Manager, Product Strategy - Engage Point

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Manager, Product Strategy - Engage Point

Company: Velera

Location: Remote - USA

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Strategy / Fintech Operations

Date Posted: 2026-06-08

Experience Level: 10+ Years

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the strategic vision and product roadmap for Velera's consumer-facing fintech solutions, focusing on enhancing digital experiences and member servicing within the credit union and banking sectors.

• Lead comprehensive market analysis, feasibility studies, and competitive assessments to identify high-value product opportunities and ensure market-leading positioning.

• Develop and execute strategic business plans, marketing initiatives, and budgets to achieve revenue, profitability, and market penetration goals for assigned product groups.

• Foster strong cross-functional collaboration with Product Management, IT, Project Management, and external partners to align product development with target architecture and business objectives.

• Provide strong leadership and mentorship to product strategy staff, guiding them in backlog prioritization, execution, and the achievement of product value metrics.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a strategic leadership position within product management, with a strong emphasis on market analysis, business planning, and cross-functional execution. While not explicitly a "Revenue Operations" or "Sales Operations" title, the responsibilities heavily intersect with GTM strategy, product-market fit, and driving commercial success, making it highly relevant for operations professionals with a strategic product focus. The "Engage Point" designation suggests a focus on customer interaction points and digital engagement strategies.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Product Vision & Strategy: Define and articulate the product vision, strategy, and long-term roadmap for consumer-facing fintech solutions, ensuring alignment with Velera's mission and partner needs.

• Market & Competitive Analysis: Conduct in-depth analysis of market problems, industry trends, competitor offerings, and emerging technologies in consumer servicing and digital experience to inform product direction and identify growth opportunities.

• Strategic Planning & Execution: Develop, implement, and manage strategic business plans, marketing plans, and budgets for assigned product areas, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and driving profitability and penetration.

• Product Roadmap & Prioritization: Oversee the creation and prioritization of the product backlog, working closely with Product Management and IT to define target architecture and make critical trade-off decisions between business value, technical feasibility, and infrastructure complexity.

• Stakeholder Management & Collaboration: Facilitate discussions and build consensus with key internal and external stakeholders, including executive leadership, core providers, and technology partners (e.g., Fiserv, FIS, MasterCard, Visa), to gain commitment and drive product success.

• Revenue & Profitability Forecasting: Direct revenue and profitability forecasting by gathering and analyzing internal capabilities, market demand, and competitive intelligence.

• Commercialization & Sales Support: Oversee commercialization efforts, including sales support and go-to-market strategies, to ensure successful product launches and adoption.

• Staff Leadership & Development: Provide direction, coaching, and mentorship to product strategy staff, fostering their professional growth and ensuring compliance with processes and procedures.

• Regulatory & Compliance Oversight: Ensure product strategies and implementations adhere to relevant compliance and regulatory requirements within the financial services industry.

• Partner Relationship Management: Develop and maintain strong relationships with key partners and advisory groups to enhance product offerings and market reach.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities clearly indicate a need for strategic thinking, market intelligence gathering, and cross-functional leadership. For operations professionals, this translates to a focus on understanding the "why" behind product development, translating market needs into actionable plans, and ensuring operational readiness for product launches and ongoing management. The emphasis on partner relationships and specific technology providers (Fiserv, FIS) highlights the importance of understanding the fintech ecosystem.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Finance, or a related field. Master's degree or MBA is a strong plus. Experience:

• Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in product management, product marketing, or strategic planning, with a significant portion within the financial services industry.

• Demonstrated experience in developing and implementing strategic business plans and budgets.

• Proven track record of successfully bringing consumer-facing digital products to market.

• Experience with origination solutions, loan underwriting processes, and standards is highly preferred. Required Skills:

• Product Strategy Development: Ability to define product vision, strategy, and roadmap based on market analysis and business objectives.

• Market Analysis & Research: Expertise in conducting market studies, feasibility analyses, and competitive intelligence gathering.

• Financial Services & Fintech Acumen: Deep understanding of the credit union, banking industries, and emerging fintech trends, particularly in consumer servicing and digital experiences.

• Business Planning & Budgeting: Proven ability to develop comprehensive business plans and manage budgets effectively.

• Stakeholder Management & Communication: Excellent skills in facilitating discussions, building consensus, and communicating effectively with diverse groups, including executives and external partners.

