing management of vendor relationships and solution performance after launch, including performance monitoring and periodic business reviews.

What You Bring

• Bachelor's degree and/or 10 years of experience required with 4+ years in a strategic, product, financial, partnerships, consulting, or vendor evaluation capacity preferred.
• Payments issuer experience preferred.
• Experience working with card processors, payment networks, fintech partners, or related payment ecosystem participants preferred.
• Strong financial and analytical background, with a demonstrated ability to build and defend business cases.
• Experience evaluating vendors, conducting due diligence, or supporting procurement-style decision processes preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to synthesize complex information into concise executive-level recommendations.
• Ability to work independently in accordance with general plans, policies and procedures.
• Understanding of card payments, interchange, network economics, and emerging payment technologies preferred

We recognize that candidates may not meet every qualification listed. If your background and experience are close to what we’re seeking, we encourage you to apply.

Benefits of Working at ICBA Payments

• Generous and competitive benefits package
• 401(k) savings plan offering 100% employer match of up to 6% of annual earnings.
• Virtual work environment, monthly work from home stipends, and flexible work hours
• Fitness discounts, telemedicine, on-demand therapy, and work-life balance tools
• Tuition reimbursement and allowances for professional development
• Frequent company social events
• Friendly and inclusive workplace culture

The target annual salary range for this role is currently $85,000 to $120,000 based on a regular, full-time schedule. The amount of compensation offered will be determined by several factors, including but not limited to experience, qualifications, location, market data and internal equity.

ICBA Payments is an equal opportunity employer committed to hiring a diverse workforce and sustaining an inclusive culture. ICBA does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, sex, color, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, mental or physical disability, genetic information, veteran status, or on any other basis prohibited by applicable law.

The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA)’s guiding mission is to create and promote environments where community banks flourish. We are:

• Dedicated advocates providing community bankers, policymakers and the public with authoritative insights and resources to support and strengthen community banking.

• Knowledgeable, applying their expertise to offer personalized service that addresses the distinct challenges and opportunities facing community banks.

• Community-centered, driving meaningful change that strengthens community banks and the communities they serve. We turn commitment into action and deliver real results.

ICBA’s workplace culture is built on our core values:

• Caring -We support and prioritize your well-being and professional growth.

• Connected - We foster strong relationships that create meaningful impact.

• Collaboration – We are team-oriented and results driven where diverse perspectives are valued, and innovative ideas are encouraged to achieve our common goals.

Join ICBA and further your career while making a lasting impact!