To Apply: Please Send Your Resume and Covering Letter to Neil St. Clair at neil@u-pledge.com with “VP/Head of Product Candidate + Your Name” as the subject. In your covering letter, please address the following questions:
1) Why you want to work at U-Pledge?
2) What has been your biggest product success/failure to date and what did you learn?
3) Where do you gather information and insights on the world of product development? Please be specific.
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U-Pledge is a stealth mode FinTech startup that is addressing the half-a-trillion-dollar underserved donor nonprofit market in the U.S. today. Our mission is to provide more money to more nonprofits to do more good in the world. We accomplish this through our proprietary, and first of its kind, philanthropic credit product.
Founded by three experienced and well-known tech entrepreneurs, U-Pledge has just raised a significant venture capital round from some of the top VC funds in Silicon Valley. We have also partnered with some of the nation’s leading financial institutions and nonprofit organizations. We are now looking for our first product lead to run with our vision and to build the product with scale and speed.
The VP/Head of Product is the most senior member of the product team with a clear arc towards becoming the Chief Product Officer (CPO) as we grow. You will be part of the senior leadership team with a direct reporting line to one of our product-centered co-founders. You will be responsible for initial product development in tandem with our VP of Engineering and tech team.
For our ideal candidate, we are looking for a data-driven and autonomous product leader with deep knowledge and experience in the nonprofit sector and, ideally, the fintech space. If you enjoy working in a fast-paced environment and owning your domain, and if you want to make the world a better place, and work with an experienced and passionate team, then this role may be right for you!
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Duties & Responsibilities
- The role is currently set as a sole contributor with management oversight of several external relationships, including our UX/UI and brand design firm, market research firm, and related technology platforms. In the near-term future, the VP/Head of Product will be expected to recruit, hire, manage, and motivate a best-in-class internal staff, which will include UX/UI designers, junior product managers, product marketers, and data/behavioral scientists, etc.
- This role currently has a significant budget dedicated solely to product development and improvement, including material research and tech platform line items. The VP/Head of Product will be expected to maximize this budget and present future requirements to other members of the leadership team
- Oversee Full Product Portfolio, with an emphasis on Core Product Design, Development, Improvement, and New Product Iteration (including UX/UI)
- Definition, Development, and Ownership of short-term and long-term product roadmap as well as development and ownership of product lifecycle and development framework
- Own virtuous product lifecycle (design-test-fail/succeed-iterate-repeat), including close collaboration with design, engineering, behavioral science, and customer-facing teams. The product lifecycle will be set and executed across a variety of full-stack product definitions (i.e. web, mobile, etc.) and product values, with the goal of having the product team working on next-version iterations and new ideas while engineering codes
- Create data-driven insights and improvements from market research, customer metrics, etc. while developing own set of criteria to maximize product development and outcomes
- Establish a framework for ongoing product insights, evaluations, and behavioral decision processes that optimize customer conversion, experience, and retention
- Develop a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) that define success for the product role at outset and through deployment and continuous improvement
- The VP/Head of Product will not only be expected to execute on U-Pledge’s current vision/roadmap but must also come to the table with ideas of their own to drive forward the growth of the company
- You must be willing and able to help set our early team culture and workplace experience
Experience (Highly Preferred)
- 7+ years of Progressive Product Development & Design Experience with at least 5 years in a Director/VP role
- Deep Experience Building Products for Nonprofits/Donors and/or Financial Services Products at the Go To Market Stage. Must have a material understanding of the nonprofit tech stack and the related partner/integration ecosystem. Separately, a background in fintech/financial services product development is also acceptable
- Proven ability to design, develop, and accelerate multiple product lines, with the demonstrated capacity to iterate and self-develop new inventions
- Ability to work cross-functionally with engineering, design, growth, and other teams–must know when to step on the pedal and push, and when to step back and let others lead
- Part of past deal teams that have successfully raised Series A and beyond and/or led product teams with revenue exceeding $5mm annually
- Previous Experience Working at an Early-Mid Stage, Venture-Backed Startup
- Experience building Donor Management Platforms, Nonprofit CRMs, and/or other donor tools OR Point of Sale Lending and/or Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) products
- Communication and leadership skills at both a technical and business/strategy level, with a strong track record of people and vendor selection/management, internal/external stakeholder management, and strong, ethical representation of company
- Deep-seated ability to align product goals with rapid timelines, budgets, and business objectives/strategy, while also being able to pushback, reset, and self-define where necessary
- Proven ability to develop data insight and interpretation frameworks that lead to exceptional results, including developing/interpreting web analytics, business intelligence, and behavioral frameworks (e.g. nudge behavior) that enhance product-based outcomes
- Experience leading and managing market and behavioral research, including developing and leading highly technical product planning
- Previous experience selecting and managing vendor relationships, partnerships, and integrations with third-party platforms (e.g. CRM)
- Ability to project manage with great accuracy and adherence to goals, timelines, and strategies within a dynamic, rapid iteration, and seamless deployment environment
- Material understanding of nonprofit fundraising cycles, including donor behavior, adoption, retention, and other associated metrics of success for the nonprofit space
- Ability to manage geographically dispersed teams/vendors and/or the desire/ability to relocate to one of our core locations
- Will not be crushed or surprised by the demands of a startup environment with an energetic bi-coastal leadership team
- Be an “A-Player” with demonstrated leadership and network in the product development space, who is also a genuinely caring human being with a desire to combine profit and purpose over a long-term commitment in alignment with U-Pledge’s product and company values
Compensation & Special Benefits
In addition to our traditional compensation model of equity and salary, we also offer additional benefits, including, but not limited to:
- Flexible working location/hours (e.g. work from home + work off hours)
- Company philanthropic match credit up to $1,000 to your favorite nonprofit organization
10-20% Dedicated Innovation Time (internal moonshot lab) - Generous PTO package
- Generous travel package and perks (e.g. company retreats)
- Health Insurance
- Dog-friendly company
- Fun team-building exercises and events and a positive atmosphere and culture
U-Pledge, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer: we value diversity. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.
U-Pledge is only able to hire U.S. citizens or those with the right to work in the United States at this time. We are unable to offer visa sponsorship.
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