Sr. Lead Partnership Operations Manager - Digital Assets

At Early Warning, we’ve powered and protected the U.S. financial system for over thirty years with cutting-edge solutions like Zelle®, Paze℠, and so much more. As a trusted name in payments, we partner with thousands of institutions to increase access to financial services and protect transactions for hundreds of millions of consumers and small businesses. Positions located in Scottsdale, San Francisco, Chicago, or New York follow a hybrid work model to allow for a more collaborative working environment. Candidates responding to this posting must independently possess the eligibility to work in the United States, for any employer, at the date of hire. This position is ineligible for employment Visa sponsorship. Overall Purpose The Senior Lead Partnership Operations Manager is responsible for driving operational excellence, program execution, and cross-functional coordination across Early Warning's strategic partnerships organization supporting cross-border payment initiatives. This role serves as the operational backbone for strategic partnership initiatives, establishing scalable operating rhythms, governance frameworks, executive communications, and program management practices that enable successful execution of business objectives. Working closely with Product, Partnerships, Engineering, Risk, Compliance, Legal, Treasury, Marketing, and Operations, this role ensures strategic initiatives remain aligned, on schedule, and positioned for successful delivery as Early Warning expands its international payment capabilities. Essential Functions Lead complex, cross-functional partnership initiatives from planning through execution, ensuring delivery against strategic business objectives. Establish and manage operating rhythms across the partnerships organization, including leadership reviews, planning cycles, business updates, and executive communications. Develop and maintain integrated program plans, milestones, dependencies, RAID logs, dashboards, and executive reporting to provide visibility into program health, risks, and delivery progress. Coordinate execution across Product, Engineering, Partnerships, Risk, Compliance, Legal, Treasury, Marketing, Finance, and Operations to ensure alignment on priorities, deliverables, and launch readiness. Drive accountability across internal stakeholders by monitoring commitments, facilitating issue resolution, and proactively identifying execution risks and dependencies. Develop scalable governance processes, documentation standards, operating procedures, and communication frameworks that support the growth of the partnerships organization. Support onboarding and operational readiness of strategic banking, fintech, payment network, and ecosystem partners by coordinating activities across internal business functions. Develop executive presentations, business reviews, steering committee materials, and leadership communications that effectively communicate program status, priorities, risks, and recommendations. Analyze operational performance and partnership metrics to identify trends, improvement opportunities, and execution risks, providing recommendations to leadership. Drive continuous improvement initiatives that simplify processes, improve operational efficiency, and increase organizational effectiveness. Partner closely with Product and Engineering teams to support launch readiness for new cross-border payment capabilities, ensuring dependencies, operational processes, and partnership requirements are successfully coordinated. Support strategic planning, quarterly business reviews, annual operating planning, and organizational prioritization activities across the partnerships organization. Mentor project and program managers, promoting consistent program management standards and operational best practices. Support the company's commitment to risk management and protecting the integrity and confidentiality of systems and data. Minimum Qualifications Education and/or experience typically obtained through completion of a bachelor's degree in Business, Program Management, Finance, Computer Science, or other related fields. Typically 10+ years of progressive experience in program management, partnership operations, product operations, business operations, or related roles. Demonstrated experience leading large-scale cross-functional initiatives within financial services, payments, fintech, or similarly regulated technology environments. Experience coordinating initiatives across Product, Engineering, Operations, Risk, Compliance, and executive leadership. Strong executive communication skills with demonstrated experience developing presentations, dashboards, business reviews, and executive reporting materials. Experience establishing operational governance, business operating rhythms, KPI reporting, and scalable program management processes. Demonstrated ability to influence and drive alignment across matrixed organizations without direct authority. Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills with the ability to manage multiple strategic initiatives simultaneously. Background and drug screen required. Preferred Qualifications MBA or advanced degree. Experience supporting cross-border payment platforms, international banking partnerships, or emerging payment technologies. Experience supporting digital asset-enabled payment capabilities or technology-enabled financial services platforms. Familiarity with financial institution partnerships, payment networks, or global payments infrastructure. Experience supporting product launches or commercialization efforts for complex technology platforms. Experience with Salesforce, TaskRay, Smartsheet, Planview, JIRA, Confluence, or similar enterprise program management tools. The base pay scale for this position in: Phoenix, AZ in USD per year is: $129,000 - $177,000. San Francisco, CA in USD per year is: $154,000 - $213,000. Additionally, candid