Program Manager - Hybrid

Valley Strong Credit Union
Bakersfield, CA
Our Core Values

The credit union is a values-driven organization. Our Core Values are at the center of everything we do and are the driving force behind our mission: We help people and communities prosper.

  • Everyone Counts - We promote a diverse and fair workplace to better serve our Members, Team Members and Communities, fostering an environment of transparency, trust, and respect.
  • Innovate Boldly – We dream big, challenge the status quo, move with agility, and embrace data-driven decisions. We listen and continuously make the impossible possible.
  • Embrace the Fun! – We take joy in our work by welcoming kindness, integrity, and authenticity.

Position Summary

Department

ePMO

Position Summary

The Program Manager is accountable for the planning, execution, and successful delivery of programs and initiatives within the [Lending] [Deposit] [Back Office] portfolio at Valley Strong Credit Union. This role is responsible for managing a diverse portfolio of projects ranging from operational realignment and process optimization to enterprise-wide technology implementations.

The Program Manager leads strategic initiatives using Agile, Waterfall, or hybrid delivery methods, ensures business alignment, and drives change management strategies to support sustainable adoption. This role is critical in balancing capacity and demand to manage a unified program/portfolio roadmap and is instrumental in advancing the organization’s transition from project-centric to product-centric delivery.

Essential Duties

  • Portfolio Leadership & Strategic Alignment
  • Own and evolve the integrated program roadmap for the [Lending] [Deposit] [Back Office] portfolio, encompassing operational, compliance, and member-experience enhancements.
  • Guide prioritization of initiatives in alignment with enterprise strategy and cross-functional dependencies.
  • Manage a diverse range of initiatives, from business process redesign and operating model changes to system upgrades and digital transformations.
  • Program Execution Across Project Types
  • Deliver programs using appropriate methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, hybrid) based on project type, complexity, and team readiness.
  • Drive delivery of both business-driven initiatives (e.g., loan origination process optimization) and technology-led implementations (e.g., core system enhancements, digital self-service tools).
  • Establish and maintain program scope, schedules, budgets, and performance metrics to ensure on-time, on-budget, high-quality outcomes.
  • Facilitate and manage the end-to-end RFP process for third-party product/vendor selection—collaborating with Procurement, Legal, Business, Product, and IT to define requirements, develop scoring frameworks, coordinate vendor demos, and ensure alignment with strategic goals.
  • Oversee vendor evaluation, scoring, and recommendation process through deployment and early performance monitoring.
  • Capacity, Demand & Resource Management
  • Lead portfolio-level capacity and demand planning across business and technology teams.
  • Collaborate with resource owners to assess availability, mitigate conflicts, and adjust timelines or priorities as needed.
  • Maintain portfolio dashboards and capacity models to ensure realistic delivery commitments and transparency.
  • Change Management & Adoption Planning
  • Develop tailored change management strategies to drive awareness, adoption, and behavioral change across stakeholder groups.
  • Partner with Communications, HR, Training, and Business Sponsors to build stakeholder readiness, minimize resistance, and monitor post-implementation effectiveness.
  • Incorporate feedback loops and lessons learned to improve future delivery and adoption strategies.
  • Governance, Communication & Reporting
  • Facilitate executive steering committees and ensure transparent status reporting, risk escalation, and decision-making.
  • Communicate effectively with executive leadership, product owners, project teams, and frontline staff to align expectations and drive accountability.
  • Ensure compliance with internal project governance, documentation standards, and audit-readiness requirements.
  • Additional Qualifications
  • Strong understanding of [Lending] [Deposit] [Back Office] operations and regulatory considerations.
  • Experience in both Agile and traditional Waterfall methodologies, and ability to guide teams in hybrid environments.
  • Deep knowledge of change management frameworks and proven ability to support large-scale organizational change.
  • Proficiency with portfolio and resource planning tools (e.g., Jira, Smartsheet, Tempus, MS Project, or similar).
  • Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Supervisory Responsibilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Education

Min/Preferred

Education Level

Description

Minimum

4 Year / Bachelor's Degree

Information Systems, Finance, Business, or related field; advanced degree or certifications (PMP, CSM, PROSCI) preferred.

Experience

Minimum Years of Experience

Comments

8

8+ years of program and project management experience, with demonstrated success leading large-scale operational and technology initiatives in a credit union or financial services environment.

Language Skills

Ability to read and comprehend instructions, short correspondence, and memos. Ability to write simple correspondence. Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to Members and other Team Members at the organization.

Mathematical Skills

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute dividends and interest. Ability to manage budget (forecasting, and actual tracking and reporting)

Reasoning Ability

Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written or oral form.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a Team Member to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Other Skills And Abilities

Must comply with all Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and other Anti-Money Laundering (AML) laws and regulations, as they pertain to federal guidelines and internal policies and procedures.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, skills, or working conditions.
Posted 2025-11-21

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