Director, Product Development - Agentic Commerce Platform & Product Strategy

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Director, Product Development - Agentic Commerce Platform & Product Strategy

Company: American Express

Location: New York, NY, United States

Job Type: Full time

Category: Product Development / Strategy (Fintech/Payments)

Date Posted: 2026-08-27

Experience Level: 10+ years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the definition and execution of product strategy and platform development for Agentic Commerce, a critical area for future payment innovation.

• Translate the overarching Agentic Commerce vision into a multi-year product roadmap, outlining foundational capabilities, customer experiences, and operating models.

• Leverage American Express's unique network, data assets, and brand to create differentiated digital payment solutions and membership experiences.

• Drive the development of secure, scalable, and trustworthy agent-driven commerce across the Amex ecosystem, integrating AI and agent technologies.

• Foster strong cross-functional alignment and collaboration with product, engineering, risk, policy, operations, legal, network, and commercial teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned within American Express Digital Labs, indicating a focus on innovation, incubation, and scaling of new digital products. The "Agentic Commerce" aspect strongly suggests a focus on AI-driven transactions and automated customer journeys, requiring deep understanding of emerging technologies and their application within a regulated financial services environment. The "Director" title implies significant strategic ownership and leadership responsibilities.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and articulate the multi-year product strategy and roadmap for Agentic Commerce, aligning with broader company objectives and market opportunities.

• Identify, prioritize, and define foundational capabilities, customer experiences, and operating models essential for agent-driven commerce.

• Oversee the development of secure and scalable platform capabilities, ensuring robust authentication, authorization, identity, and risk frameworks.

• Champion the integration of AI and agent technologies into commerce experiences, while maintaining Card Member visibility and control.

• Collaborate closely with engineering, design, and architecture teams to translate product strategy into actionable development plans and technical specifications.

• Engage with legal, compliance, and risk teams to ensure all product development adheres to regulatory requirements and internal policies.

• Partner with commercial and network teams to define go-to-market strategies and commercial models for Agentic Commerce solutions.

• Continuously monitor industry trends, competitive landscape, and emerging technologies in AI, payments, and digital commerce to inform product strategy.

• Drive a customer-centric approach to product development, ensuring solutions deliver tangible value to Card Members, merchants, and partners.

• Measure and report on the performance of Agentic Commerce initiatives, using data to inform future iterations and strategic decisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic vision, product execution, and stakeholder management. Emphasis on "secure and scalable," "trust frameworks," and "regulatory requirements" points to a need for a product leader with experience in regulated industries like payments and fintech. The mention of "AI-powered commerce experiences" and "agent-initiated activity" indicates a forward-looking role focused on emerging transaction models.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Postgraduate degree (Master's or Ph.D.) in a relevant field such as Computer Science, Engineering, Business, or a related discipline. Experience:

• 10+ years of progressive product leadership experience in payments, fintech, digital platforms, or complex technology environments.

• Proven track record of successfully bringing 0-to-1 products to market, from ideation through to scaled deployment.

• Experience navigating and influencing highly matrixed organizations and diverse stakeholder groups. Required Skills:

• Product Strategy & Vision: Demonstrated ability to develop and articulate compelling product strategies and multi-year roadmaps for complex technology initiatives.

• Platform Development Expertise: Deep understanding of platform architecture, API design, and the development lifecycle for scalable, secure technology solutions.

• Payments & Fintech Acumen: Strong knowledge of payments infrastructure, transaction flows, authentication, authorization, identity management, and risk management principles.

• AI & Emerging Technologies: Familiarity with AI, machine learning, large language models (LLMs), and their practical applications in commerce and customer experience.

• Cross-functional Leadership: Proven ability to lead, influence, and align diverse teams (engineering, product, risk, legal, operations, commercial) without direct authority.

• Stakeholder Management: Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to engage effectively with senior executives and external partners.

• Risk & Compliance Mindset: A strong understanding of risk management, regulatory compliance, and security best practices within the financial services industry.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Ability to leverage data analytics to inform product decisions, measure performance, and identify optimization opportunities.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with agentic systems, autonomous agents, or AI-driven decision-making in a commercial context.

• Knowledge of digital wallets, tokenization, and related payment security technologies.

