Technical Program Manager - Consumer Lending

Golden 1 Credit Union; Sacramento (CA); On-site; USD 113,500 - 123,000; Full time

Job summary

Golden 1 Credit Union is seeking a strategic Technical Program Manager for Consumer Direct Lending to guide lending initiatives from concept to implementation. You will bridge business objectives with technology delivery, vendors, and compliance to achieve measurable outcomes and improved member experiences.

The role requires governance across projects, backlog management, and collaboration with executives and stakeholders while driving operational readiness and risk management.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in related field or equivalent work experience.
• Advanced degree preferred.
• 6+ years of progressive experience in project analysis, coordination, project/program management, product management, digital transformation, solution design, or business planning, including 5 years directly managing initiatives end-to-end.
• 3+ years experience within a financial institution, regulated environment, technology delivery environment, or enterprise project management office preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead and guide cross-functional teams to ensure projects are delivered on time, within scope, and on budget.
• Collaborate with senior management to develop and implement strategic plans.
• Assess and mitigate risks related to projects in partnership with Enterprise Risk Management.
• Focus on enhancing member satisfaction and loyalty through improved services and offerings.
• Ensure projects adhere to applicable laws and regulations.
• Communicate project updates and progress to stakeholders including executives.
• Plan, organize, direct, and manage budgetary activity for upcoming projects and initiatives.
• Develop and execute a comprehensive approach to deliver major products, capabilities, services, system enhancements, and vendor-enabled solutions.
• Define, prioritize, and maintain product backlogs; determine release sequencing and roadmap planning.
• Translate business needs into technical requirements and document user stories with acceptance criteria.
• Guide Scrum teams, clarify requirements, prioritize defects, support testing and validation.
• Conduct research, facilitate vision and validation discussions, evaluate market trends and operational needs.
• Coordinate with technology delivery teams, architects, vendors, and compliance to enable delivery.
• Maintain traceability from business objectives to features, stories, and release decisions.
• Identify opportunities to improve loan origination, vendor integration, and workflows.
• Support test planning, UAT, release readiness, and go-live validation.
• Define product metrics and reporting needs for ongoing improvement.
• Collaborate with vendors and internal teams on integration requirements and SLAs.
• Track project status and outcomes to drive performance improvements.
• Foster cross-functional collaboration and represent the credit union with external partners.
• Stay updated on industry trends and regulatory changes.

Skills

Strategy development

Cross-functional collaboration

Risk management

Stakeholder communication

Team leadership

Product governance

Regulatory compliance awareness

Vendor and integration support

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

Job Title: Technical Program Manager - Consumer Lending

Status: Exempt

Reports to: Director - Consumer Lending Programs

Department: Consumer Direct Lending Ops

Job Code: 12095

Pay Range: $113,500 - $123,000

Who We Are

Golden 1 Credit Union is among the top credit unions in the country. As a member-owned, not-for-profit cooperative, Golden 1 is guided by the credit union philosophy of "people helping people." We are committed to empowering our members and uplifting our communities as we create a more equitable and financially inclusive California. We welcome all who embrace our Core Values.

Who You Are

You are a strategic Technical Program Manager who leads lending initiatives from concept through implementation, connecting business objectives, technical delivery, operational readiness, and measurable outcomes. You serve as a trusted bridge between lending leaders, technology teams, vendors, compliance partners, and operational stakeholders—translating business needs into clear requirements, priorities, delivery plans, and communication that supports informed decision-making. You apply technical expertise, lending knowledge, and strong program governance to solve complex problems, align cross-functional teams, improve systems and workflows, and deliver solutions that enhance the member and team member experience.

