Manager, Project Management

Upgrade is a fintech company that provides affordable and responsible credit, mobile banking, and payment products to everyday consumers. We were the fastest growing company in the Americas last year according to the Financial Times and Upgrade Card was the fastest growing credit card in America two years in a row. We have delivered over $33 billion in affordable and responsible credit to our 5.5M customers. The company is backed by some of the most prominent technology investors and was recently valued at $6.3B.

We have built an energizing, collaborative and inclusive culture where team members help each other, learn and innovate to move the company and its customers in the right direction, and own the outcome of their efforts.

Upgrade has been named a “Best Place to Work in the Bay Area” three years in a row, “Top Companies to work for in Arizona” and one of the "Best Engineering Department" awarded annually by Comparably. We've also received recognition for being a best company for Diversity, Women, Culture, and Veterans.

We are looking for new team members who get excited about designing and delivering new and better products to join a team of 1850 talented and dedicated professionals. Come work with us if you like to tackle big problems and make a meaningful difference in people's lives.

About the Role:

We are hiring a results-focused Manager in the Business Programs department to lead the project management team and implement enterprise initiatives with key stakeholders, including Operations, Product, Compliance, Legal, and Senior Leadership. In this role, you will be responsible for overseeing the planning, implementation, and tracking of various projects that align with our strategic goals. You will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams and senior leadership to ensure successful project delivery, fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation.

This will be a hybrid position based in our Phoenix, AZ office.

What You’ll Do:

• Create detailed program frameworks that outline the objectives, scope, and deliverables of each initiative and ensure program frameworks are directly linked to the strategic goals of the organization.
• Oversee and report on all ongoing projects within a program, including tracking performance, managing resources, and ensuring timely delivery of project outcomes.
• Synthesize complex processes and abstract ideas into clear and executable project components, stages, and tasks. 
• Leverage extensive experience with JIRA to optimize project management processes, including customizing workflows and building out the platform to enhance team efficiency and visibility.
• Lead and develop a high-performing project management team, with a focus on hiring, training, and performance to support the growing demands of enterprise initiatives.
• Build and maintain strong, strategic relationships with key stakeholders, including executive leadership, department heads, product owners, and subject matter experts throughout the organization.
• Ensure open communication and alignment on organizational priorities between the project management team and key stakeholders.
• Inspire and lead by example to create a vibrant team culture, employing proven techniques to boost engagement, foster a sense of belonging among team members. 
• Balance meeting cadences with executable actions and ticket management that are reinforced by implicit and explicit timelines.

What You Have: 

• 4+ years in a senior project management or PMO leadership role, with a proven track record of success in managing and leading teams of project managers.
• 8+ years of total project management experience required
• Ability to take high-level strategic direction and effectively translate it into actionable plans, ensuring alignment with business objectives and driving projects from concept to execution.
• Proven ability to establish and maintain positive working relationships with stakeholders at all levels, including executive leadership, and effectively manage stakeholder expectations and communication.
• Experience in a startup, fintech, or fin-serv call center environment preferred.
• Ability to adapt to agile project management methodologies and internal guiding principles required to manage multiple fast-paced projects with dynamic/changeable scope and release timeframes. 
• Highly organized individual with the ability to effectively balance a high volume of tasks of varying degrees of complexity, urgencies, and topics.
• Bring a flexible, positive, and solutions-oriented mindset to everything you do. This is a fast-paced environment that best suits individuals with the energy and willingness to tackle a variety of needs from our operations.
• Sense of ownership and responsibility towards troubleshooting issues and solutions with a self-motivation to accept and complete tasks.

What We Offer You:

• Competitive salary and stock option plan
• 100% paid coverage of medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Flexible PTO
• Opportunities for professional growth and development
• Paid parental leave
• Health & wellness initiative

#LI-Hybrid #BI-Hybrid 

The starting pay for this position in Phoenix, Arizona is USD $120,000 annually and benefits. Within this range, an individual's base pay will be dependent on a variety of factors, including without limitation, job-related knowledge, skills, education, and experience.

For California residents: Upgrade's California Notice at Collection and Privacy Policy describes our practices regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of the personal information of job applicants.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.