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The Director will serve as the strategic owner and program lead for Vanguard’s debit card initiative within the Cash & Savings portfolio. This role will drive the end-to-end strategy, vendor management, operational readiness, and cross-functional alignment required to launch and scale a differentiated debit card experience. The ideal candidate will bring deep and proven expertise in payments, product strategy, and client experience, and will be responsible for translating strategic vision into actionable plans that deliver measurable outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Ownership

+ Define and evolve the strategic roadmap for debit card capabilities, including spend enablement, client experience, and competitive positioning.

+ Lead cross-functional planning and execution across Personal Investor, Advice / Wealth Management, Finance, Risk, Legal, Technology, and Distribution.

+ Serve as the primary liaison to external vendors and internal partners for RFPs, onboarding, integration and ongoing vendor management.

+ Conduct market analysis to inform strategic decisions.

Program Leadership

+ Manage the full lifecycle of the debit card initiative—from concept to launch and ongoing optimization and performance management.

+ Coordinate governance routines, executive reporting, and stakeholder engagement.

+ Provide guidance and mentorship to teams involved in delivery and optimization.

Data-Driven Decision Making

+ Develop and maintain KPIs to measure success across adoption, usage, client satisfaction, and operational efficiency.

+ Leverage data and insights to continuously improve product performance and client outcomes.

Operational Readiness

+ Partner with Enablement, Risk, Money Movement, Customer Service and Fraud teams to ensure scalable, secure, and compliant delivery.

+ Oversee crew training, client communications, and support model development.

+ Identify and assist as needed with resolving operational dependencies, including backend processing, and fraud controls.

Strategic Integration

+ Align debit card strategy with broader Cash & Savings initiatives including Money Movement Enablement, Product Health Scorecard, and Segment Strategy.

+ Ensure seamless integration with advice / wealth management and personal investor segments, supporting use case clarity and positioning.

Participates in special projects and performs other duties as assigned

Qualifications

+ 8+ years of experience in payments strategy, preferably debit card product management.

+ Proven ability to lead complex, cross-functional initiatives with strategic impact.

+ Strong understanding of debit card ecosystems, vendor management, and client experience design.

+ Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and analytical skills.

+ Experience with fraud prevention, operational risk, and regulatory compliance preferred.

+ Graduate degree preferred

+ NACHA certification a plus

Vanguard’s hybrid work model is designed to balance flexibility with collaboration. This role require in-office presence on Tuesdays through Thursdays to foster connection, learning, and teamwork, while Mondays and Fridays offer the option to work remotely.

Special Factors

Sponsorship

Vanguard is not offering visa sponsorship for this position.

About Vanguard

At Vanguard, we don't just have a mission—we're on a mission.

To work for the long-term financial wellbeing of our clients. To lead through product and services that transform our clients' lives. To learn and develop our skills as individuals and as a team. From Malvern to Melbourne, our mission drives us forward and inspires us to be our best.

How We Work

Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for the majority of our crew members, designed to capture the benefits of enhanced flexibility while enabling in-person learning, collaboration, and connection. We believe our mission-driven and highly collaborative culture is a critical enabler to support long-term client outcomes and enrich the employee experience.