Author: Astrid de Pelleport
Contributors and reviewers: Iain Kennedy, César Wedemann, Sofia Hernandez, Pedro Molina, Andre Romeiro and Sayantan Mukhopadhyay

Product Operations is paramount when supporting  Nubank in its journey to revolutionize financial products and services. 

These professionals navigate accross various domains, from business strategy to project management, risk assessment, and cross-team alignment.

This article delves into what it means to be an effective Product Operations professional at Nubank and why this role is essential within our organization.

What does Product Operations do at Nubank?

Product Operations in tech companies usually ensure the smooth functioning of product development within the organization, mainly gathering data insights, optimizing processes, and managing product risks. 

At Nubank these responsibilities usually fall within the scope of Product Managers for development of new products and features, and by Product Operations for general business strategy, including not only Product and Engineering but also Risk, Finance, Legal & Compliance and more. 

Here, Product Operations (or Product Ops, as we call them in the daily life of Nubank) work to define and optimize business strategy and project management. In tech companies, these tasks are usually the responsibility of the “Strategy and Operations manager” role.

On a day-to-day basis, Product Ops work in cross-functional teams, alongside Engineers, Business Analysts, Product Managers, and other job functions.

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Scope of work and expected skills

The scope of Product Operations at Nubank includes these following roles (which are not mutually exclusive):

  • Business and operational strategy: serve as a bridge between high-level business objectives and day-to-day operational activities described further below. Here are a few examples of how Product Ops drive Nubank’s business strategy
  • Strategic planning: work closely with Nubank’s managers to understand the overarching business goals. They then align operational strategies with these goals to ensure that day-to-day activities contribute to the broader organizational objectives. Product Ops may also develop and articulate a mid and long-term business vision for their teams with key stakeholders, including Product Managers;
  • Operational excellence: identify areas for improvement in teams, products, and operational processes and implement strategies to enhance efficiency. This involves streamlining workflows, reducing redundancies, creating autonomous and self healing processes, providing tools, frameworks to boost productivity, alignment, creating mechanisms, processes to drive consistency and improving overall productivity;
  • Performance measurement and analysis: define key performance indicators (KPIs) and Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) to measure the success of both business and operational strategies. This includes monitoring metrics that reflect progress toward strategic goals;
  • Change management: help Nubank adapt to changes in the business environment, whether they be technological advancements, Mergers and Acquisitions, or changes in regulatory requirements. Product Ops manage the implementation of changes in operational processes or business strategies, ensuring a smooth transition and minimal disruption to ongoing activities.
  • Risk management partner: analyze potential risks and challenges that may impact Nubank’s operational performance. This includes factors such as regulatory changes, and internal operational risks. Product Ops work with their team to develop and implement risk mitigation strategies to minimize the impact of potential threats to Nubank’s operations.
  • Complex project management: handle intricate and multifaceted projects, often characterized by high levels of uncertainty and diverse stakeholder involvement. They develop detailed project plans and lead cross-functional teams to navigate intricate challenges. They anticipate and address complexities that may arise during project execution. Communication is paramount, as Product Ops must effectively convey project goals and updates to diverse stakeholders. They prioritize adaptability and problem-solving, adjusting strategies as needed to ensure project success.
  • Stakeholder management: act as a bridge between different teams, fostering a collaborative environment that enhances overall team efficiency. They ensure cross-functional collaboration through effective communication and collaboration between different teams. Product Ops ensure that there is alignment in objectives and that all parts of Nubank are working cohesively towards common goals.

What is the difference between Product Operations and Product Managers?

Despite similar titles and close collaboration, there are significant differences between these roles:

Product Operations

These professionals focus on business strategy, scalability, operational excellence and project management, taking care of process management and sometimes owning the internal and external stakeholder management.

Product Managers

They focus on identifying and defining the right problem to be solved, and building products that deliver a clear and differentiated value proposition to the customer, one which is technically feasible and economically viable.

What do you need to become a Product Ops at Nubank?

All employees at Nubank need to be hands-on and comfortable in working with the possibility of change. We are looking for people who are curious to learn about Nubank’s opportunities, challenges, market dynamics and industry trends. 

We are interested in candidates who are willing to learn and demonstrate analytical and problem-solving skills, excellent communication, project management and interpersonal abilities.

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