Vice President Card Strategy; Hybrid in Syracuse, NY

Empower FCU Purpose

At every stage of life, positively impact members by providing affordable financial services.

Fairness, Integrity & Honesty

• World-Class Employee Experience
• Best-In-Class Member Experience
• Growth for Impact
• Shared Value in the Community

Medical and Dental Insurance, 401K with Employer Match, Holiday Pay, Paid Time Off and more!

We are at our best when we are developing genuine relationships, looking out for one another, freely and honestly sharing information, and working together. We succeed when we rise above our departments, roles, and individual interests to come together, to move forward together. Each of us plays a crucial role in creating a positive work environment and we encourage all our employees to actively contribute to embracing Empower’s values and supporting those around you.

The strength of Empower is in the unique backgrounds, voices, talents, & experiences of each person. With a culture of belonging, we enable teamwork, spark innovation, and fuel success.

All candidates will be subject to a background check to determine employment eligibility. For roles that require an NMLS you may be subject to a credit check.

The Vice President, Card Strategy plays a critical leadership role in advancing the organization's growth strategy by maximizing the value of the credit and debit card portfolios as a primary driver of revenue, cardholder acquisition, engagement, and retention. This leader sets the strategic vision for the card business, delivering innovative, secure, and scalable solutions that accelerate portfolio growth, strengthen member relationships, and enhance the organization's competitive position.

By ensuring card products provide seamless, connected experiences across the entire cardholder lifecycle, from onboarding and everyday spending to digital servicing and dispute resolution, this leader drives increased usage, deeper member loyalty, and sustainable financial performance. The Vice President balances growth objectives with prudent risk management and regulatory compliance while fostering strong partnerships across the enterprise and with external providers to deliver cohesive, market-leading, and future-ready card solutions that contribute meaningfully to organizational revenue and member growth.

Our headquarters are located in Syracuse, NY. This position follows a hybrid work model with a minimum expectation of 5 in-office days per month
. However, due to the collaborative nature of this Vice President role, additional in-office attendance should be expected to support leadership meetings, cross-functional partnership, strategic planning, and other key business initiatives. Candidates must be willing to relocate to and maintain residency in New York State as a condition of employment.

This position offers an annual salary range of $ to $. Actual compensation will be determined based on factors such as experience, education, and relevant qualifications.

• Define and execute the strategic roadmap for credit and debit card portfolios, balancing growth, profitability, and risk.
• Lead product development, enhancements, and lifecycle management across physical and digital channels.
• Optimize portfolio performance through product design, pricing, benefits, and controls that support responsible use and sustainable revenue.

• Identify and deploy solutions that elevate the member experience and improve engagement, efficiency, and financial outcomes.
• Translate member insights into intuitive, easy-to-use card experiences in partnership with Design, Content, and Research teams.
• Ensure card features and journeys are cohesive, connected, and friction-free across the full lifecycle.

• Lead strategy and implementation of commerce solutions such as digital wallets, tokenization, merchant offers, rewards integration, installments, and real-time controls.
• Partner with fintechs, networks, processors, and merchants to expand everyday card utility and drive usage.
• Deliver solutions that grow revenue and engagement while maintaining strong fraud, risk, and compliance controls.

• Monitor portfolio performance using data and analytics (usage, penetration, engagement, losses, fraud, revenue).
• Make data-driven recommendations to improve growth, profitability, risk outcomes, and member experience.
• Own portfolio financials, including budgeting, investment prioritization, vendor economics, and ROI evaluation.

• Work closely with Technology, Operations, Risk, Compliance, Marketing, Finance, and Member Service to ensure solutions are scalable, compliant, and operationally sound.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to executive leadership on card strategy,…