Partnerships Lead at Gradient Labs

Gradient Labs is a Series A fintech backed by Redpoint and Octopus Ventures, building an AI customer operations platform that automates complex manual work for major banks and fintechs.

About the role

As the founding Partnerships Lead, you will build and own the entire partner ecosystem from scratch. You'll drive growth by establishing strategic alliances with hyperscalers, core banking providers, and global consultancies like Deloitte. This foundational role offers a direct path to leadership as you scale a critical revenue channel for the business.

Location: London, UK; New York, USA

Why this role is remarkable

• Join as the first dedicated partnerships hire, establishing the playbook and function for a high-growth AI startup with clear traction in financial services.
• Work at a Series A company backed by top-tier investors like Redpoint and Octopus Ventures, founded by a proven team from Monzo, Wise, and Revolut.
• Strategic impact: Financial services tech is increasingly partner-led, placing you at the center of the company’s primary growth engine with a path to leadership.

Responsibilities

• Identify and secure new partnerships across hyperscalers (AWS, Azure), core banking providers (Fiserv, Temenos), and global systems integrators like Deloitte.
• Manage end-to-end relationship lifecycles from cold outreach and term negotiation to structured co-sell motions and technical integrations.
• Develop repeatable playbooks for partner-sourced revenue and build the tracking infrastructure to measure pipeline impact and justify future team expansion.

Requirements

• Proven track record of building or scaling a partnerships function within a B2B SaaS environment, specifically targeting financial services or regulated industries.
• Strong commercial judgment with the ability to negotiate complex agreements and prioritize high-value alliances over distracting or low-impact opportunities.
• An entrepreneurial "first-hire" mindset, comfortable navigating ambiguity and communicating effectively with senior stakeholders at global organizations.