• Familiarity with industry standards and emerging trends in digital identity and secure commerce.

• Experience working within a large, established financial institution or a high-growth fintech startup.

• Executive presence and the ability to represent the company at industry forums.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for 10+ years of experience and a postgraduate degree suggests a senior leadership role. The emphasis on "0-to-1 product development" and navigating "highly matrixed organizations" points to a need for entrepreneurial drive combined with corporate navigation skills. The inclusion of "Fintech," "Payments infrastructure," and "AI technologies" as key skills underscores the specialized nature of this product development role.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Product Strategy & Roadmap Examples: Showcase instances where you've developed and executed comprehensive product strategies and multi-year roadmaps, clearly outlining the problem, solution, and outcomes.

• 0-to-1 Product Development Case Studies: Provide detailed examples of products you've taken from concept to launch, highlighting the innovation process, challenges overcome, and market impact.

• Platform Architecture & API Design: Include documentation or examples illustrating your understanding of scalable platform design, API specifications, and integration strategies.

• Metrics & ROI Demonstration: Present case studies that clearly demonstrate how your product initiatives drove measurable business value, such as revenue growth, cost savings, efficiency gains, or improved customer engagement, with clear ROI calculations.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Examples of how you've mapped, analyzed, and optimized complex workflows, particularly in areas related to payments, commerce, or customer journeys.

• System Implementation & Integration: Documentation or descriptions of successful system implementations and integrations, emphasizing scalability, security, and data integrity.

• Performance Measurement & Analysis: Showcase your approach to defining key performance indicators (KPIs), setting up tracking mechanisms, and analyzing data to drive continuous improvement in product performance.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Director-level role in product development, especially in a complex field like Agentic Commerce, a robust portfolio is critical. It should demonstrate not just strategic thinking but also the ability to translate strategy into tangible, scalable technology solutions with measurable business impact. Emphasis on "0-to-1" and "platform architecture" indicates a need to showcase end-to-end product lifecycle management.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• The estimated salary range for this role in New York, NY is between $144,250 and $256,250 annually. This range is based on industry benchmarks for Director-level Product Development roles in the fintech and payments sector in a major metropolitan area like New York. Factors such as specific experience, qualifications, and internal equity will influence the final offer. Benefits:

• Competitive Base Salaries: A strong foundation for your financial well-being.

• Bonus Incentives: Performance-based bonuses to reward achievement and contribution.

• 6% Company Match on Retirement Savings Plan: Significant support for long-term financial planning (e.g., 401(k) match).

• Free Financial Coaching & Well-being Support: Resources to help manage personal finances and achieve financial goals.

• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, and Disability Benefits: Robust health and welfare coverage for you and your dependents.

• Flexible Working Model (Hybrid): A balance of in-office collaboration and remote flexibility, with specific arrangements determined by role and business needs.

• 20+ Weeks Paid Parental Leave: Generous leave for all parents to support family needs.

• Free Access to Global On-site Wellness Centers: On-site health resources (where available) staffed with medical professionals.

• Healthy Minds Program: Free and confidential counseling and mental health support.

• Career Development & Training Opportunities: Investment in your professional growth through continuous learning and skill development.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time working hours, typically around 40 hours per week. Given the hybrid work model, flexibility may be offered in terms of daily start/end times, provided core business hours and collaboration needs are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is derived from industry standard data for a Director-level role in product development within the financial services sector in New York City. The benefits package is comprehensive and reflects the offerings typically found at large, established corporations like American Express, with a strong emphasis on employee well-being and work-life balance.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services / Payments Technology. American Express operates in a highly regulated and competitive global financial services landscape, with a strong emphasis on trust, security, customer service, and premium brand experiences. The Digital Labs division specifically fosters an entrepreneurial and innovative culture within this established framework.

Company Size: Large Enterprise (likely 10,000+ employees globally), with a significant presence in technology and digital innovation. This size offers resources, stability, and broad impact potential, but also requires navigating complex organizational structures.

Founded: 1850. American Express has a long history of innovation and adaptation, building a strong foundation of trust and a premium brand reputation. This historical context informs its commitment to customer backing and long-term relationships.

Team Structure:

• Digital Labs: This division likely operates with a mix of agile, product-centric teams and more traditional project management structures, focused on rapid prototyping and scaling.