Principal Product Manager

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?

Overview

• Koalafi is preparing to launch a non-prime installment product, and we’re looking for a Principal Product Manager to shape and lead this initiative from day one.


• This role is ideal for a product leader who thrives working at the intersection of strategy, execution, and collaboration. You’ll take ownership of defining the product vision, validating the opportunities, and building MVPs, partnering closely with teams across Revenue, Engineering, Risk, Legal, Operations, Finance, and external vendors to scale the offering.


• We’re looking for an experienced product manager who has led the development of new products from the ground up, demonstrates excellent cross-functional leadership and collaboration skills, and brings clarity and structure to ambiguous challenges.

What You’ll Do

• Define the Product Strategy: Partner with the CPTO and executive team to shape the vision, goals, and value proposition for Koalafi’s non-prime installment loan product.


• Lead the 0→1 Build: Oversee the full lifecycle from early discovery to MVP launch - customer research, requirements, compliance alignment, technical feasibility, and partner selection.


• Evaluate Build vs. Buy: Assess the reusability of Koalafi’s existing core technology and operations stack for this new product. Determine when to leverage internal systems vs. integrating third-party SaaS tools for servicing, onboarding, etc.


• Select and Integrate SaaS Vendors: Lead evaluation, selection, and integration of key loan servicing technologies - balancing time-to-market with long-term scalability and control.


• Act as Product GM: Serve as the cross-functional connector - aligning Revenue, Engineering, Risk, Legal, and Ops around a cohesive execution plan. Guide financial modeling, go-to-market planning, and post-launch iteration.


• Influence Across the Org: Create and communicate a compelling narrative to build alignment and excitement across teams. Provide executive updates, facilitate decisions, and advance excellence for strategic product leadership.

What Success Looks Like

• You launch a v1 non-prime installment loan product that is compliant, scalable, and valuable - with a clear path to learn and iterate.


• Internal teams are aligned on the vision and understand how the personal loan product complements Koalafi’s portfolio.


• You make smart build/buy decisions that accelerate delivery while keeping long-term optionality.


• You bring clarity to ambiguity, helping the org move with speed and confidence.


• You set a high bar for execution, communication, and customer-centricity.

Who This Role Is For

• You are an entrepreneurial product leader with experience bringing new financial products to market.


• You have excellent general management skills - balancing product, operations, risk, compliance, and growth.


• You’ve worked in environments where you needed to start small but think big.


• You’re comfortable navigating regulated environments, third-party vendor selection, and infrastructure decisions.


• You know how to build influence across a wide range of stakeholders, from ICs to executives.

About You

• 10+ years of product management experience, including ownership of new product development.


• Experience in fintech, lending, embedded finance, or regulated consumer products.


• Proven ability to work across technical, legal, and operational domains to launch new offerings.


• Excellent executive communication and storytelling skills -written, verbal, and visual.


• Experience working with or integrating loan servicing platforms or core banking tools is a strong plus.


• Location Requirement: This position requires regular in-person attendance at one of our two office locations (Richmond, VA or Arlington, VA). Candidates must already be located within a commutable distance to either location, as relocation assistance is not available at this time.

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