VP, Lead Customer Activation Initiatives Manager

Role Summary/Purpose:

Reporting to the VP, Strategic Card Solutions, the VP, Lead Customer Activation Initiatives Manager leads and develops a team responsible for the end-to-end delivery of business-critical customer activation initiatives across Performance Marketing and the Growth organization. This role serves as the central point of accountability for complex, cross-functional programs—from project inception through launch and stabilization—ensuring clear scope, stakeholder alignment, disciplined governance, and on-time/on-quality delivery.

This role is also the enterprise owner of the Synchrony Plastics Strategy—responsible for developing, documenting, governing, and executive-socializing the strategy narrative, decision framework, and multi-year roadmap to ensure consistent alignment across clients, channels, technology, operations, compliance, and suppliers.

Partnering closely with Growth, client-facing teams, Technology (SYF and partners such as Fiserv), Operations, Compliance, and external suppliers, this leader drives execution across initiatives including new client integrations, conversions/deconversions, partner product expansions, regulated communications deployments (cards/letters/statements), vendor migrations, and change-in-terms efforts. The role requires travel for partner planning and scope sessions and for supplier quality assurance events tied to physical output.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Own and drive end-to-end delivery of complex customer activation initiatives across Performance Marketing and Growth, ensuring integrated plans, milestones, deliverables, and readiness criteria.

• Lead and directly manage a team of Customer Activation Initiatives Managers/resources; coach on project/program management standards, stakeholder management, and delivery excellence in a regulated environment.

• Execute delivery planning and manage workstreams for Growth initiatives such as card reissues/upgrades, vendor migrations, billing statement software deployments, and change-in-terms efforts—prioritizing business-critical activities and sequencing across shared capacity.

• Stay current on relevant credit card industry standards, regulations, and legislative changes impacting card issuance and regulated customer communications; incorporate changes into delivery plans and controls.

• Own the Synchrony Plastics Strategy (vision, principles, decision framework, and multi-year roadmap) across card package/design, inventory readiness, kit/envelope options, and alternative fulfillment approaches; ensure alignment to Growth priorities and platform capabilities.

• Create, document, and maintain executive-ready strategy artifacts (e.g., strategy deck, roadmaps, operating assumptions, decision logs, standards, playbooks) that clearly communicate “what we do, why we do it, and how we execute it.”

• Establish strategy governance: define the intake/decisioning process, facilitate executive reviews, capture decisions and rationale, and maintain version control so updates are traceable and audit-ready.

• Translate complex inputs into clear executive narratives by synthesizing perspectives from client teams, Technology, Operations, Compliance, and suppliers into crisp recommendations, tradeoffs, and decision points.

• Lead executive communications for plastics strategy including pre-reads, leadership updates, and operating reviews; ensure messaging is consistent, visually clear, and action-oriented.

• Support additional duties and special projects, as assigned.

Qualifications/Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree required. In lieu of degree, HS Diploma/GED and 8+ years program/project delivery.

• 5+ years of program/project delivery experience leading complex, cross-functional initiatives (marketing activation, customer communications, card lifecycle, or regulated operations preferred).

• 3+ years of people management experience, including coaching/developing delivery talent.

• Demonstrated experience delivering in highly regulated environments with strong controls, documentation discipline, and audit-ready execution.

• Demonstrated ability to develop executive-level strategy materials (PowerPoint narratives, decision memos, roadmaps) that drive alignment and enable leadership decisioning.

• Strong executive communication, stakeholder management, and risk/dependency management skills; ability to drive decisions in a matrixed organization.

• Ability and flexibility to travel for business as required including travel for partner planning and supplier QA events, as needed

Desired Characteristics:

• MBA and/or specialization in finance, operations, technology, or program management.

• Experience leading enterprise delivery governance and scaling repeatable playbooks across multiple clients/initiatives.

• Exceptional executive storytelling and written communication skills; proven ability to synthesize complex, ambiguous inputs into crisp, decision-grade narratives and presentation materials.

• Advanced proficiency in PowerPoint (or equivalent) with a track record of producing high-quality strategy decks for senior leadership and client executives.

Grade/Level: 12

The salary range for this position is 110,000.00 - 185,000.00 USD Annual and is eligible for an annual bonus based on individual and company performance.

Actual compensation offered within the posted salary range will be based upon work experience, skill level or knowledge.

Salaries are adjusted according to market in CA, NY Metro and Seattle.

Our Way of Working:

We’re proud to offer you flexibility. At Synchrony, our way of working allows you to have the option to work from home near one of our Hubs or come into one of our offices. You will be required to commute to your nearest Hub (either virtual or physical) for in-person engagement activities such as regular business or team meetings, training and culture events. 

*Field Sales and some Commercial team roles may have varied location requirements based upon partner obligations or preferences.

Eligibility Requirements:

• You must be 18 years or older

• You must have a high school diploma or equivalent

• You must be willing to take a drug test, submit to a background investigation and submit fingerprints as part of the onboarding process

• You must be able to satisfy the requirements of Section 19 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act.

• New hires (Level 4-7) must have 9 months of continuous service with the company before they are eligible to post on other roles.  Once this new hire time in position requirement is met, the associate will have a minimum 6 months’ time in position before they can post for future non-exempt roles.  Employees, level 8 or greater, must have at least 18 months’ time in position before they can post.  All internal employees must consistently meet performance expectations and have approval from your manager to post (or the approval of your manager and HR if you don’t meet the time in position or performance expectations).

Legal authorization to work in the U.S. is required.  We will not sponsor individuals for employment visas, now or in the future, for this job opening. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status. 

Our Commitment:

When you join us, you’ll be part of an inclusive culture where your individual skills, experience, and voice are not only heard – but valued. Together, we’re building a future where we can all belong, connect, and turn ideals into action. More than 50% of our workforce is engaged in our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), where community and passion intersect to offer a safe space to learn and grow.

This starts when you choose to apply for a role at Synchrony. We ensure all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status. We’re proud to have an award-winning culture for all. 

Reasonable Accommodation Notice:

• Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job or to perform your job. Examples of reasonable accommodation include making a change to the application process or work procedures, providing documents in an alternate format, using a sign language interpreter, or using specialized equipment.

• If you need special accommodations, please call our Career Support Line so that we can discuss your specific situation. We can be reached at 1-866-301-5627.   Representatives are available from 8am – 5pm Monday to Friday, Central Standard Time

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