Principal Program Manager, Product Operations, Circle Payments Network

Circle (NYSE: CRCL) is one of the world's leading internet financial platform companies, building the foundation of a more open, global economy through digital assets, payment applications, and programmable blockchain infrastructure. Circle's platform includes the world's largest regulated stablecoin network anchored by USDC, Circle Payments Network for global money movement, and Arc, an enterprise-grade blockchain designed to become the Economic OS for the internet. Enterprises, financial institutions, and developers use Circle to power trusted, internet-scale financial innovation. Learn more at circle.com .
What you'll be part of:
Circle is committed to visibility and stability in everything we do. As we grow as an organization, we're expanding into some of the world's strongest jurisdictions. Speed and efficiency are motivators for our success and our employees live by our company values : High Integrity, Future Forward, Multistakeholder, Mindful, and Driven by Excellence. We have built a flexible work environment where new ideas are encouraged and everyone is a stakeholder.
What you'll be responsible for
You will own end-to-end program execution across two of the most critical components of the Circle Payments Network: the Payments Engine and the BFI Network. This includes driving cross-functional delivery from strategy through execution, ensuring operational excellence across live payment systems, and maintaining the reliability, scalability, and performance of a global payments network while continuously improving how teams operate at scale.
What you'll work on

• 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

What you'll bring to Circle
Core 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

Preferred Requirements

• 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

Circle is on a mission to create an inclusive financial future, with transparency at our core. We consider a wide variety of elements when crafting our compensation ranges and total compensation packages.
Starting pay is determined by various factors, including but not limited to: relevant experience, skill set, qualifications, and other business and organizational needs. Please note that compensation ranges may differ for candidates in other locations.
Base Pay Range: $185,000 - $237,500
We are an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, or any other protected status required by the laws in the locations where we hire. Additionally, Circle participates in the E-Verify Program in certain locations, as required by law.
Should you require accommodations or assistance in our interview process because of a disability, please reach out to [email protected] for support. We respect your privacy and will connect with you separately from our interview process to accommodate your needs.
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