Lead Partnerships Manager, Data & Risk
The Lead Partnerships Manager, Data & Risk will play a critical role in shaping strategic partnerships that power financial products, risk capabilities, and data-driven decision-making. This position focuses on identifying, evaluating, negotiating, and scaling high-impact partnerships across data, fraud prevention, identity, and financial infrastructure.
Accountabilities
Own and scale a portfolio of strategic partnerships while driving initiatives that strengthen data capabilities, risk management, and product performance.
Manage and grow a portfolio of strategic data and risk partnerships across areas such as fraud prevention, identity verification, open banking, bank connectivity, and credit infrastructure.
Develop and execute a partnership roadmap aligned with product goals, risk strategies, business objectives, and customer needs.
Evaluate potential partners based on commercial value, data quality, operational reliability, compliance requirements, risk impact, and scalability.
Build business cases, financial models, and recommendations to support partnership decisions and investment priorities.
Lead partnership initiatives from sourcing and due diligence through contract negotiation, implementation, and post-launch performance management.
Establish partner performance frameworks, including KPIs related to service quality, cost efficiency, data reliability, risk outcomes, conversion impact, and contractual commitments.
Identify opportunities to improve underwriting, fraud prevention, eligibility decisions, and repayment performance through enhanced partner capabilities.
Manage partner governance, renewal strategies, escalations, and risk mitigation plans for critical relationships.
Collaborate cross-functionally with internal teams to align partnership initiatives with technical, operational, regulatory, and customer experience requirements.
Develop strong relationships with senior leaders across data providers, technology platforms, financial institutions, and infrastructure partners.
Requirements
An ideal candidate is a strategic and commercially minded operator who can translate complex business needs into successful partnership strategies.
You should be comfortable managing ambiguity, influencing senior stakeholders, and driving initiatives across multiple teams.
8+ years of experience in fintech partnerships, product strategy, strategic partnerships, or related roles within digital banking, lending, or financial services.
Demonstrated experience managing complex partner relationships from evaluation and negotiation through implementation and ongoing optimization.
A strong understanding of financial products, risk management, data ecosystems, and technology-driven solutions.
Proven ability to develop business cases, financial models, and analytical frameworks to support strategic decisions.
Strong product mindset with experience identifying partner solutions that improve business outcomes, customer experience, approval rates, conversion, or operational efficiency.
Excellent negotiation, stakeholder management, and relationship-building skills.
Ability to collaborate effectively with Product, Engineering, Risk, Data Science, Legal, Compliance, Finance, and Operations teams.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to simplify complex concepts and influence executive audiences.
Sound judgment around regulatory requirements, customer impact, operational risk, and business tradeoffs.
Highly organized, proactive, and capable of managing multiple complex initiatives simultaneously.
Entrepreneurial mindset with a strong sense of ownership, accountability, and bias toward action.
Benefits
Competitive compensation package with performance-based opportunities.
Virtual-first work environment with the flexibility to work remotely anywhere in the United States (excluding Hawaii).
Flexible working hours and home office support stipend.
Premium medical, dental, and vision insurance plans.
401(k) retirement savings plan with employer matching contributions.
Generous paid parental and caregiver leave.
Flexible paid time off and company holidays, including additional company-wide breaks.
Financial wellness resources and access to financial advisory support.
Opportunities to solve meaningful challenges and contribute to products that help millions of people improve their financial well-being.
Professional growth opportunities while working alongside talented teams and industry experts.
Company-wide in-person gatherings and virtual events to foster collaboration and connection.