VP of Product (issuing)

• Location: Frankfurt
• Type: Permanent
• Job #16750

VP of Product – Issuing Processing (Europe)

This role can be based in Germany, Italy or the Nordics

A leading European payments technology business is entering a new era, developing a single, scalable and modular pan-European issuing platform for the digital age. This transformative journey will enable banks, corporates, and digital platforms to seamlessly integrate issuing capabilities into their own ecosystems, supporting super-apps, mobility, e-commerce, travel, and more.

Joining this forward-thinking organization, you will manage products that help define the future of issuing in Europe, building an innovative platform that impact the financial services industry. 

Role Overview:
As Head of Product Issuing, you will lead strategy, innovation, and commercial development for a suite of issuing solutions – including credit, debit, prepaid, virtual cards, wallets, and emerging digital services. As a senior leader, you will drive product strategy, foster innovation, and engage with stakeholders at the highest level within the European payments ecosystem.

Key Responsibilities:

• Define and lead end-to-end strategy for the issuing product portfolio (credit, debit, prepaid, virtual cards, tokenization, digital wallets), emphasizing scalability, modularity, and a unified European platform.

• Drive revenue growth through product commercialization, entry into new markets, customer segment expansion, and creation of innovative use cases for banking and corporate clients.

• Champion innovation in areas such as real-time processing, API-based ecosystems, AI/GenAI, digital security, and customer experience to position the company as a leader in open and embedded finance.

• Collaborate with internal teams across technology, operations, legal, compliance, and sales to deliver compliant, differentiated, and scalable solutions for varied market needs.

• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with banks, fintechs, global and domestic card schemes, and technology providers to foster product innovation and expand market reach.

• Oversee the structured execution of issuing strategy across multiple European geographies, providing tools and support to ensure commercial success with multi-country clients.

• Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement in the product community. Promote knowledge sharing and strategic alignment across all regions.

• Evolve team structure and capabilities, developing an international market-leading talent pool.

• Inspire and manage a high-performing, cross-geography product team, nurturing talent and promoting ownership, growth, and excellence.

• Work with cross-functional teams, including brand and communications, to deliver effective marketing initiatives and demand generation.

• Represent the company in industry bodies and working groups (e.g., European Payments Council, card schemes), contributing to the industry evolution and shaping the future of digital payments and card issuing in Europe.

Qualifications:

• Deep, industry-leading expertise in payments or closely related digital finance sectors (insights, trends, merchant and customer behaviors).

• Proven track record in scaling card issuing platforms and launching innovative digital products or related services. 

• Significant experience in successful leadership within complex, multi-national environments.

• In-depth knowledge of card scheme operations, digital onboarding, tokenization, fraud management, and settlement processes would be ideal. 

• Fluent English required; fluency in another European language is advantageous.

• Exceptional stakeholder management and influencing skills.

• Inspirational leader, with ability to operate at both strategic and hands-on levels.