Cobrand Portfolio Program Manager - Debit Card; Contractor

This position is offered through Hire Genics and is not a direct employment opportunity with Southwest Airlines Co. The role is contingent and may transition to full-time employment at the discretion of Southwest Airlines Co., based on performance, business needs, and other factors. Please note that contract workers are subject to the terms and conditions set by Hire Genics during the contractual period.

This contract position is not associated with any labor union or Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The Program Manager for the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Debit Card portfolio is responsible for end-to-end ownership of the existing debit card member experience. This role ensures smooth, frictionless onboarding of approved accounts; drives engagement, spend, and benefit utilization; and manages cardholder communications and retention efforts across the portfolio. The Program Manager is the operational and strategic owner of card member activities, partnering across Southwest Airlines, Visa, Galileo, and internal Marketing and Analytics teams to achieve program goals and protect the long‑term health of the portfolio.

• Own the existing debit card member segment and ensure a seamless, low friction onboarding experience for newly approved accounts.
• Maintain and execute the card member communication strategy, ensuring timely, relevant, and targeted messaging to existing cardholders.
• Monitor portfolio performance and card member engagement activities to identify emerging trends, risks, and opportunities that drive spend, benefit utilization, and program loyalty.
• Lead execution of all cardholder engagement campaigns, including spend stimulation, promotional initiatives, and benefit education, developed in partnership with SWA Marketing, Visa, and Galileo.
• Support all retention efforts designed to minimize attrition, reduce account closures, and protect portfolio profitability.
• Drive initiatives to optimize cardholder spending and increase debit load and usage behaviors.
• Serve as the business owner for card member facing strategies and campaigns, ensuring alignment across Marketing, Operations, and external partners.
• Coordinate cross‑functional execution plans, timelines, and success metrics to deliver high‑quality customer experiences across all touchpoints.
• Represent the Debit Card program in cross‑functional forums, ensuring visibility, alignment, and operational excellence across partner teams.
• Maintain reporting and real‑time awareness of key product metrics, partnering closely with the Debit Analyst to track performance against KPIs, including spend, engagement, benefit utilization, and attrition.
• Provide leadership with regular reporting, insights, and recommendations based on card member behavior, program trends, and campaign results.
• Evaluate program health and identify opportunities to optimize the card member journey, reduce friction points, and improve lifecycle performance.
• Safeguard the long‑term revenue impact of the Debit Card portfolio through proactive management of engagement, retention, and cardholder satisfaction.
• Serve as a critical operational resource ensuring the portfolio maintains strong business performance despite historical understaffing and contractor dependency.
• Act as the subject matter expert and internal advocate for the CoBrand Debit portfolio, ensuring the program receives the visibility, resources, and support required to achieve growth and retention targets.

• Knowledge of product marketing and marketing strategy.
• Knowledge of retention strategy and call servicing.
• Skilled in developing business cases and building a marketing/strategic plan.
• Skilled in partner management and relationship‑building.
• Knowledge of financial services and/or the credit card industry.
• Skilled in communicating effectively by listening intently, questioning appropriately, and articulating clearly in both written and verbal formats.
• Skilled in strategic thinking with the ability to see the big picture.
• Skilled in analytics and problem‑solving with a focus on KPI and performance management.
• Ability to gain commitment to shared goals with peers, team, external partner and Marketing…