Vice President, Head of Product

At Koalafi, we believe in a world where no one has to put an important purchase on hold. That’s why we’re making it easier for more people to pay for big purchases over time.

Retailers across the country rely on us to offer flexible lease-to-own financing to their non-prime consumers, while increasing sales and strengthening customer loyalty. Their 2M+ customers love us because we provide a flexible way for them to make payments and give them an opportunity to improve their credit. Our 200+ Koalafi teammates enjoy inspiring and challenging work that accelerates their careers.

Interested in learning more about how we’re transforming the financing experience and joining our team?

About the Role

Koalafi is seeking a strategic and transformational Vice President of Product to lead our Product organization, which includes both Product Management and Product Design functions. Reporting to the CPTO, this executive will be responsible for the company-wide product strategy and roadmap, partnering closely with the CPTO and executive leadership team to shape the long-term direction of the business.

As our VP of Product, you will lead a team of 6 direct reports and oversee the broader Product organization. You will elevate product thinking across the company, strengthen discovery and execution capabilities, and ensure our roadmap drives measurable customer and business outcomes.

This role requires both visionary leadership and operational discipline, combining customer empathy, analytical rigor, and strategic judgment in a fintech environment where growth must be balanced with risk, compliance, and long-term portfolio performance.

What You’ll Do

Product Strategy & Business Impact

Co-create and refine Koalafi’s long-term product vision in partnership with the CPTO

Define and own a multi-year product strategy aligned to company growth and profitability goals

Translate strategic priorities into a clear, outcome-driven roadmap across product lines

Identify new market opportunities, platform investments, and innovation bets

Serve as the voice of Product in company-level strategic planning

Fintech Product Leadership: Growth with Risk Discipline

Lead product strategy within a fintech environment, balancing customer growth, conversion, and revenue expansion with credit performance, compliance, and portfolio health

Partner closely with Risk, Data Science, and Compliance to align product innovation with underwriting and regulatory guardrails

Ensure product decisions consider unit economics, risk performance, underwriting impact, and long-term value creation

Drive responsible experimentation within regulatory and credit constraints

Build strong collaboration between Product, Risk, and Engineering to enable scalable, compliant growth

Data-Driven Product Leadership & Optimization

Establish a culture of analytical rigor, experimentation, and continuous optimization

Drive product decisions through customer insights, behavioral data, and financial performance metrics

Partner with Data and Engineering to improve instrumentation, measurement, and reporting

Champion structured experimentation practices, including:

A/B and multivariate testing

Funnel and approval rate optimization

Cohort analysis and retention measurement

Incrementality and impact evaluation

Ensure every major product investment has clear KPIs tied to growth and/or profitability

Roadmap Ownership and Execution

Be responsible for the company’s product roadmap and assist in high level prioritization of company goals

Make high-impact tradeoff decisions across competing initiatives and investments

Establish measurable key results, outcomes, and performance indicators for product success

Balance near-term execution with long-term platform scalability and strategic differentiation

Drive disciplined execution while protecting space for discovery and innovation

Organizational Leadership & Team Development

Directly manage a team of Product and Design leaders and Senior ICs

Build, scale, and structure the Product and Design organization to support company growth

Recruit, retain, and develop top-tier talent across Product Management and Product Design

Establish clear career paths, leadership expectations, and performance standards

Foster a culture of accountability, ownership, and customer obsession

Elevate the team by evangelizing learning and adoption of emerging technologies, such as AI capabilities for Product, Engineering, and Design, and regularly experiment with these technologies yourself

Executive & Cross-Functional Leadership

Partner closely with leaders across Engineering, Risk, Sales, Marketing, Operations, Finance, and Customer Experience

Align product strategy with go-to-market, financial planning, and operational objectives

Communicate strategy, roadmap, and performance clearly to executives and the broader organization

Influence at the board and investor level as needed

About You

12+ years of Product Management experience, including executive-level leadership

Experience leading both Product Management and Product Design organizations

Significant experience in fintech, financial services, credit, lending, or payments is a plus

Demonstrated ability to balance growth initiatives with risk management and regulatory considerations

Strong analytical and financial acumen; comfort managing to KPIs tied to revenue, margins, and risk-adjusted returns

Deep experience with experimentation and optimization methodologies (A/B testing, funnel optimization, cohort analysis)

Track record of building and developing high-performing product leaders

Insatiable curiosity about AI and other emerging technologies that will evolve the nature of the Product role

Passion for leading a team through an exciting time in Technology where the skills needed to succeed are ever-changing

Exceptional executive communication and cross-functional influence skills

Location: Richmond, VA; Arlington, VA; or Remote (U.S.). Associates near one of our office locations may work in-office, hybrid, or remotely. Remote opportunities are available to candidates throughout the United States.

Salary Range: $220,000-$330,000 per year (depending on experience and location) Additional Compensation: This position will be eligible to participate in company bonus plan.

The final salary offer will depend on factors including, but not limited to, experience, skills, and geographic location. The actual annualized salary amount offered to any candidate at the time of hire will be reflected solely in the candidate’s offer letter.

Applications will be accepted until position is filled. Why choose Koalafi: A career at Koalafi means opportunities to tackle exciting challenges every single day. We take pride in a culture of innovation, trust, and ownership. You'll get outside your comfort zone, build meaningful relationships, and most of all, take charge of projects that ultimately help people get the things they need most.

Benefits:

At Koalafi, you will have a direct impact on our products and help shape the company’s success. We offer competitive compensation & benefits packages to keep you at your best:

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage

20 PTO days + 11 paid holidays

401(k) retirement with company matching

Student Loan & Tuition Reimbursement

Commuter assistance

Parental leave (maternal + paternal)

Inclusion and Associate Engagement Programs

Who we are & what we value:

We focus on what’s most important

We set clear expectations and deliver

We embrace challenges to reach our full potential

We ask, “How can this be better?”

We move fast together