• Leadership & Team Development: Demonstrated ability to lead, mentor, and develop staff, fostering a high-performing team environment.

• Product Lifecycle Management: Understanding of the end-to-end product lifecycle, from ideation and development to launch and post-launch optimization.

• Regulatory Compliance: Knowledge of compliance and regulatory influences within the financial services sector.

Preferred Skills:

• Origination & Underwriting Expertise: Specific experience with loan origination systems and underwriting processes.

• Digital Experience Design: Familiarity with UX/UI principles and best practices for digital consumer interfaces.

• Agile/Scrum Methodologies: Experience working within agile development frameworks.

• CRM & Marketing Automation Tools: Proficiency in using CRM and marketing automation platforms for product strategy and execution.

• Data Analysis & Interpretation: Ability to analyze product performance metrics and market data to drive strategic decisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience requirement of "10+" years, coupled with the specific industry and functional demands, indicates this is a senior-level role. For operations professionals, highlighting experience in process optimization, GTM strategy, and cross-functional project management, even if not directly in a "Product Manager" title, will be crucial. Emphasize any experience in translating business requirements into technical specifications or operational workflows.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Product Strategy Case Studies: Showcase examples of developed product strategies, including market analysis, competitive positioning, and go-to-market plans.

• Business Plan & Budget Samples: Present evidence of developing and managing strategic business plans and budgets, demonstrating financial acumen and strategic foresight.

• Product Roadmap Examples: Illustrate experience in creating and prioritizing product roadmaps, detailing how objectives were translated into actionable development plans.

• Market Opportunity Assessments: Include examples of how market data and competitive analysis were used to identify and capitalize on new product opportunities.

• Cross-Functional Project Leadership: Demonstrate instances where you led product initiatives that required significant collaboration across departments like IT, Marketing, Sales, and Operations.

Process Documentation:

• Strategic Planning Frameworks: Document the methodologies used for strategic planning, including market research, SWOT analysis, and objective setting.

• Product Development Workflow: Outline a typical process for product ideation, development, testing, launch, and iteration, highlighting key decision points and operational handoffs.

• Go-to-Market Strategy Design: Detail the process for developing and executing go-to-market plans, including positioning, messaging, channel strategy, and sales enablement.

• Performance Measurement & Reporting: Describe how product performance is measured, tracked, and reported, including key metrics and reporting cadences.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should prepare a portfolio that demonstrates their strategic thinking, planning capabilities, and execution oversight. For operations professionals, this means framing their experience through the lens of process efficiency, system enablement, and driving measurable business outcomes tied to product strategy. Focus on how processes were optimized or implemented to support product goals.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $117,000 - $152,100 annually

Explanation of Range: This range is based on the provided salary information for a Manager, Product Strategy role in the US, reflecting the seniority and specialized experience required. The final compensation will be adjusted based on the candidate's verified experience, skills, qualifications, and other job-related factors.

Benefits:

• Competitive wages

• Medical Insurance with telemedicine services

• Dental and Vision Insurance

• Basic and Optional Life Insurance

• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO)

• Comprehensive Leave Policies: Maternity, Parental, Family Care, and Community Volunteer Time Off

• 12 Paid Holidays

• Company-Paid Disability Insurance

• 401k Retirement Plan with employer match

• Health Savings Accounts (HSA) with company contributions

• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)

• Supplemental Insurance options

• Robust Mental Health and Well-being Support: Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

• Educational Support: Tuition Reimbursement and Wellness Program

• Benefits are subject to eligibility, waiting periods, and other conditions as generally applicable.

Working Hours: 40 hours per week (standard full-time)

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is competitive for a managerial role with extensive experience in a specialized field like fintech product strategy. The benefits package is comprehensive, indicating a commitment to employee well-being and professional development, which is attractive to operations professionals seeking stability and growth.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Technology (Fintech), Credit Union Service Organization (CUSO)

Company Size: Velera serves over 4,000 financial institutions, indicating a significant operational footprint and influence within the North American financial services sector. While exact employee count isn't provided, its role as a "premier payments credit union service organization" suggests a substantial, potentially enterprise-level, organization.

Founded: The founding date is not specified, but the company's positioning as an "integrated fintech solutions provider" and its focus on innovation suggest a dynamic and forward-thinking environment.

Team Structure:

• Product Strategy Team: This team likely operates within a broader Product Management or GTM organization, focusing on the strategic direction of specific product lines.

