Senior Retail Product Manager

Ascend is the largest credit union in Middle Tennessee and one of the largest credit unions in the United States, with over $4 billion in assets. With an occupation-based field of membership, Ascend is focused on the expansion and diversification of the select employee groups it serves, which creates greater security for the credit union and its member-owners. Approximately 650 employees serve more than 265,000 members from 28 Middle Tennessee branch locations, Regional Operations Center, Teller Center and Corporate Headquarters. Ascend recognizes that its employees are critical to the credit union's sustained success and future growth. Our employees are the face of the credit union and their personal successes fuel the success of the team. Through collaboration between employees, management, our membership and our Board, we fuel an engine that propels the credit union forward.

Thank you for your interest in a career with Ascend Federal Credit Union! Being employed by Ascend is vastly different than just holding a job. The credit union prides itself on providing employees rewarding career opportunities, competitive benefits and a unique work culture. The credit union's commitment to its employees is fostered by its commitment to the member-owners, ensuring dedicated and engaged employees to serve the membership. Ascend's vision to be the most loved credit union in our market by employees and members alike has earned the credit union distinctions including Federal Credit Union of the Year (NAFCU, 2015), Best Credit Union to Work For (2016-2026) and Training MVP Awards (2015-2026).

The Senior Retail Product Manager advances Ascend's retail, business, and wealth management product strategy through complex product discovery, development, launch, and optimization. This senior individual contributor combines product management expertise, project management knowledge, advanced analytics, and technical fluency to translate member, market, operational, and financial information into scalable solutions and measurable business outcomes. The role leads high-impact cross-functional initiatives and provides technical guidance to colleagues without direct supervisory responsibility.

What you will do

Lead the strategy, discovery, development, implementation, and optimization of complex retail, business, and wealth management products throughout the product lifecycle.
• Develop product strategies, roadmaps, business cases, requirements, and recommendations that align with organizational goals, member needs, risk considerations, and market opportunities.
• Analyze product and financial performance to identify key drivers, root causes, risks, and opportunities, and recommend actions that improve member value and business outcomes.
• Use SQL, Power BI, Excel, statistical methods, and approved analytical tools to extract and validate data, analyze product performance, and develop scalable dashboards, reports, data models, and decision-support tools; document business logic, definitions, assumptions, and limitations.
• Translate business needs into clear functional, data, integration, and reporting requirements; partner with Technology and data teams to evaluate feasibility, data quality, system dependencies, controls, and implementation options.
• Partner with Operations, Risk, Compliance, Finance, Marketing, Technology, Digital, Member Experience, and other stakeholders to support product launches, enhancements, testing, change readiness, and post-launch optimization.
• Lead structured testing and validation activities, including test planning, acceptance criteria, data validation, defect triage, and measurement of post-implementation outcomes.
• Evaluate market trends, competitive positioning, pricing, member research, digital experiences, emerging technologies, and industry best practices to identify opportunities and inform product and portfolio decisions.
• Create executive-ready analyses and presentations that explain complex product, data, digital, and technology topics in clear business terms and support evidence-based decisions.
• Manage relationships with vendors and third-party partners that support product delivery, data, analytics, and member experience; evaluate service levels, product capabilities, performance, risk, and value.
• Lead complex cross-functional initiatives using sound project management practices, including establishing scope, objectives, roles, milestones, timelines, deliverables, dependencies, risks, issues, communication plans, and change controls; monitor progress and promote stakeholder accountability through implementation.
• Mentor and coach team members, review analytical approaches and work products, and share technical and product management expertise without direct supervisory authority.
• Establish reusable product management and analytical standards, templates, documentation, and quality controls that improve consistency and decision-making.
• Regular and reliable attendance is required.
• Possession of a valid, unrestricted driver's license.
• Read all internal publications, including HUB and Possibilities.
• Perform other duties as required or assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Business, Finance, Marketing, Product Management, Analytics, Management Information Systems, Data Science, or related field required or
• Master's Degree in Business, Finance, Analytics, Data Science, Information Systems, or related field preferred
• 8-10 years experience in product management, product strategy, project management, analytics/reporting, business intelligence, digital product delivery, research/testing, or related disciplines, including responsibility for planning and leading complex cross-functional initiatives required and
• 3-5 years Hands-on experience utilizing SQL and business intelligence or analytical tools to evaluate product performance, solve complex business problems, and influence strategic decisions for regulated banking, credit union, digital payment, or wealth management products. required
• Ability to develop product strategies, roadmaps, portfolio priorities, and business cases aligned with organizational goals, market conditions, and member needs.
• Skill in driving the full product lifecycle from discovery to launch, applying project management tools to establish scope, milestones, timelines, and risk mitigation paths.
• Knowledge of APIs, data flows, system configurations, and technical dependencies to partner effectively with engineering teams and vendors.
• Proficiency in writing intermediate SQL (joins, CTEs, window functions) and building maintainable Power BI dashboards to perform statistical, trend, and cohort analysis.
• Knowledge of data privacy, security, and regulatory compliance frameworks to ensure the responsible and secure handling of organizational and member data.
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate portfolio performance, profitability, pricing models, cost-to-serve, and adoption metrics to identify strategic business opportunities.
• Strong analytical abilities with experience translating complex financial, technical, and analytical insights into clear executive recommendations, while aligning and coaching cross-functional teams without direct authority.
• Excellent written and communication skills required in order to communicate with outside contacts, vendors, and employees.
• Must possess high degree of poise and tact to represent the credit union positively in external contacts, vendors, and employees.

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Ascend Federal Credit Union is an Equal Opportunity Employer.