What You'll Do

• Project Management: Lead and guide cross-functional teams to ensure projects are delivered on time, within scope, and on budget. This will include collecting and documenting business requirements, performing research, vendor due diligence, ensuring quality user acceptance testing, and overseeing implementations.
• Strategy Development: Align and optimize resource utilization across workstreams in collaboration with leaders. Collaborate with senior management to develop and implement strategic plans that align with the credit union’s objectives.
• Risk Management: Work closely with Enterprise Risk Management teams to assess and mitigate risks associated with projects. Ensure programs and projects are within regulatory and legal requirements, and internal policies.
• Member Experience: Focus on enhancing member satisfaction and loyalty through improved services and offerings.
• Regulatory Compliance: Stay apprised of relevant industry regulations and compliance requirements related to financial services products. Ensure that all projects adhere to applicable laws and regulations.
• Stakeholder Communication: Effectively communicate project updates and progress to stakeholders, including executives, team members, and other relevant parties.
• Resource Allocation: Manage resources efficiently to optimize project outcomes. Plan, organize, direct, and manage budgetary activity for upcoming projects and initiatives.
• Technical Product Ownership: Develop and execute a comprehensive approach to deliver major products, capabilities, services, system enhancements, and vendor-enabled solutions in alignment with business objectives, product roadmaps, strategic priorities, and established success measures.
• Backlog and Release Management: Define, prioritize, and maintain product backlogs with input from key stakeholders; determine release sequencing, support roadmap planning, and balance business value, member impact, risk, funding, resource availability, and delivery dependencies.
• Requirements and User Story Development: Translate business needs into technical requirements, document and prioritize user stories, define acceptance criteria, and perform just-in-time story elaboration with development teams, business partners, and vendors to ensure work is ready for execution.
• Scrum Team Partnership: Provide guidance and direction to Scrum teams and business partners, clarify requirements, resolve questions, prioritize defects or bugs, support testing and validation, and advocate for the business and member experience throughout delivery.
• Product Discovery and Solution Design: Conduct research, facilitate vision and validation discussions with stakeholders, evaluate external market trends and operational needs, identify automated or digital solutions, and help formulate business cases, success criteria, and measurable outcomes.
• Technology Delivery Coordination: Partner with technology delivery teams, solution architects, vendors, operations, compliance, and business stakeholders to evaluate technical feasibility, confirm dependencies, support system design decisions, and remove barriers that may impact delivery timelines or product outcomes.
• Product Requirements and Traceability: Maintain clear traceability from business objectives and regulatory requirements to features, user stories, acceptance criteria, test scenarios, release decisions, and post-implementation results.
• System and Workflow Optimization: Identify opportunities to improve loan origination, vendor integration, member communication, operational workflow, data capture, reporting, and exception management through system configuration, automation, or process redesign.
• Testing and Release Readiness: Support test planning, user acceptance testing, defect triage, release readiness reviews, implementation planning, change impacts, training needs, communication plans, and go-live validation to ensure solutions are adopted successfully and operate as intended.
• Data and Performance Insights: Define product metrics, adoption measures, operational performance indicators, risk indicators, and reporting needs to evaluate product effectiveness, inform prioritization decisions, and support continuous improvement after launch.
• Vendor and Integration Support: Collaborate with vendor partners and internal teams to assess integration requirements, data exchange needs, service-level expectations, operational impacts, implementation risks, and ongoing enhancement opportunities.
• Performance Measurement: Track and evaluate the project status and outcomes, making data-driven decisions to improve performance where necessary.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Build strong relationships with key stakeholders, including internal teams, senior management, members, and external partners. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment and successful execution, gather business requirements, define product specifications, and prioritize feature/functionality development. Act as a subject matter expert on financial products, providing guidance and support to internal and external stakeholders.
• Innovation and Continuous Improvement: Stay up to date with industry trends, emerging technologies, and regulatory changes that impact business units. Update existing and create new programs and strategies, workflows, and introduce stand-alone applications related to systems and processes to advance long term credit union growth.
• Team Leadership: Provide guidance and support to project teams, fostering a collaborative and productive work environment.
• Represent credit union in contacts with business and trade associations, members, and regulatory agencies. Attend business functions, industry conferences, and otherwise promote the credit union’s image.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications And Preferences

• Bachelor's Degree in related field required or
• Equivalent work experience
• Advanced degree preferred
• 6+ years of progressive experience in project analysis, coordination, project/program management, product management, digital transformation, solution design, or business planning, including 5 years directly managing initiatives end-to-end. required
• 3+ years experience within a financial institution, regulated environment, technology delivery environment, or enterprise project management office preferred

Why Join Us

Golden 1 Credit Union provides its employees a market-competitive and internally equitable total rewards compensation package through a variety of programs. These programs are designed to attract, motivate, and retain employees that drive and support the achievement of Our Mission, Vision, and Strategic Goals. The Credit Union is committed a total rewards philosophy built on; a comprehensive compensation package, well-being and work-life balance, career development and growth, rewards and recognition, and a commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. We believe in fostering a workplace where every employee is recognized, valued, and motivated to contribute their best.

Disclaimer/Intent And Function Of Job Descriptions

The above information on this description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by team members within this classification. Because the nature of positions and job functions can change over time, this job description is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all essential functions, duties, responsibilities and qualifications requirements of team members assigned to this job. Job duties may be changed or modified in the Credit Union’s discretion. The Credit Union will keep team members updated on key functions, duties, and requirements of their position by communications from the Credit Union and by updating the job description from time to time. Any team member with questions about the nature of their job duties is encouraged to consult with their supervisor.