The Strategic Product Portfolio Manager defines and advances enterprise-level Product Operations standards that enable consistent planning, portfolio visibility, and data-informed decision-making across Product and cross-functional R&D teams. Operating with substantial autonomy, this role owns the development of portfolio methods, procedures, metrics, and data standards where established approaches or baselines may not exist. The role evaluates complex, interdependent operational challenges and translates Product operating data into scalable practices and reliable outputs that support Engineering, Finance, Product Marketing, Customer Experience, Sales, and other partner organizations. Through cross-functional influence rather than direct authority, this role drives adoption of portfolio standards and improves the effectiveness, transparency, and alignment of Product operating practices across Alkami.Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Define enterprise Product Operations standards by designing and maintaining portfolio methods, procedures, templates, lifecycle states, readiness criteria, and operating practices that enable consistent execution across cross-functional R&D teams.
• Reinforce Jira as a reliable source of truth for Product and Engineering work by defining required fields, data quality standards, reporting-readiness criteria, backlog hygiene expectations, and governance practices across Product teams.
• Design portfolio measurement frameworks by defining core product and portfolio metrics, selecting evaluation criteria, establishing baselines, and developing reporting approaches that measure planning completeness, delivery performance, data quality, and operational effectiveness.
• Determine methods and sequencing for complex portfolio initiatives by evaluating dependencies, variable factors, organizational constraints, and downstream requirements where established processes or internal precedent do not exist.
• Drive adoption of Product Operations standards across teams by advising Product Managers, scrum teams, Engineering partners, and other stakeholders on complex operating practices and influencing behavior change without direct authority.
• Lead or support quarterly portfolio planning practices by establishing planning readiness requirements, coordinating cross-team inputs, evaluating portfolio dependencies, and improving the quality and consistency of information used for prioritization and execution decisions.
• Develop cross-functional operating contracts by translating Product portfolio information into reliable inputs, definitions, and artifacts that support Finance planning, Product Marketing, Customer Experience, Sales, Engineering, and other downstream business processes.
• Source and synthesize qualitative and quantitative information across partner organizations, translating relevant data and insights to support Product Managers in informed decision-making.
• Analyze portfolio performance and operational health to identify systemic risks, dependencies, trends, gaps, and opportunities requiring changes to portfolio practices or standards.
• Improve roadmap and capacity visibility by establishing the data foundations, governance practices, and reporting structures required to produce trustworthy portfolio views and decision-ready insights.
• Lead complex cross-functional workshops and working sessions by facilitating decisions on portfolio standards, operating processes, prioritization, dependencies, measurement approaches, and implementation plans.
• Develop scalable migration and remediation approaches by assessing legacy backlog data, aging work, inconsistent practices, and other data-quality challenges and defining methods for transitioning teams to established standards.
• Advise stakeholders on complex Product Operations matters by translating portfolio mechanics, operating data, and interdependencies into clear recommendations tailored to technical, business, and executive audiences.
• Evaluate opportunities to improve Product Operations through automation and AI by determining appropriate accountability boundaries, human-review requirements, and use cases for recurring portfolio activities.
• Create executive-ready portfolio materials by developing dashboards, presentations, process flows, decision artifacts, and structured reporting that communicate portfolio health, operational performance, risks, and recommended actions.
• Guide continuous improvement of Product portfolio practices by monitoring adoption and outcomes, evaluating effectiveness against departmental objectives, and evolving standards as business and operating needs change.

Recommended Experience & Education

Minimum Years of Experience

6-10 years of experience in product operations, product portfolio management, strategic planning, business operations, product management, or related technology functions, including experience defining cross-functional operating standards and solving complex portfolio or planning challenges.

Education Level

Bachelor's degree in Business, Information Systems, Computer Science, Finance, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Knowledge, Skills, & Qualifications

Required

• Advanced experience designing product portfolio, Product Operations, planning, or governance practices across multiple cross-functional teams.
• Demonstrated ability to develop new methods, procedures, standards, and evaluation criteria for complex assignments with limited precedent or established baselines.
• Advanced proficiency with Jira and experience establishing data governance, workflow, field, backlog hygiene, or reporting standards within product delivery environments.
• Strong analytical capability with proficiency in spreadsheet tools and reporting or data visualization platforms such as Tableau or Power BI.
• Demonstrated ability to influence adoption and drive alignment across Product, Engineering, and business stakeholders without direct authority.
• Advanced facilitation and communication skills with the ability to advise senior technical, business, and cross-functional stakeholders on complex matters.
• Deep understanding of Agile product delivery, quarterly planning, roadmap management, dependency management, portfolio metrics, and operational performance practices.
• Ability to evaluate complex interdependencies and translate ambiguous business needs into scalable operating models, standards, metrics, and decision frameworks.

Preferred

• Experience in fintech, digital banking, SaaS, or a related technology environment.
• Experience partnering with Finance, Product Marketing, Customer Experience, Sales, or similar functions to establish cross-functional planning inputs and operating practices.
• Experience developing portfolio measurement frameworks, KPI definitions, baselines, executive dashboards, or portfolio analytics.
• Experience leading organizational adoption, process improvement, or change initiatives across teams without direct reporting authority.
• Familiarity with financial modeling, business case development, capacity planning, or strategic investment planning.
• Experience evaluating or implementing automation and AI-enabled workflows within Product Operations or related business processes.

The salary range for this position is: $132,000 - $165,000

Cool Things to Know

Not Just Any Company: Alkami has an awesome diverse and inclusive environment. We have a FUN culture and offer great benefits, including remote-first environment, unlimited paid time off, 401(k) with employer match, and more.

Work Authorization: We cannot offer employment sponsorship at this time. Candidates must be eligible to work in the US for full-time employment.

Recruiters: We are not looking for outside recruiting firms to help us in this search. Thank you for understanding.

Pay Transparency: As of January 1, 2023, new states and locales have enacted pay equity laws that require more pay transparency by employers in the following states: California, Colorado (effective January 1, 2021), Connecticut, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island and Washington.

#LI-REMOTE