Head of Strategic Operations, Product

Candescent is the leading cloud-based digital banking solutions provider for financial institutions. We are transforming digital banking with intelligent, cloud-powered solutions that connect account opening, digital banking, and branch experiences for financial institutions. Our advanced technology and developer tools enable seamless, differentiated customer journeys that elevate trust, service, and innovation. Success here requires flexibility in a fast-paced environment, a client-first mindset, and a commitment to delivering consistent, reliable results as part of a performance-driven, values-led team.  With team members around the world, Candescent is an equal opportunity employer.

The Head of Strategic Operations role sits at the intersection of strategy, finance, and innovation within Product Operations. This leader builds the connective tissue that allows Product to operate with clarity and scale—shaping how we plan, govern, and invest. Equal parts strategist, operator, and innovator, you will lead a team responsible for transformation and governance, pricing & packaging, and product planning & modeling, while also owning the internal AI enablement roadmap that redefines how Product works. By combining hands-on execution with team leadership, you will ensure that Product operates with financial discipline, organizational alignment, and technology-driven efficiency.

What You’ll Lead:

Transformation Operations & Governance

• Drive change management and transformation efforts across strategic product initiatives.
• Develop long-term talent strategy and workforce planning for Product.
• Oversee governance of hiring priorities and tracking across the org.
• Lead communications and storytelling for transformation efforts and the rhythm of business (planning, QBRs, reviews).

Pricing & Packaging

• Establish a centralized hub for pricing and packaging within Product.
• Standardize practices currently handled disparately across the business.
• Own and evolve the product catalogue as a system of record.
• Partner with GTM, Finance, and Product to ensure monetization strategy aligns with customer value and product delivery.

Product Planning & Modeling

• Lead short-term planning for the Product org during its transformation period.
• Build toward longer-term, strategic planning and modeling capabilities.
• Develop financial models to assess cost of product development, ROI, and profitability.
• Enable data-driven decision-making by creating insights, models, and frameworks for leadership.

AI-Driven Operational Efficiency (Player Remit)

• Own the internal AI enablement roadmap for Product Operations, identifying opportunities to accelerate and scale how Product operates.
• Design and implement AI-powered agents, bots, and workflows that drive efficiency across discovery, planning, and execution.
• Enhance product discovery by deploying AI to scan competitors, extract market themes, and generate research inputs for interviews.
• Support prioritization by crafting AI-driven hypotheses, framing problems, and applying scoring models to improve decision confidence.
• Improve communication and prototyping with AI-enabled tools that tailor stakeholder messaging, identify risks early, and create testable product concepts.
• Track and measure adoption of AI tools, ensuring continuous improvement and visible business impact.

Scope & Impact

• In this role, you will shape the operating model for the Product organization, connecting strategy to financial and business outcomes while leading a small, high-impact team.
• You will serve as the integration point across Product, Finance, GTM, and People, ensuring alignment on priorities and execution.
• Beyond governance and planning, you will establish Product Operations as an internal proving ground for AI-enabled efficiency—modeling how automation, agents, and data-driven insights can transform the way we work.
• Ultimately, your work will enable leadership to make faster, better-informed decisions, streamline operations, and create scalable systems that position the Product organization for long-term success.

Key Competencies

• Strategic Leadership: Ability to balance near-term execution with long-term planning and system design.
• Change Management: Expertise in guiding organizations through complex transformations.
• Financial Acumen: Strong understanding of ROI modeling, cost structures, and financial planning.
• AI Fluency: Hands-on experience with emerging AI tools, workflows, and operational applications.
• Cross-Functional Influence: Skilled at partnering across Finance, GTM, and People teams to align priorities.
• Operational Excellence: Track record of building governance, planning, and rhythm of business frameworks that scale.
• Coaching & Team Development: Experience growing talent, delegating effectively, and developing high-performing teams.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Technology, or equivalent

• 10+ years of experience in Product Operations, Business Operations, Strategy, or related fields.

• Proven track record of leading change initiatives and building new functions or teams.
• Hands-on experience with pricing & packaging, product catalogues, or monetization strategy preferred.
• Strong background in planning and financial modeling; ability to partner closely with Finance.
• Demonstrated experience in applying AI/automation to business processes a strong plus.
• Excellent communication and storytelling skills, especially in translating complexity into clarity.
• Experience working in a SaaS or technology company strongly preferred.

Statement to Third Party AgenciesTo ALL recruitment agencies: Candescent only accepts resumes from agencies on the preferred supplier list. Please do not forward resumes to our applicant tracking system, Candescent employees, or any Candescent facility. Candescent is not responsible for any fees or charges associated with unsolicited resumes.