We are supporting a fintech client in hiring a Strategic Partnerships Development Manager to drive high-value partnerships that open new revenue channels, expand market reach, and strengthen the company’s wider business ecosystem.

This is a senior, commercially focused “hunter” role for someone who can open doors, create momentum, and turn trusted relationships into meaningful strategic partnerships. The ideal candidate brings an established network, strong deal-sourcing capability, and the confidence to engage senior decision-makers from day one.

Role Overview

As the Strategic Partnerships Development Manager, you will be the driving force behind expanding the company’s business ecosystem, unlocking new market opportunities, and accelerating growth through high-impact external partnerships.

Your primary mission is to autonomously identify, pitch, negotiate, and onboard key partners that align with the company’s long-term business objectives. By capitalizing on your deal-sourcing capabilities, existing relationships, and industry reputation, you will bypass traditional cold outreach and turn existing trust into high-value strategic alignments. You will own the entire early-stage partnership lifecycle, from initial scoping to final contract execution.

Responsibilities

• Tap into your established network of industry executives, decision-makers, and influencers to quickly open doors and introduce the company’s value proposition.
• Continually scout the wider market to uncover untapped opportunities, analyze industry trends, and map out new, high-value potential partners beyond your current network.
• Lead the end-to-end deal cycle, pitching to C-suite executives and navigating complex commercial negotiations to secure mutually beneficial terms.
• Lead the initial onboarding process by providing partners with the sales training, product expertise, and marketing collateral required to represent the company effectively in the field.
• Facilitate collaborative workshops with new partners to identify “low-hanging fruit” and high-value opportunities within their existing customer databases.
• Partner internally with Product, Sales, and Marketing teams to ensure newly acquired partners are seamlessly integrated and set up for maximum ROI.
• Establish the company as the “top-of-mind” solution for new partners through consistent engagement and by demonstrating the immediate financial benefits of the partnership.
• Drive partners toward their first revenue milestones, ensuring they are fully activated and self-sufficient before transitioning them to the long-term relationship management team.

Qualifications and Experience

• 5+ years of experience in strategic partnerships or business development, with a documented history of sourcing and closing high-value deals.
• Experience collaborating closely with internal product, legal, marketing, and sales teams to ensure alignment and smooth post-sign onboarding.
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills, with the confidence and credibility to pitch directly to C-suite and VP-level executives.
• Strong relationship management skills and a can-do attitude when presented with challenges.
• Ability to look beyond immediate sales targets and understand how a partnership creates long-term ecosystem value and competitive advantage.
• Ability to combine quantitative data, including Excel-based models, with qualitative strategy to assess how a partnership can create long-term market advantage.
• Demonstrated experience, exposure, and interest in the fintech space; direct experience working with a fintech company would be preferred.
• A bachelor’s or postgraduate degree in business or a related field would be a plus.
• In-depth understanding of fintech software/platforms, accounting systems, and expense management solutions would be a plus.

The Ideal Candidate

This role is best suited for someone who already knows how to open doors, build trust quickly, and turn strategic conversations into commercially meaningful partnerships. You are likely someone who enjoys the chase, but does not stop at introductions. You know how to qualify opportunities, navigate senior stakeholders, structure deals, and create the early momentum needed for partnerships to become real revenue channels. You will be joining a fast-moving fintech environment where initiative, commercial judgement, and strong execution will matter just as much as your network.

Next Steps

If you have the network, commercial instinct, and partnership-building track record to create real impact in a fast-moving fintech environment, we would be glad to hear from you.

Apply with your CV and relevant details, and a member of our team will be in touch with feedback.