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About the Role

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.

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.

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.
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.
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.
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.
Manage vendor performance and successfully negotiate contracts.
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.
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.
Work through performance management issues with HR (and/or appropriate leadership).
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.
Create and foster a culture of delegation, empowerment, and accountability with managers.
Consistently lead the way through Empower FCU's Leadership Excellence competencies and coach direct reports to demonstrate the same behaviors.
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.
All candidates will be subject to a background check to determine employment eligibility.
For roles that require an NMLS you may be subject to a credit check.

Skills

Card Portfolio Strategy
Product Development
Lifecycle Management
Member Experience Enhancement
Engagement Improvement
Financial Outcomes Optimization
Card-Based Commerce Solutions
Digital Wallets
Tokenization
Merchant Offers
Rewards Integration
Installments
Real-Time Controls
Fraud Management
Risk Management
Compliance Controls
Data Analysis
Performance Monitoring
Budgeting
Investment Prioritization
Vendor Economics
ROI Evaluation
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Strategic Advising
Market Awareness
Industry Trend Analysis
Emerging Technologies
Regulatory Development Analysis
People Leadership
Mentorship
Team Development
Collaboration
Accountability
Innovation
Disciplined Execution
Goal Setting
Success Metrics Alignment
IT and Business Acumen
Financial Acumen
Strategic Thinking
Business Case Development
RFP Management
Vendor Management
Budget Management
Executive Communication
Big Picture Leadership
Incident Management
Communications Management
Performance Management
Goal and Objective Setting
Team Engagement
Culture Leadership
Leadership Excellence

Location

Syracuse, NY

Work Type

Hybrid

Experience Level

10+ years of progressive experience
Leadership roles

Education Level

Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Marketing, Technology, or related field (or equivalent experience)
Equivalent formal certifications or professional experience in card services, financial services, or related fields

Salary/Compensations

$145,767.96 to $242,946.59

Benefits

Medical and Dental Insurance
401K with Employer Match
Holiday Pay
Paid Time Off

About the Company

Empower FCU Purpose: At every stage of life, positively impact members by providing affordable financial services.
Empower FCU Core Values: Fairness, Integrity & Honesty
Empower FCU Strategic Pillars: World-Class Employee Experience, Best-In-Class Member Experience, Growth for Impact, Shared Value in the Community
A World-Class Employee Experience: We are at our best when we are developing genuine relationships, looking out for one another, freely and honestly sharing information, and working together. We succeed when we rise above our departments, roles, and individual interests to come together, to move forward together. Each of us plays a crucial role in creating a positive work environment and we encourage all our employees to actively contribute to embracing Empower’s values and supporting those around you.
Be Yourself, Belong with Empower: The strength of Empower is in the unique backgrounds, voices, talents, & experiences of each person. With a culture of belonging, we enable teamwork, spark innovation, and fuel success.

Equal Opportunity

Empower Federal Credit Union is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of any legally protected status or characteristic including race, religion, ethnicity, color, national or ethnic origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expressions, transgender status, sexual or other reproductive health decisions, marital status, ancestry, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, genetic information/ predisposition or carrier status, status in the uniformed services of the United States (including veteran status) or any other basis protected by applicable national, federal, state, provincial or local law. Our Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement reaffirms our commitment.
Federal Labor Law Posters
New York Labor Law Poster
Employment Eligibility Notices
E-Verify
Right to Work
Empower Federal Credit Union is committed to equal opportunity to qualified persons without regard to basis of race, religion, ethnicity, color, national or ethnic origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expressions, transgender status, sexual or other reproductive health decisions, marital status, ancestry, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, genetic information/ predisposition or carrier status, status in the uniformed services of the United States (including veteran status) or any other basis protected by applicable national, federal, state, provincial or local law. Empower Federal Credit Union will make reasonable accommodations for known physical or mental limitations of otherwise qualified employees and applicants with disabilities unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of our business. If you are interested in applying for an employment opportunity and feel you need a reasonable accommodation pursuant to the ADA, please contact us through one of the methods listed below: a) Fax: 315.455.5423 b) US Mail: 1 Member Way Syracuse, NY 13212 c) Phone: 800.462.5000