• Reporting Structure: The Manager will likely report to a Director or VP of Product Management or Product Strategy, with direct reports comprising product strategists or analysts.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Expect close collaboration with Product Development/Engineering, Marketing, Sales, Legal, Compliance, and Operations teams to ensure successful product lifecycle management.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Velera emphasizes "velocity" and innovation, suggesting a data-informed approach to product development and strategy.

• Partner-Centric Approach: The company's purpose is to "accelerate partners’ success," indicating a strong focus on understanding and meeting the needs of financial institutions.

• Agile & Iterative Development: The mention of prioritizing product backlogs and roadmaps implies an agile or iterative approach to product evolution.

Company Website: https://www.velera.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Velera operates within a critical sector of the financial industry, providing essential technology solutions to credit unions and financial institutions. For operations professionals, this means understanding the regulatory landscape, the importance of reliability and security, and the drive for innovation to help partners thrive in a competitive market.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is a Managerial position, sitting at a mid-to-senior level within Product Strategy. It requires a blend of strategic thinking, market expertise, and leadership capabilities. It's a crucial role for translating high-level business objectives into tangible product roadmaps and market strategies.

Reporting Structure: The Manager, Product Strategy will likely report to a Director or VP of Product Management or a similar senior leadership role within the Product or GTM organization. They will have direct reports, managing a team of product strategists or analysts responsible for specific product areas.

Operations Impact: This role has a significant impact on revenue and business decisions by:

• Defining the strategic direction of products that directly serve Velera's partners and clients.

• Driving product adoption and market penetration, which directly influences revenue growth.

• Ensuring product offerings are competitive and meet evolving market demands, thereby maintaining and expanding market share.

• Identifying and prioritizing high-yield opportunities that contribute to profitability. Growth Opportunities:

• Vertical Progression: Advancement to Director or VP of Product Management, overseeing larger product portfolios or multiple product teams.

• Horizontal Mobility: Opportunities to move into related strategic roles within Product Marketing, Business Development, or GTM leadership.

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific areas of fintech, such as payments, digital banking, or lending solutions.

• Leadership Development: Opportunities for leadership training, mentorship programs, and managing larger teams, preparing for more expansive leadership roles.

📝 Enhancement Note: For operations professionals, this role offers a pathway to bridge the gap between operational execution and strategic product development. It's an opportunity to influence product direction based on market insights and operational feasibility, leading to broader strategic leadership roles.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Velera operates with a "remote-first, flexible environment," indicating that this role is fully remote, allowing employees to work from anywhere within the United States.

Office Location(s): While the role is remote-USA, Velera's operational presence and potential for future hybrid or in-person collaboration might exist in various locations within North America, as they serve financial institutions throughout the continent.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: Despite being remote-first, the company emphasizes "fostering meaningful connection across our teams" and "psychological safety, wellbeing and belonging," suggesting a culture that supports virtual collaboration and team engagement.

• Operations Tools & Technology: As a fintech provider, expect a robust technology stack. The remote nature implies reliance on modern collaboration tools (e.g., Slack, Teams, Zoom) and advanced project/product management software.

• Team Interaction: Regular virtual meetings, team syncs, and cross-functional project calls will be the primary modes of interaction.

Work Schedule: Standard 40-hour work week, with flexibility inherent in a remote-first environment. The focus will be on achieving objectives and delivering results rather than strict adherence to office hours, crucial for operations professionals managing complex workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote-first nature of Velera is a significant draw for many professionals. It requires strong self-discipline, excellent communication skills, and proficiency with remote collaboration tools. Operations professionals will need to maintain strong virtual team dynamics and ensure seamless information flow across distributed teams.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review applications and conduct an initial screening call to assess basic qualifications and cultural fit.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A deeper dive into your experience, strategic thinking, leadership style, and understanding of the fintech market. Be prepared to discuss your approach to product strategy and market analysis.

• Panel Interview(s): Interviews with key stakeholders, potentially including peers in Product Management, Engineering, Marketing, or Sales. These sessions will assess your ability to collaborate, problem-solve, and align with team objectives.

• Case Study or Presentation: You may be asked to present a case study on a past product strategy initiative, a market analysis, or a proposed strategy for a hypothetical scenario. This is a critical opportunity to showcase your portfolio.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior executive (e.g., VP Product) to discuss overall fit, strategic vision, and long-term potential.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 of your most impactful projects that best demonstrate your experience in product strategy, market analysis, and driving business results within financial services.

