Job DescriptionThe Head of Elan Strategy & Implementation is responsible for defining, governing, and executing the long-term strategy, roadmap, and transformation agenda for the Elan Program. The Elan Program represents the complete end-to-end value proposition delivered to Financial Institution partners, including products, economics, marketing, technology, integration, servicing, and operational capabilities.
This executive serves as the central architect of Elan's future-state strategy and the primary leader responsible for translating strategic priorities into measurable business outcomes. The role combines strategic planning, market analysis, portfolio management, and enterprise execution leadership to ensure Elan remains the preferred partner for Financial Institutions while accelerating growth, competitiveness, and partner satisfaction.
The leader will work across Product, Sales, Marketing, Technology, Operations, Finance, Risk, and Partner Management functions to identify opportunities, prioritize investments, and drive implementation of transformational initiatives.
Executive Scope
Strategy - Define the Elan Program vision, strategic position, priorities, and multi-year roadmap.
Implementation - Translate priorities into disciplined execution plans, milestones, ownership, and outcomes.
Governance - Create enterprise routines for prioritization, resource alignment, KPI tracking, and decision-making.
Key Responsibilities
1. Define the Elan Program Strategy & Roadmap
- Lead the development and ongoing evolution of a comprehensive strategic roadmap for the Elan Program.
- Define the multi-year vision and strategic direction of the Elan Program.
- Evaluate the competitiveness of Elan's end-to-end offering across products, technology, servicing, integration, economics, and partner experience.
- Assess market trends, competitive dynamics, and emerging opportunities impacting Financial Institution partnerships.
- Develop actionable recommendations that strengthen Elan's market position and differentiation.
- Establish and maintain a prioritized strategic roadmap aligned with Elan's growth objectives.
2. Partner and Market Intelligence
- Serve as the primary strategist evaluating Elan's position from both prospective and existing partner perspectives.
- Prospective partner focus: analyze decision drivers for Financial Institutions evaluating card program partners; identify competitive strengths, weaknesses, objections, and win themes; assess market opportunities, whitespace segments, and acquisition priorities; and recommend capabilities and investments necessary to improve win rates and market penetration.
- Existing partner focus: evaluate partner satisfaction, retention drivers, operational pain points, and growth opportunities; assess current program capabilities and experience; identify opportunities to improve partner economics, growth outcomes, and overall relationship value; and translate partner feedback into strategic priorities and roadmap enhancements.
3. Enterprise Priority Management
- Establish and maintain an integrated view of Elan's strategic, technology, and operational priorities.
- Collect and maintain the enterprise-wide inventory of Elan technology priorities.
- Collect and maintain the enterprise-wide inventory of Elan operational priorities.
- Partner with business leaders to evaluate business cases, benefits, dependencies, and implementation requirements.
- Establish governance processes for prioritization and investment decisions.
- Ensure resource allocation aligns to business strategy and expected value creation.
- Facilitate executive discussions and recommendations regarding initiative sequencing and trade-offs.
4. Strategic Initiative Leadership & Implementation
- Serve as the executive owner for execution of Elan's highest-priority strategic initiatives.
- Translate strategic objectives into implementation plans, milestones, and measurable outcomes.
- Oversee or directly lead execution of complex, cross-functional initiatives.
- Establish program governance, reporting, issue resolution, and executive review routines.
- Drive accountability across functions to ensure commitments are delivered on time and on budget.
- Identify risks, dependencies, and escalation needs while ensuring successful implementation.
- Build implementation frameworks and operating disciplines that accelerate execution across the business.
5. Operating Model & Governance Leadership
- Create the management routines and governance structures required to execute strategy effectively.
- Establish strategic planning and roadmap review processes.
- Develop executive-level dashboards and KPI reporting.
- Lead recurring strategic reviews with the Elan Leadership Team.
- Ensure transparency of initiative progress, milestones, benefits realization, and risks.
- Partner with Finance and leadership teams to align strategic priorities with operating plans and investment budgets.
6. Executive Advisory & Enterprise Influence
- Act as a trusted advisor to the General Manager and Senior Leadership Team.
- Develop strategic analyses, business cases, and recommendations for executive decision-making.
- Prepare executive communications, board materials, strategic updates, and transformation reporting.
- Facilitate alignment across leadership teams on priorities, investments, and resource allocation.
- Serve as a catalyst for organizational change and transformation execution.
Success Measures
Strategic Impact- Quality and effectiveness of Elan Program strategy.
- Strength of strategic roadmap and investment prioritization.
- Improvement in competitive position and partner value proposition.
Execution Excellence- Successful implementation of strategic initiatives.
- Achievement of initiative milestones and target outcomes.
- Reduction of execution delays and organizational friction.
Growth Outcomes- Contribution to partner acquisition and retention objectives.
- Improvement in partner satisfaction and program competitiveness.
- Value creation from implemented initiatives.
Organizational Leadership- Cross-functional leadership effectiveness.
- Executive stakeholder alignment.
- Quality of governance, prioritization, and decision-making processes.
Experience- 12+ years of progressive leadership experience in financial services, payments, card issuing, consulting, strategy, technology, or business transformation.
- Significant experience leading enterprise-wide strategic initiatives and transformation programs.
- Experience developing business strategies and translating them into operational execution.
- Strong understanding of financial institution partnerships, payments, credit cards, or related financial services businesses preferred.
Skills & Competencies- Exceptional strategic thinking and analytical problem-solving abilities.
- Strong executive communication and presentation skills.
- Proven ability to influence without direct authority in highly matrixed organizations.
- Experience leading large-scale cross-functional initiatives.
- Financial and business case development expertise.
- Executive presence and ability to operate with senior leaders both internally and externally.
- Strong program management, governance, and implementation leadership capabilities.
Education- Bachelor's degree required.
- MBA or advanced degree preferred.
Ideal Candidate ProfileThe ideal candidate is equal parts strategist, operator, and transformation leader. They possess the ability to identify where Elan should invest, determine how to win in the market, and then personally drive execution of the initiatives required to achieve those outcomes. They combine consulting-level strategic rigor with a bias for action and a demonstrated ability to deliver complex business transformation results.
Benefits:Our approach to benefits and total rewards considers our team members' whole selves and what may be needed to thrive in and outside work. That's why our benefits are designed to help you and your family boost your health, protect your financial security and give you peace of mind. Our benefits include the following:
- Healthcare (medical, dental, vision)
- Basic term and optional term life insurance
- Short-term and long-term disability
- Pregnancy disability and parental leave
- 401(k) and employer-funded retirement plan
- Paid vacation (from two to five weeks depending on salary grade and tenure)
- Up to 11 paid holiday opportunities
- Adoption assistance
- Sick and Safe Leave accruals of one hour for every 30 worked, up to 80 hours per calendar year unless otherwise provided by law
