Application Program Manager-Emerging Payment - Director

Job Description

Drive FDE Operating Model

• Drive the FDE delivery model, including a RACI matrix that sets clear accountability between FDE pods, product owners, platform teams, business sponsors, risk partners and external technology partners.
• Run regular operating model health checks and adjust Citi Payment Express pod structures, interfaces and decision forums based on delivery data and stakeholder feedback.
• Cross-Partner Dependency & Ecosystem Management

Delivery and Program Leadership (AI-Augmented Planning)

• Provide leadership across the Citi Payment Express modernization portfolio and its programs. Use AI-assisted planning tools to produce and maintain rolling-wave roadmaps, probabilistic schedules and data-driven estimates, instead of relying only on static plans.
• Build automated, near-real-time portfolio reporting that draws on engineering telemetry (Jira, Git, CI/CD, ServiceNow), and use GenAI to summarize status, highlight trends and draft executive narratives.
• Define and run a lightweight, outcome-based governance cadence: Quarterly Business Reviews, PI/increment planning and portfolio syncs. Base decisions on OKRs and value metrics rather than milestone completion alone.

AI Adoption & New Ways of Working through FDE Pods

• Act as the AI adoption champion for the team. Drive effective, responsible use of approved AI tools across the delivery lifecycle: requirements, coding assistants, test generation, documentation, reporting and risk analysis.
• Build an AI-fluent team through enablement sessions, playbooks, communities of practice and hands-on coaching. Work with AI governance teams to make sure all usage meets firm policy, data classification and model risk requirements.
• Promote modern engineering and delivery practices: product-centric funding, DevSecOps, platform engineering, continuous delivery and value-stream management.

Process Modernization & Continuous Improvement

• Assess business, technology and delivery processes using process mining, value-stream mapping and AI analytics. Find bottlenecks, automation opportunities and candidates for simplifying or retiring legacy systems.
• Apply advanced program management expertise, across Agile at scale, hybrid and product operating models, to drive execution and hit modernization delivery goals.

Stakeholder Partnership & Communication

• Show a deep understanding of client and business functions, their technology needs, and how modernization and AI capabilities can change outcomes for them.
• Act as a trusted advisor to business and technology leaders. Translate complex technical, financial and dependency information into clear, decision-ready insight for executive and steering committee audiences.
• Communicate and collaborate across functions, regions and external partners, building alignment and momentum for the modernization agenda.
• Draw on knowledge of several technology disciplines, including cloud, data, application modernization and infrastructure, to shape and challenge program strategy.

People Leadership, Resourcing & Mentoring

• Lead resource and capacity management across FDE pods and program teams. Use data-driven capacity planning to balance workload, skills and priorities.
• Build an inclusive, high-performing, experimental culture where teams are encouraged to automate, simplify and challenge legacy ways of working.

Analysis, Problem Solving & Decision Support

• Use AI-assisted analysis and scenario modeling to identify issues, compare alternatives (for example build vs. buy vs. partner, or re-platform vs. re-architect) and recommend practical solutions to complex modernization challenges.
• Produce clear, evidence-based recommendations backed by delivery data, financial impact and risk assessment.

Financial Management & Budget Tracking

• Own end-to-end financial tracking of the team's and portfolio's budget, covering planning, forecasting, actuals and variance analysis
• Partner with Finance / BEL on annual budget planning, quarterly reforecasts, headcount planning, chargebacks and vendor cost management.
• Own management of all program dependencies across internal teams and multiple technology partners, such as other Payments and Services tech capabilities providers, system integrators, AWS vendors and enterprise platform teams.
• Keep an integrated, AI-assisted dependency map across the portfolio that shows critical paths, cross-program conflicts and partner delivery risks before they affect timelines.
• Resolve cross-team and cross-partner conflicts quickly and decisively, escalating with clear options and recommendations when needed.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of relevant experience
• 8–10+ years of managerial experience
• Experience with financial products
• Working knowledge of the industry and competitors' products and services
• Advanced knowledge of the strategic direction of the function within the relevant part of the business
• Proficient computer skills with a focus on Microsoft Office applications
• Demonstrated leadership, management and development skills

Role-Specific Experience (Preferred)

• Track record of leading large technology modernization or transformation portfolios with multiple programs and workstreams
• Ownership of multi-million-dollar budgets, including forecasting, variance management and vendor cost control
• Hands-on experience driving AI / GenAI adoption within delivery teams, with measurable outcomes
• Experience running embedded, forward deployed or product-aligned pod delivery models, including defining RACI and decision rights
• Experience managing dependencies and commercial relationships across multiple external technology partners
• Working knowledge of Agile at scale (e.g. SAFe), DevSecOps and modern delivery tooling (Jira, ServiceNow, Power BI or similar)
• Additional certifications such as SAFe, MSP / PgMP, FinOps or cloud / AI practitioner credentials are advantageous

Education

• Bachelor's degree/University degree or equivalent experience
• Master's degree preferred (MBA)
• PMP Certification preferred

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Job Family Group:

Technology

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Job Family:

Applications Development

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Time Type:

Full time

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Primary Location:

Jersey City New Jersey United States

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Primary Location Full Time Salary Range:

$170,000.00 - $300,000.00

In addition to salary, Citi’s offerings may also include, for eligible employees, discretionary and formulaic incentive and retention awards. Citi offers competitive employee benefits, including: medical, dental & vision coverage; 401(k); life, accident, and disability insurance; and wellness programs. Citi also offers paid time off packages, including planned time off (vacation), unplanned time off (sick leave), and paid holidays. For additional information regarding Citi employee benefits, please visit citibenefits.com. Available offerings may vary by jurisdiction, job level, and date of hire.

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Most Relevant Skills

Please see the requirements listed above.

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Other Relevant Skills

For complementary skills, please see above and/or contact the recruiter.

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Anticipated Posting Close Date:

Nov 16, 2026

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Automated Processing and AI

We use automated processing, including artificial intelligence, for our legitimate business interests (or our reasonable and appropriate business purposes) to identify and align the candidate's skills and abilities with a specific job opening. Additionally, if you so choose, or consent, we can match your skills and abilities to other suitable roles at Citi.

Importantly, all our hiring processes and decisions, including determining your suitability for a role, are conducted, checked, and decided by individuals. Our automated processing and AI do not involve relying on automatic or autonomous decision-making. Please refer to any Jurisdictional Considerations, with specific provisions for your country (where relevant) for further details.

Illinois residents – AI Notice and Right

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Citi is an equal opportunity employer, and qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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View Citi’s EEO Policy Statement and the Know Your Rights poster.