Sr. Manager, Project Manager | Signature Experiences Programming Lead

Capital One; Richmond (VA); Hybrid; USD 178,000 - 203,000; Full time

Job summary

Capital One is seeking a Senior Program Manager for Café Signature Experiences to define strategy and lead a team delivering financial wellness programs, including Money & Life. You will scale services, manage dependencies, and drive outcomes that improve customers’ financial well‑being.

The role blends strategic vision with hands‑on governance, requiring executive‑level communication, cross‑functional collaboration, and a test‑and‑learn mindset across the program lifecycle.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree or military experience.
• 5+ years of Project/Program Management experience.
• 2+ years of People Leadership experience.
• 5+ years of experience supporting and partnering with internal business clients.
• Masters / MBA degree preferred.
• 6+ years of Project Management or Project Leadership experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic design, development, and expansion of Financial Health and Community Programs into new markets.
• Oversee end-to-end program management, budgets, risks, and timelines.
• Cultivate robust cross-functional partnerships with key internal stakeholders.
• Provide strategic direction and foster an inclusive, empowering environment for the team.

Skills

Leadership

Program management

Communication

Collaboration

Analytical thinking

Influencing

Prioritization

Coaching/Behavioral science

Empathy

Education

Bachelor’s Degree

Master’s / MBA

Job description

Capital One, a Fortune 500 company and one of the nation’s top 10 banks, offers a broad spectrum of financial products and services to consumers, small businesses, and commercial clients. Our mission is to create one of the nation’s great banks, and we have the necessary ingredients: a strong balance sheet, resilient businesses, a massive customer franchise, strong analytical capabilities, and great people. We nurture a work environment where people with a variety of thoughts, ideas, and backgrounds, guided by our shared Values, come together to make Capital One a great company – and a great place to work.

The Role

As the Senior Program Manager for Café Signature Experiences at Capital One, you will define strategy and lead a high-performing team dedicated to scaling our innovative financial wellness offerings, including our signature Money & Life Program. This is more than a leadership role; it's an opportunity to collaborate with passionate stakeholders and drive outcomes that profoundly impact our customers' financial well-being, transforming lives while contributing to the company's success. Balancing strategic vision with operational excellence, you will champion a test-and-learn mindset throughout the program lifecycle. You will lead critical initiatives from day one, empowering real change and working closely with key partners across the organization.

The ideal candidate is a results-oriented leader who is passionate about customer experience, community engagement, and diversity and inclusion. We are looking for a self-directed problem solver with an advanced ability to manage complex project dependencies, communicate at an executive level, and adapt programmatic frameworks to a changing environment. This role will be responsible for the governance, lifecycle management, and performance tracking of high-impact, mission-driven initiatives.

About the Money & Life Program

The Capital One Money & Life Program is a powerful initiative dedicated to empowering individuals to find purpose and confidence in their financial lives. Our mission is to forge a deeper connection between financial behaviors and life goals, providing accessible, human, and inclusive support that inspires clarity, builds confidence, and accelerates personal progress. It's important to note that this program champions financial wellness, distinctly separate from traditional financial advising or planning. We aim to cultivate profound trust, confidence, and a sense of possibility, meeting individuals wherever they are on their financial journey and helping them unlock their financial potential.

Responsibilities

• Program Design & Innovation:
  • Lead the strategic design, development, and expansion of Financial Health and Community Programs into new markets and scale existing services.
  • Translate innovative program concepts into impactful, scalable experiences, applying structured problem-solving to complex financial well-being challenges.
  • Continuously enhance the customer and ambassador experience by integrating insights from market research and consumer sentiment.
• Resource & Project Management:
  • Oversee end-to-end program management, ensuring deliverables, timelines, and budgets are met while proactively identifying and mitigating risks.
  • Strategically prioritize and optimize the allocation of technology and marketing resources to maximize program awareness, engagement, and impact.
  • Cultivate robust cross-functional partnerships with key internal stakeholders (e.g. Retail Marketing, Design, Learning, Risk, Technology) to ensure seamless program implementation.
  • Leverage exceptional influencing and communication skills to secure stakeholder buy‑in and optimize resource utilization, balancing speed to market with risk management.
• People Leadership:
  • Lead and develop a moderate‑sized team responsible for managing high‑impact, mission‑driven programs in our Cafes, providing strategic direction and fostering an inclusive, empowering, and inspiring environment.
• Customer Outcomes & Strategy:
  • Ensure all community engagements align with Capital One’s core mission and principles -- driving clarity, confidence, and progress for participants.
  • Ground program solutions and recommendations in a deep understanding of internal and external customer needs, embracing a test‑and‑learn mindset to achieve positive financial outcomes.

