Product Manager - Loans

Summary

Smiley Technologies, Inc. is a community-bank technology company that values a people-first culture. The Product Manager - Loans role is responsible for the planning, design, and delivery of loan-related products and initiatives, serving as a bridge between customer needs and technical execution.

Responsibilities

• Owns assigned lending products and initiatives from concept through implementation and support
• Gathers, documents, and prioritizes business requirements for new features, enhancements, and strategic initiatives
• Works with customers and internal stakeholders to identify opportunities for product improvement and innovation
• Participates in product roadmap planning and prioritization activities
• Evaluates customer feedback, market trends, and regulatory changes that may impact product direction
• Serves as a subject matter expert for loan operations, servicing, administration, and compliance-related topics
• Maintains awareness of lending regulations, industry trends, and banking best practices
• Collaborates with external partners, vendors, and financial institutions to support product initiatives and industry alignment
• Ensures product decisions consider operational efficiency, user experience, and regulatory compliance requirements
• Translates customer needs and business objectives into detailed functional and technical requirements
• Works closely with engineering teams to define Minimum Viable Products (MVPs), user stories, workflows, and acceptance criteria
• Participates in API discussions, integration planning, and solution design efforts
• Supports prioritization decisions by balancing customer value, business impact, technical complexity, and resource constraints
• Assists in troubleshooting, root-cause analysis, and issue resolution for assigned products
• Coordinates and participates in solution testing, including functional, integration, regression, and user acceptance testing
• Develops and maintains test plan, implementation documentation, and training materials
• Supports release readiness activities and ensures successful product deployments
• Works with internal teams to create release notes, support materials, and customer communication plans
• Communicates effectively with customers, executives, developers, support teams, and implementation staff
• Facilitates discussions across technical and non-technical audiences
• Provides regular project updates, identifies risks, and escalates issues when appropriate
• Influences outcomes and drives alignment across multiple teams without direct authority
• Participates in customer meetings, product demonstrations, training sessions, and industry events as needed
• Supports conversion, implementation, and integration efforts related to lending products
• Performs other duties as assigned

Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Computer Science, Information Systems, Business, or a related field and 2+ years of direct banking or fintech experience; or
• 6+ years of progressive banking, financial services, or fintech experience with demonstrated expertise in loan operations, administration, servicing, or compliance
• Strong banking background with experience in loan administration, loan operations, servicing, documentation, or compliance
• Ability to oversee technical aspects of a product lifecycle from concept through delivery
• Proven ability to translate customer needs into actionable technical requirements
• Understanding of software development processes, product management methodologies, and MVP concepts
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to communicate complex concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Strong analytical thinking and problem-solving abilities
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment with competing priorities
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to build productive relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office products (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
• Proficiency in SQL and Power BI
• API integration experience
• Experience working with Jira, Azure DevOps, or similar project management platforms
• Community banking, core banking, or fintech experience
• Experience supporting commercial, consumer, mortgage, agricultural, or specialty lending products
• Prior experience gathering business requirements and working directly with software development teams
• Experience with loan conversions, integrations, or banking system implementations
• Knowledge of regulatory and compliance considerations affecting lending operations

Qualifications

Must Haves

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Computer Science, Information Systems, Business, or a related field and 2+ years of direct banking or fintech experience; or
• 6+ years of progressive banking, financial services, or fintech experience with demonstrated expertise in loan operations, administration, servicing, or compliance
• Strong banking background with experience in loan administration, loan operations, servicing, documentation, or compliance
• Ability to oversee technical aspects of a product lifecycle from concept through delivery
• Proven ability to translate customer needs into actionable technical requirements
• Understanding of software development processes, product management methodologies, and MVP concepts
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to communicate complex concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Strong analytical thinking and problem-solving abilities
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment with competing priorities
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to build productive relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office products (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)

Nice to Haves

• Proficiency in SQL and Power BI
• API integration experience
• Experience working with Jira, Azure DevOps, or similar project management platforms
• Community banking, core banking, or fintech experience
• Experience supporting commercial, consumer, mortgage, agricultural, or specialty lending products
• Prior experience gathering business requirements and working directly with software development teams
• Experience with loan conversions, integrations, or banking system implementations
• Knowledge of regulatory and compliance considerations affecting lending operations

Benefits

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• 401(k)
• Paid time off
• Other employee benefits