SME Cards Product Manager- Commercial Cards & Prepaid

Job Title: SME Cards Product Manager- Commercial Cards & Prepaid

Term: 6 months (renewable)

Location: Kuwait City, Kuwait (onsite)

Division: Business Banking/ Commercial Cards

Reports to: Head of SME/ Business Banking (client-side), with delivery oversight from the engagement lead.

Relevant experience: 5–8 years in cards product management or SME/commercial card portfolio management, ideally in the GCC; exposure to prepaid and virtual card (VCN) launches strongly preferred

Mandatory requirements:

1. Demonstrable cards product management experience across the issuing lifecycle (debit, prepaid and/or commercial cards) **
2. Hands-on experience delivering or supporting a card product launch or implementation (prepaid or virtual card) **
3. Fluent English (spoken and written) and Arabic prefereed
4. Eligibility to work on-site in Kuwait for the engagement duration
   

Purpose of the Project

Small businesses are increasingly moving away from cash and cheques toward digital payment tools, and banks that give them the right card products win lasting relationships. In this role you will help a leading bank grow and modernise its SME cards portfolio — shaping the 2026 product roadmap, supporting the launch of new prepaid and virtual card propositions, and turning portfolio data into growth. It is a high?visibility, build-and-deliver role for a product professional who wants clear ownership, measurable impact, and the chance to stand up new capabilities from the ground up.

Key Activities:

• Portfolio optimisation (~30%): Review and optimise the existing SME debit/cards portfolio, using performance data to identify activation, usage and growth opportunities.
• Technical Product launch support (~30%): Support the end-to-end implementation of new SME prepaid and virtual card (VCN) propositions from configuration and readiness through to go-live.
• Roadmap co-creation (~20%): Partner with the SME Business Banking team to shape and prioritise the 2026 cards and solutions roadmap.
• Campaign & enablement (~20%): Design marketing and spend-stimulation campaigns and drive uptake of product toolkits to accelerate SME card acquisition, activation and usage

Core Responsibilities and Accountabilities

• Own the optimisation plan for the existing SME debit and cards portfolio, translating data insights into a prioritised set of activation, usage and retention initiatives.
• Drive the implementation of new prepaid and virtual card (VCN) propositions for the SME segment, coordinating product, technology and operations readiness through to a successful launch.
• Co-create the SME cards and solutions roadmap with the Business Banking team, sequencing initiatives by commercial value and delivery feasibility.
• Design and run targeted acquisition, activation and spend-stimulation campaigns, measuring results and iterating to improve conversion and portfolio profitability.
• Coordinate cross-functional delivery across Product, Technology, Operations, Marketing, Risk and Compliance to keep launches on track and remove blockers.
• Establish portfolio performance tracking and reporting, giving stakeholders a clear, data-driven view of SME card health and growth.
• Ensure all product and launch activity aligns with applicable regulatory, KYC/AML and scheme requirements for the Kuwait market.

KPIs (indicative)

• SME card activation rate — % of issued cards activated within a defined window post-issuance
• Time-to-launch for the new prepaid / VCN proposition against the agreed implementation plan
• Active-card spend uplift — growth in average spend per active SME card and transaction frequency
• Portfolio growth — net new SME cards acquired and portfolio penetration within the SME base
• Campaign effectiveness — conversion and engagement rates across acquisition and spend-stimulation campaigns
• Roadmap milestone adherence — % of 2026 roadmap milestones delivered on time and in scope

Knowledge and Experience

• Domain: SME/commercial cards product management; prepaid and virtual card (VCN) propositions; portfolio management across the issuing lifecycle.
• Sector: Retail/commercial banking or payments, ideally in the GCC or wider MENA market.
• Tools & platforms (market-standard categories): card management / issuing platforms, portfolio analytics tools (e.g., SQL/Excel/BI dashboards), CRM and campaign tools, digital wallet / tokenisation concepts.
• Soft skills & leadership: structured product thinking, stakeholder management across product/tech/ops/risk, comfort operating independently in a build-from-scratch environment, and clear executive communication.
• Behavioural signals: shows how work creates measurable customer and business value; collaborates openly and builds trust across teams; moves quickly and decisively while keeping quality and compliance intact.

MANDATORY SKILLS**

• Cards product management across the issuing lifecycle (debit, prepaid, and/or commercial cards)
• Practical experience supporting or delivering a card product launch/implementation
• Portfolio analysis and data-driven decision-making
• Cross-functional stakeholder coordination