Principal Program Manager, Product Operations, Circle Payments Network

Circle is one of the world’s leading internet financial platform companies, building the foundation of a more open, global economy through digital assets and payment applications. The Principal Program Manager will own end-to-end program execution for critical components of the Circle Payments Network, ensuring operational excellence and driving cross-functional delivery.

Responsibilities:

• Lead cross-functional programs across payment creation, routing, and settlement, managing dependencies, risks, and delivery from scoping through stabilization
• Own execution and operational performance of the BFI Network, including partner onboarding, integrations, and ongoing SLA management
• Define and track key payment health metrics such as success rate, latency, and exception volumes to drive continuous improvement
• Build and scale observability systems, dashboards, and KPIs to reduce manual effort and improve operational visibility
• Design and implement AI-assisted workflows to streamline operations, automate high-volume tasks, and improve team efficiency
• Partner across Product, Engineering, Compliance, and Business teams to drive alignment, resolve blockers, and make informed trade-offs
• Deliver clear, data-driven program updates and recommendations to senior stakeholders, including risks, dependencies, and execution plans

Requirements:

• 8+ years of experience in technical program management, product operations, or hybrid PM/TPM roles within payments, fintech, or financial infrastructure
• Proven experience leading complex, multi-stakeholder programs across both product delivery and live operational systems
• Strong understanding of payments infrastructure, including lifecycle management, settlement processes, and failure modes
• Demonstrated ability to use AI tools (e.g., Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, n8n) to automate workflows and improve operational efficiency
• Strong data fluency with experience analyzing system performance, building dashboards, and using SQL or similar tools to drive decisions
• Experience managing financial institution integrations, including APIs, compliance workflows, and partner SLAs
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills across technical, operational, and executive audiences
• Ability to operate across strategic and tactical contexts, from program design and governance to hands-on problem solving
• Experience driving cross-functional alignment across Product, Engineering, Compliance, and Operations teams
• Experience in cross-border payments, correspondent banking, stablecoins, or blockchain-based settlement systems
• Familiarity with two-sided network dynamics and marketplace-style systems
• Experience working with compliance-driven products, including KYC/AML, sanctions, and regulatory workflows
• Experience with developer-facing platforms, including API lifecycle management and documentation standards
• Background working with regulated financial institutions on technical integrations
• Familiarity with agile development practices and program management tools such as Jira