Associate Product Owner Milan , Italy

Engineering/ Product/ Tech · Milan , Italy · Full-time

About Cardo AI

At Cardo AI, we've been on a mission since 2018 to make Private Credit and Asset-Based Finance (ABF) markets more accessible and efficient. Today, with over $40 billion in assets under technology, our platform empowers banks, trustees, and investors to accelerate growth through smarter strategies, faster transactions, and optimized investment portfolios.

Driven by a bold vision to help grow the ABF market beyond $40 trillion, we're building a future defined by speed, confidence, and innovation. By combining automated workflows, comprehensive data, and AI-driven insights, we transform complexity into opportunity, enabling our clients to unlock growth and stay ahead.

We are looking for an Associate Product Owner to take ownership of Cardo AI's Portfolio Management Platform — a core product at the heart of our mission to digitize and optimize private credit and structured finance. This is a high-impact, dual-track role that blends deep domain expertise in structured finance and portfolio management with a product-driven mindset. You will act as the bridge between complex financial workflows and scalable software delivery, working daily with engineers, solution engineers, and senior stakeholders to shape how the platform evolves.

What You Will Do

• Own and manage the Portfolio Management Platform product backlog — prioritize features, bugs, and enhancements based on business value, client feedback, and strategic goals.
• Write clear, testable user stories with well-defined acceptance criteria for new features and platform enhancements.
• Define and execute UAT cycles to verify that product functionality meets business and client requirements.
• Coordinate with engineering and solution teams to ensure timely, high-quality delivery across development sprints.
• Map portfolio-level data requirements — including position tracking, exposure aggregation, performance attribution, and covenant monitoring — into precise platform specifications and data models.
• Translate portfolio management workflows (NAV calculations, cash flow waterfalls, performance reporting, risk metrics) into precise functional specifications.
• Collaborate closely with Sales, Customer Success, and the Head of Product to translate client needs into actionable product increments.
• Engage directly with global institutions — banks, asset managers, non-bank lenders — to assess transaction structures and gather product feedback.
• Analyse structured finance and ABF transaction mechanics — including securitizations, and direct lending structures — to define accurate platform requirements.
• Stay current on private credit market developments, AI advancements, and evolving best practices to inform product decisions.
• Partner with Customer Success to drive adoption of newly released features and support smooth client onboarding.
• Support documentation and client rollout for new platform releases.

What You Bring

• 3–5 years of experience in structured finance, asset-based finance, direct lending, or portfolio management within an asset manager or institutional investor.
• Solid understanding of Private Credit transaction structures: ABF, securitizations, fixed income, or direct lending mechanics.
• Hands-on experience with portfolio-level analytics: performance reporting, cash flow modelling, NAV calculations, or credit risk assessment.
• Strong analytical skills and high attention to detail — comfortable working with large, complex loan-level datasets.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; able to translate financial complexity into clear functional requirements.
• Ability to manage multiple workstreams with competing priorities and drive projects forward with autonomy.
• Nice-to-have: prior exposure to SaaS platforms in structured finance; familiarity with agile delivery or product management frameworks; SQL, Python, R, or Stata skills.
• Competitive salary and performance-based bonus.
• Stock option plan.
• Hybrid working model with flexible hours.
• Regular team events and annual retreats.
• Daily perks: snacks, lunch options, good coffee.
• Opportunities for career growth within a fast-scaling fintech innovator.
• A collaborative, innovative, and entrepreneurial culture that values creativity, initiative, and impact.

Join Cardo AI and let boldness and creativity reign. Together, we'll shape the future of fintech!