Product Operations Manager - (Hybrid/On Site - Bangor or Portland ME)

Function:
Join our dynamic Product Team as the Product Operations Manager. This is a unique opportunity to build a critical function from the ground up, reporting directly to the Head of Product Management, within our innovative banking and card product ecosystem.
You will play a key role guiding and supporting Product Managers to concentrate on the strategic growth of our product suite by supporting operational excellence. As a trusted partner and subject matter expert, you will drive improvements within our team and cross-functionally through influence using a systems-thinking approach. Initially, you will be pivotal in addressing critical operational management gaps while establishing core Product Ops practices.
The ideal candidate is a former Product Manager or Product Operations Manager with a distinctive skill set combining deep process and operational acumen, a strong understanding of product development and the characteristics of a high-performing product organization, combined with expertise in payments and card products.
This is a full-time career opportunity based in Bangor, Maine or Portland, Maine that provides both remote and on-site work options with a required minimum of three days a week in the office. The hybrid (remote/on-site) work option is available upon successful completion of initial training (approx. 90 days).

Accountabilities:

• Streamline the gathering and translation of customer and business insights into actionable plans.
• Serve as a strategic partner to the product team, proactively identifying and addressing operational challenges while enhancing product storytelling, communication, and cross-functional alignment.
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of key product documentation, templates, and tooling solutions to optimize workflows, ensuring clarity and consistency for both internal and external stakeholders.
• Collaborate on defining and implementing key product KPIs and metrics (adoption, value, business outcomes) and operationalize a visibility framework.
• Continuously evaluate and optimize operational processes to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
• Develop strategies to scale product operations in step with business growth and product complexity.

Initial critical focus (card operations):

A critical operational priority is to build and maintain a robust card payment network operational model tailored to the bank's diverse card programs (BaaS, Credit, Debit, Prepaid). This includes:

• Defining and optimizing payment card network system parameters.
• Implement and initially manage a robust BIN management structure for our multiple card products/business needs, ensuring allocation and compliance.
• Create card program onboarding documentation.
• Assist with relationships and processes for card program service providers.
• Identify and implement process improvements and reporting enhancements for card programs.
• Automate and/or transition/ reallocate key internal processes and tasks related to card operations (e.g., Invoice processing for external vendors; Quarterly reporting to payment card networks; Transactional data storage and processing; ACH File processing).

Key Attributes:

• Systems thinker with the ability to design scalable frameworks.
• Exceptional communicator, capable of simplifying complexity and engaging stakeholders at all levels.
• Proactive and structured problem solver with a flexible approach.
• Passion for enabling team success and fostering a thriving product environment.
• Direct experience facilitating alignment among key partners to drive successful product outcomes.
• Flexibility and a strong commitment to collaborate on process improvements with a culture-first mindset.

Knowledge/Skills/Experience Requirements:

• Strong analytical and operational skills.
• 2-5+ years of relevant experience in Product, Product Operations, Business Operations, or similar roles supporting product teams.
• Experience designing and improving product development processes (e.g., roadmap planning, product documentation, prioritization frameworks).
• Product lifecycle knowledge from ideation to post-launch operations.
• Self-starter comfortable creating structure and building processes in early-stage or scaling environments.
• Strong proficiency with MS productivity tools (Office, Teams).

Physical Demands/Conditions Requirements:

• General office environment.
• Moderate lifting (to 35 lbs.) required.  Moderate reaching, walking, sitting and standing required.

Equipment Used:

• General office equipment.

External and internal applications, as well as position incumbents who become disabled, must be able to perform the essential functions (as listed) either unaided or with the assistance of a reasonable accommodation to be determined by management on an individual basis.