Senior Strategy Lead, Debit Card

Vanguard Group; Charlotte (NC); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Vanguard is seeking an experienced payments strategy leader to own the debit card product roadmap and go-to-market initiatives. You will work closely with cross-functional teams across Investor, Finance, Risk, Legal, Technology, and Marketing to drive value and client outcomes.

The role emphasizes strategic initiative ownership, vendor management, and data-driven decision making to optimize adoption and performance of debit card capabilities in a hybrid work environment.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of payments strategy experience.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives.
• Strong knowledge of debit card ecosystems, issuer processors and networks.

Responsibilities

• Define and support evolution of the strategic debit card product roadmap (spend enablement, client experience, competitive positioning).
• Support the Director in cross-functional planning across Personal Investor, Advice/Wealth Management, Finance, Risk, Legal, Compliance, Technology, and Marketing.
• Serve as Vanguard’s stakeholder for external vendors for implementation and ongoing vendor management with a focus on network strategy.
• Develop debit card strategy and value proposition, including marketing and go-to-market activities.
• Support development and launch of the debit card and optimize post-launch performance.
• Coordinate governance, reporting, and stakeholder alignment; guide cross-functional delivery teams.

Skills

Payments strategy

Debit card product management

Cross-functional leadership

Stakeholder management

Job description

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Ownership

• Define and support the evolution of the strategic product roadmap of debit card capabilities, including spend enablement, client experience, and competitive positioning.

• Support the the Director in cross-functional planning and execution across Personal Investor, Advice / Wealth Management, Finance, Risk, Controls, Legal, Compliance, Technology, Distribution/Marketing, and other cross functional stakeholders.

• Serve as a key Vanguard stakeholder for external vendors for implementation, integration and ongoing tactical vendor management with a focus on network strategy.

• Support the development of the debit card product strategy & value proposition as well as marketing and go-to-market strategies.

Program Management

• Support the development and launch of the debit card as well as ongoing optimization and performance management post-launch.

• Schedule and coordinate governance routines, reporting, and stakeholder alignment.

• Provide guidance and education to the cross-functional teams involved in delivery and optimization.
• Develop, maintain, and support the creation and management of all critical card related processes and business requirements.

Data-Driven Decision Making

• Support the development and maintenance of KPIs to measure success across adoption, usage, client satisfaction, and operational efficiency; identify and report opportunities to the Director and business leads.

• Leverage data and insights to continuously improve product performance and client outcomes.

Go-to-Market Readiness

• Partner with Marketing, Distribution, Enablement, and Fraud teams to ensure scalable, protected, and successful market delivery of the product.

• Collaborate on the development of crew training, client communications, and support model development as well as cross-sell strategies across segments.

• Identify and assist as needed with resolving operational dependencies, including backend processing, and fraud controls.

Strategic Integration

• Support aligning the debit card strategy within the broader Cash & Savings initiatives including Money Movement Enablement, Product Health Scorecard, and Segment Strategy.

• Ensure seamless integration with advice / wealth management and personal investor segments, supporting use case clarity and positioning.

Participates in special projects and performs other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in payments strategy, preferably debit card product management.

• Proven ability to lead complex, cross-functional initiatives with strategic impact.

• Strong understanding of debit card ecosystems, issuer processors, card networks, vendor management, and client experience design.

• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and analytical skills.

• Experience with fraud prevention, operational risk, and regulatory compliance preferred.

Special Factors

Sponsorship

Vanguard is not offering visa sponsorship for this position.

About Vanguard

At Vanguard, we don't just have a mission—we're on a mission.

To work for the long-term financial wellbeing of our clients. To lead through product and services that transform our clients' lives. To learn and develop our skills as individuals and as a team. From Malvern to Melbourne, our mission drives us forward and inspires us to be our best.

How We Work

Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for the majority of our crew members, designed to capture the benefits of enhanced flexibility while enabling in-person learning, collaboration, and connection. We believe our mission-driven and highly collaborative culture is a critical enabler to support long-term client outcomes and enrich the employee experience.