Our Ideal Candidate Will Have

• Exceptional leadership and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively engage and influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Strong program management and process optimization capabilities, demonstrating a product‑oriented mindset.
• Exceptional communication skills to communicate to diverse audiences using a variety of mediums.
• Strong collaborative problem‑solving skills, driven by the desire to achieve shared business goals.
• A structured, analytical approach to problem‑solving.
• Proven influencing skills to drive initiatives and secure organizational buy‑in.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize initiatives based on diverse value dimensions to identify and remove impediments, ensuring critical path progression.
• Genuine passion or experience in coaching, behavioral science, or adult learning principles, particularly in the context of personal development or financial wellness.
• Profound empathy and a deep understanding of human behavior and motivation related to financial well‑being.

Location

This role is hybrid, based in McLean, VA or Richmond, VA where you will be expected to spend 3 days per week working in office and the remainder of the workweek working virtually.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree or military experience
• At least 5 Years of Project Management or Program Management experience
• At least 2 Years of People Leadership experience
• At least 5 years of experience supporting and partnering with internal business clients

Preferred Qualifications

• Masters / MBA degree
• 6+ years of Project Management or Project Leadership experience
• 3+ years of People Leadership or Organizational Development experience
• PMP, Lean, Agile, or Six Sigma certification
• 1+ years of Design Thinking experience
• Experience in developing or managing programs focused on personal growth, financial literacy (non‑advisory), or life skills

At this time, Capital One will not sponsor a new applicant for employment authorization for this position.

The minimum and maximum full‑time annual salaries for this role are listed below, by location. Please note that this salary information is solely for candidates hired to perform work within one of these locations, and refers to the amount Capital One is willing to pay at the time of this posting. Salaries for part‑time roles will be prorated based upon the agreed upon number of hours to be regularly worked.

McLean, VA: $177,700 - $202,800 for Sr Manager, Project Management

Richmond, VA: $161,500 - $184,300 for Sr Manager, Project Management

Candidates hired to work in other locations will be subject to the pay range associated with that location, and the actual annualized salary amount offered to any candidate at the time of hire will be reflected solely in the candidate’s offer letter.

This role is also eligible to earn performance‑based incentive compensation, which may include cash bonus(es) and/or long‑term incentives (LTI). Incentives could be discretionary or non‑discretionary depending on the plan.

Capital One offers a comprehensive, competitive, and inclusive set of health, financial and other benefits that support your total well‑being. Learn more at the Capital One Careers website. Eligibility varies based on full or part‑time status, exempt or non‑exempt status, and management level.

This role is expected to accept applications for a minimum of 5 business days.

No agencies please.

Capital One is an equal opportunity employer (EOE, including disability/vet) committed to non‑discrimination in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Capital One promotes a drug‑free workplace. Capital One will consider for employment qualified applicants with a criminal history in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable laws regarding criminal background inquiries, including, to the extent applicable, Article 23‑A of the New York Correction Law; San Francisco, California Police Code Article 49, Sections 4901‑4920; New York City’s Fair Chance Act; Philadelphia’s Fair Criminal Records Screening Act; and other applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations regarding criminal background inquiries.

If you have visited our website in search of information on employment opportunities or to apply for a position, and you require an accommodation, please contact Capital One Recruiting at 1‑800‑304‑9102 or via email at [e-mail]. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodations.

Capital One Financial is made up of several different entities. Please note that any position posted in Canada is for Capital One Canada, any position posted in the United Kingdom is for Capital One Europe and any position posted in the Philippines is for Capital One Philippines Service Corp. (COPSSC).