Director of Product

About Astra

Astra is building mission-critical infrastructure for moving money at scale. Our platform processes billions in annual transaction volume with 99.9%+ uptime, powering real-time transfers, bank debits, card disbursements, and complex financial compliance systems. We provide APIs and automation tools that enable businesses to move money programmatically while maintaining strict regulatory requirements.

The Role

As Astra's first product lead, you'll establish the product function from the ground up and set the strategic direction for our entire payments infrastructure platform. This is not just a product role – you'll be a foundational member of our leadership team, shaping company strategy, building product culture, and defining what world-class product management looks like at Astra.

You'll own the complete product vision and roadmap, making critical decisions about what we build, for whom, and why. Working directly with our founders and engineering leadership, you'll translate our mission of building mission-critical financial infrastructure into concrete products that move billions of dollars and power thousands of businesses. As we scale, you'll build and mentor the product team, establishing processes, frameworks, and best practices that will define how Astra builds products for years to come.

This is a rare opportunity to join at the inflection point where your decisions will have an outsized impact on our trajectory. You'll be architecting solutions that define how modern financial infrastructure should work, making foundational product and technical choices, and building the playbook for how a generational payments company brings products to market. This role is for someone who wants to build, not just manage – someone who thrives in ambiguity, moves fast, and is energized by the opportunity to create something from scratch alongside a world-class team.

What You’ll Do

Build the product function

• Establish product management as a core discipline at Astra from day one

• Define product processes, frameworks, and rituals that scale with the company

• Set the bar for product excellence and build a culture of customer obsession

• Eventually hire and mentor a world-class product team as we grow

Own end-to-end product strategy

• Define product vision, strategy, and multi-quarter roadmaps for critical platform capabilities

• Drive products from conception through launch, iteration, and scale

• Make strategic trade-offs between competing priorities while maintaining focus on customer outcomes

• Partner with engineering leadership to architect scalable, reliable solutions

Be the voice of the customer

• Conduct deep customer research to understand pain points, workflows, and unmet needs

• Build strong relationships with key customers and prospects to inform product direction

• Translate complex technical concepts into clear value propositions

• Gather and synthesize feedback to continuously improve product-market fit

Drive cross-functional execution

• Work closely with engineering teams to define technical requirements and scope releases

• Collaborate with design to create intuitive experiences for developer and business users

• Partner with compliance and risk teams to ensure products meet regulatory requirements

• Enable sales and customer success teams with the tools and narratives to drive adoption

Make data-driven decisions

• Define and track key product metrics and success criteria

• Analyze usage patterns, customer feedback, and market trends to inform priorities

• Run experiments to validate hypotheses and optimize product experiences

• Use quantitative and qualitative insights to guide strategic decisions

Communicate and influence

• Present product strategy and updates to executive leadership and board members

• Write clear, concise product documentation and requirements

• Build alignment across multiple stakeholders with competing interests

• Advocate for the customer while balancing business and technical constraints

What We’re Looking For

Experience & Background

• 8+ years of product management experience, with a strong track record of shipping complex B2B products at scale

• Experience as a founding product hire or early product leader (first 3 PMs) at a high-growth startup

• Deep experience with API products, developer tools, or infrastructure platforms

• Background in fintech, payments, or financial services is strongly preferred

• Proven ability to thrive in 0-to-1 environments and build from scratch

Technical Fluency

• Strong understanding of software development processes and API design principles

• Comfortable engaging in technical discussions with engineering teams

• Ability to understand system architecture and make informed trade-offs

• Familiarity with modern development tools and practices

Strategic Thinking

• Proven ability to develop compelling product strategies that drive business outcomes

• Experience making complex decisions with incomplete information

• Track record of identifying market opportunities and executing against them

• Strong business acumen and understanding of go-to-market dynamics

Customer Obsession

• Deep empathy for users and commitment to solving real problems

• Experience conducting user research and translating insights into action

• Ability to balance customer needs with business priorities

• Strong intuition for product-market fit and user experience

Communication & Collaboration

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills

• Proven ability to influence without authority and build consensus

• Experience presenting to executive audiences and external stakeholders

• Comfortable working across time zones and with distributed teams

Execution Excellence

• Strong bias toward action and ability to move fast in ambiguous environments

• Track record of shipping high-quality products on time

• Experience managing multiple priorities and competing deadlines

• Attention to detail without losing sight of the bigger picture

Nice To Have

• Experience building product teams from scratch and establishing product culture

• Track record of being a founding team member or very early employee

• Experience with payment processing, money movement, or banking infrastructure

• Knowledge of financial regulations and compliance requirements (KYC, AML, etc.)

• Background as a software engineer or in a technical role

• Experience with platform products that serve both developers and end users

• Track record of launching 0-to-1 products in regulated industries

• Domain expertise in areas like fraud prevention, identity verification, or reconciliation

• Experience working directly with founders and executive leadership

What We Offer

• Competitive compensation with equity in a growing fintech company.

• Remote-first culture with flexible working arrangements

• Small team, big impact — your work directly supports Astra’s ability to scale responsibly

• Professional growth opportunities in compliance and risk management

• Mission-driven — build infrastructure that powers financial innovation while meeting the highest regulatory standards

Remote Work and Culture

Astra is a remote-first company hiring only within the U.S. We value thoughtful collaboration, clarity, and initiative. We’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer and are committed to building a diverse and inclusive team.

How to Apply

If you're a product leader who thrives on building from scratch and defining the future of financial infrastructure, we'd love to hear from you. Please submit with your application:

• Resume highlighting your track record of shipping complex B2B products and early-stage/founding experience.

• Brief cover letter (300 words max) answering: "Describe a product you built from 0-to-1 that required balancing technical complexity, customer needs, and business constraints. What trade-offs did you make and why?"

• Optional: Examples of product artifacts you've created (product vision documents, roadmaps, PRDs, customer research frameworks, launch plans, etc.).