Card Program Manager

Description

Habemco is a shared services company wholly owned and operated by the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake, a federally recognized Native American tribe located in Northern California. Habemco’s support services such as product development and technology which are needed for business growth, ultimately power the Tribe’s economy, and enable the delivery of education, health care and elder support programs for the Tribal community. Our talented team provides cross-functional support services to various tribal business and government entities. The Habemco team plays a critical role in ensuring a successful future for our customers, our employees, and the Tribe.

Headquartered in a beautiful, yet remote part of California, the Tribe recognizes that to compete in highly competitive industries such as FinTech, the Tribe must access expertise throughout the nation. In addition to employees that work remotely, the Tribe has employees located at its headquarters in Upper Lake, California and at a campus in Lenexa, Kansas.

Employees receive competitive pay and benefits, quarterly performance bonuses and 401(k) with a 4% match. Our team is creative, forward-thinking, passionate and moves fast! Are you ready to grow with us?

Purpose of the Position

Relating to the expansion of Habemco’s Fintech/Payments business, including the launch of a new card program, there is a need for a Program Manager to oversee the establishment of Habemco’s overall development of the product(s) and business/operational processes, procedures, policies, controls, related to these efforts. As Programs are established and Habemco’s portfolio grows, the Program Manager will have ultimate accountability of the daily operations, oversight, servicing, vendor management and governance of the Programs. This individual will work with correspondent Lines of Business (Legal, Compliance, BSA/AML, Finance, Operations, IT/Ops and Marketing). Initially the Program Managers work will be weighted towards establishing the fundamentals of this new line of business, its functions, and tools/processes. As time passes and repeatable models are developed, the position will work toward further process improvement and helping the Line of Business continue to grow. There will ultimately be direct management responsibility for positions such as Product, Business Analyst, Reconciliation Specialist and potentially others as further defined. This individual will help handle the budgeting and expenses of the departments and the card program(s) operations, in addition to managing revenue growth for the card program(s). Incumbent will perform work independently and through collaboration with others. There are no direct reports at this time.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage P&L of Habemco’s Card Banking Program(s).
• Establish, Maintain relationship with Issuing Bank on the build out and Administration of the Habemco DDA Program.
• Troubleshoot and work with outside vendors (Specifically the Issuing Bank and Processor) on issues pertaining to the Habemco card program(s).
• Establish repeatable processes, procedures, and controls related to Habemco’s Card Program(s) (Management of Customer Onboarding, Daily Operations, and periodic Governance Controls).
• Work with Compliance to establish necessary Risk Assessments, Policies, and any other governance documents/processes to ensure Habemco has the proper operational controls to support compliance of regulatory and other compliance related oversight and controls. Where applicable, ensure that clear roles and responsibilities are established for executing said oversight and controls
• Act as the Relationship Manager for the Programs as needed, meeting with the third-party service provider(s) designated point of contact to hold regular reviews of Program Performance and adherence to key measures identified in agreements and servicing arrangements.
• Support regularly scheduled Audits of Programs, including the evaluation of audits and vendor governance reports per individual Program agreements.
• Develop Management Reports to track individual Program performance with cost, revenue, and key performance metrics.
• Assist Compliance and Marketing in the support of reviewing, as needed, document and Program Modifications within specified defined time parameters of each Program.
• Lead product enhancement efforts.
• Participate in Industry forums and product research.
• Assist in the review and final development of program agreements, along with other necessary legal and service matter documents.
• Manage vendors and their contracts that are directly related to Habemco’s Card Program(s).
• Comply with financial services regulations, company policies and procedures as well as completing all assigned compliance and BSA training tailored to their job description or position.
• Demonstrated experience in preparing and presenting information clearly and confidently to all levels of the organization. 
• Ability to travel roughly quarterly for business meetings. 

Education and Experience

Required:

• Bachelor of Science or Arts degree from an accredited university with major in Finance, Business Administration, or some other similar field OR five (5) or more years of direct experience managing programs for Fintech or banking companies. Plus:
• 5+ years of experience in the Card Program Management industry as Program Manager or direct support position.
• 3+ years of experience in the Commercial Banking and/or Payments Industry.
• Ability to travel domestically 25-30%.
• All offers are contingent upon signing a confidentiality agreement and satisfactory completion of drug screening and background checks. Employer observes federal standards for controlled substances.

Preferred:

• Master of Business Administration from an accredited university.
• Experience in an Operational organization.
• Proven experience in working relationships with Commercial Customers.
• Proven experience working with Sponsor Banks.
• Proven experience with Card Networks, associated rules, and payments systems processing (NACHA).

Skills and Abilities

• Effectively prioritizes and executes tasks in a highly productive yet autonomous environment.  
• Strong decision making and problem-solving skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills used in developing effective working relationships and listening skills. 
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, time sensitive, and confidential environment.  
• Excellent communication skills; able to communicate effectively both orally and in writing with professionalism, excellent grammar, respect, and courteousness. 
• Possess a balance of assertiveness and diplomacy along with adaptability to communicate on all levels.
• Strong work ethic and initiative.
• Strong business acumen.
• Experience in leading change initiatives.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to speak, hear, see, and sit; ability to multitask; ability to concentrate, think and learn.
• Ability to work under stress in a demanding environment.
• The employee may occasionally need to lift and/or up to 15 pounds.
• This position is in an office setting that involves everyday risks or discomforts that require normal safety precautions. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

Qualifications