• Quantify Impact: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your solution, the processes you implemented or optimized, and the measurable outcomes (e.g., revenue growth, market share increase, cost reduction, efficiency gains). Use numbers and data wherever possible.

• Showcase Process Thinking: For operations professionals, highlight how you approached process design, optimization, or implementation to support product goals. Detail workflow improvements, system integrations, or operational efficiencies achieved.

• Tell a Story: Frame your portfolio pieces as compelling narratives. Explain the context, your role, the challenges, your strategic approach, and the successful resolution.

• Tailor to Velera: Research Velera's current offerings and strategic priorities. If possible, subtly tailor your examples to align with their business and industry focus.

Challenge Preparation:

• Market Analysis: Be ready to analyze a given market scenario or Velera's product landscape and propose strategic recommendations.

• Roadmap Prioritization: Prepare to discuss how you would prioritize a product backlog or roadmap given competing demands and limited resources.

• Stakeholder Alignment: Practice articulating your strategic vision and justifying your recommendations to different types of stakeholders (e.g., technical teams, sales teams, executives).

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will likely focus heavily on strategic thinking, market knowledge, and leadership. For operations professionals transitioning or applying their skills, it's essential to highlight how their operational expertise supports product strategy, drives efficiency, and contributes to measurable business outcomes. The portfolio is your primary tool for demonstrating this.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Product Management Platforms: Tools like Jira, Confluence, Aha!, Productboard for roadmap planning, backlog management, and documentation.

• CRM Systems: Salesforce, HubSpot, or similar for understanding customer interactions, sales pipelines, and market segmentation.

• Data Analysis & BI Tools: Tableau, Power BI, Looker, or advanced Excel for analyzing market data, product performance metrics, and financial forecasts.

• Collaboration Suites: Microsoft 365 (Teams, SharePoint), Google Workspace for day-to-day communication and document sharing.

• Market Research Tools: Access to industry reports, competitive intelligence platforms, and potentially survey tools (e.g., SurveyMonkey).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics: Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics for understanding digital product usage and user behavior.

• Financial Reporting Tools: Internal ERP or financial software for revenue and profitability tracking.

• Dashboarding Tools: Tableau, Power BI, or similar for creating and presenting performance dashboards to stakeholders.

CRM & Automation:

• Marketing Automation: Marketo, Pardot, HubSpot for understanding customer journeys and engagement strategies.

• Integration Platforms: Familiarity with how different systems (CRM, product platforms, financial systems) integrate is beneficial.

📝 Enhancement Note: While not explicitly listed, the role's nature implies proficiency with a wide array of digital tools. Operations professionals should highlight their expertise in data analysis, CRM management, and any experience with product management or collaboration software, demonstrating their ability to leverage technology for strategic product success.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Innovation & Velocity: Velera prioritizes operating with "velocity to help our clients keep pace with the rapid momentum of change," suggesting a culture that embraces new ideas and swift execution.

• People-Helping-People: This core philosophy underpins the company's approach, emphasizing collaboration, support, and a strong sense of community, even in a remote setting.

• Inclusion & Belonging: Velera actively cultivates a diverse workforce where all employees feel "valued, respected and empowered," fostering psychological safety and well-being.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: The focus on "accelerating partners’ success through innovative financial technology solutions" implies a reliance on data to inform strategies and measure impact.

• Accountability & Ownership: The role's description highlights "ultimate accountability for the performance and expansion of Velera’s consumer facing solutions," pointing to a culture that values ownership and results.

Collaboration Style:

• Remote-First & Flexible: Emphasizes asynchronous communication and leveraging technology to maintain connection and collaboration across distributed teams.

• Cross-Functional Integration: Strong emphasis on working across departments to achieve common goals, requiring effective communication and partnership.

• Open Communication: The culture of inclusion and psychological safety suggests an environment where feedback is encouraged, and diverse perspectives are valued.

• Partner-Focused: Collaboration extends to external partners, requiring strong relationship-building and communication skills.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's "people-helping-people" and "remote-first" ethos are key cultural differentiators. Operations professionals will find a supportive environment that values individual well-being and collaborative problem-solving, even from a distance. Demonstrating alignment with these values during the interview process will be crucial.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating a Rapidly Evolving Fintech Landscape: Staying ahead of technological advancements, regulatory changes, and competitive pressures in the financial technology sector.

• Balancing Stakeholder Needs: Aligning the diverse requirements of credit unions, end-consumers, internal teams (IT, Sales, Marketing), and regulatory bodies.

• Driving Adoption in a Diverse Partner Base: Ensuring that new product strategies and features are effectively adopted by a wide range of financial institutions with varying technical capabilities.

• Maintaining Remote Team Cohesion: Fostering a strong team culture and effective collaboration in a fully remote work environment.

• Translating Market Insights into Actionable Roadmaps: Effectively synthesizing market data and competitive intelligence into concrete, prioritized product development plans.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Fintech Industry Expertise: Deepen knowledge of credit union operations, payment systems, digital banking, and regulatory frameworks.

• Product Strategy & Management Skills: Enhance capabilities in market analysis, roadmap development, competitive strategy, and product lifecycle management.

• Leadership & People Management: Develop skills in leading and mentoring teams, particularly in a remote setting.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Gain experience working with diverse teams across a large fintech organization.

• Industry Conferences & Networking: Opportunities to attend industry events and build a professional network within the fintech and credit union space.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role presents significant challenges and rewards. Operations professionals looking to move into more strategic product-focused roles will find ample opportunity to apply their analytical and problem-solving skills to complex, high-impact challenges within the dynamic fintech industry.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your process for developing a product strategy for a new fintech solution, from initial market research to roadmap prioritization. How do you ensure alignment with business goals and operational feasibility?" (Focus on your structured approach, data sources, and cross-functional involvement).

• "How would you assess the competitive landscape for consumer-facing digital banking solutions? What key metrics would you prioritize for measuring product success and market penetration?" (Highlight your analytical skills and understanding of key performance indicators).

• "Walk us through a time you had to make a difficult trade-off decision on a product roadmap, balancing business value, technical constraints, and stakeholder demands. What was your decision-making process, and what was the outcome?" (Demonstrate your strategic decision-making and negotiation skills). Company & Culture Questions:

• "Based on your research, what do you see as Velera's key strengths and potential areas for growth in the current fintech market?" (Show you've done your homework on the company and its competitive position).

• "How do you foster a collaborative and inclusive environment within a remote team?" (Align your answer with Velera's remote-first and people-helping-people values).

• "How do you ensure that product strategies are effectively communicated and adopted by sales, marketing, and operational teams?" (Emphasize your communication and change management skills). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: For each portfolio piece, use a STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) or similar framework. Clearly define the problem, your strategic approach, the specific actions you took (including any process optimization), and the quantifiable results.

• Focus on Operations Link: For operations professionals, explicitly connect your strategic decisions to operational execution, efficiency gains, or system enablement. For example, "My strategy to streamline the onboarding process led to a 20% reduction in manual data entry by implementing X system integration, reducing operational costs."

• Visual Aids: If presenting digitally, use clear, concise slides with key data points, charts, and diagrams to illustrate your strategy and outcomes. Avoid text-heavy slides.

• Anticipate Questions: Be prepared to answer detailed questions about your methodology, challenges encountered, and how you would adapt your approach to Velera's specific context.

📝 Enhancement Note: Prepare to discuss your experience in terms of strategic impact and operational efficiency. For operations candidates, focus on how your process improvements, system implementations, and data-driven insights directly contributed to product success and business objectives.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations-adjacent product strategy position:

• Submit your application through the Velera Careers portal via the provided link.

• Tailor your Resume: Highlight achievements and experiences that directly align with product strategy, market analysis, financial services, leadership, and business planning. Use keywords from the job description and incorporate operations-specific accomplishments where relevant (e.g., "Implemented process improvements that increased product launch efficiency by X%").

• Prepare Your Portfolio: Curate a concise portfolio showcasing 2-3 key projects. Focus on strategic impact, measurable results, and any process optimization or operational considerations you managed. Be ready to present this during the interview process.

• Research Velera: Understand their mission, values, key products, and recent news. Familiarize yourself with the credit union and fintech landscape they operate in.

• Practice Interview Responses: Prepare for strategic, behavioral, and situational questions, especially those related to product strategy, market analysis, leadership, and cross-functional collaboration. Rehearse your portfolio presentation.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.