Partnerships Manager

About the role

We are seeking a highly motivated, versatile Partnerships Manager to manage the end-to-end lifecycle of our external partner ecosystem. This hybrid role combines strategic partnership/network expansion with rigorous vendor management and third-party risk governance.

Responsibilities

• Network Development & Account Growth
  • Strategic Expansion: Identify, source, and build relationships with key financial partners, including Banks, Mobile Wallet Providers, and Cash Networks, to expand and optimize our regional payment footprint.
  • Full Sales & Deal Lifecycle: Manage live accounts and drive the full business development cycle—from lead generation and deal structuring to go-live and ongoing relationship management.
  • Account Retention & Health: Maintain strong working relationships with partner executives to ensure high retention rates, positive contractual health, and long-term mutual value creation.
  • Industry Representation: Represent the company at industry events, conduct regulatory outreach as needed, and serve as an ambassador for the brand.
• Contract Ownership & Commercial Negotiations
  • End-to-End Contract Management: Lead negotiations for commercial terms, pricing models, SLA structures, liability terms, and renewal cycles across both network partners and operational vendors.
  • Cross-Functional Approvals: Coordinate multi-departmental sign-offs (Legal, Compliance, Security, Finance/Treasury, and Product) for new agreements and contract renewals.
  • Pipeline & Tool Management: Utilize CRM and CLM/VMS systems (e.g., Gatekeeper) to systematically track deals, contract pipelines, and renewal timelines.
• Third-Party Risk Governance & Compliance
  • Risk Assessments & Audits: Conduct initial and periodic third-party risk management (TPRM) reviews, coordinate security evaluations (e.g., SOC 2), and support internal/external compliance audits.
  • Regulatory Alignment: Ensure partners and vendors adhere to strict industry oversight, local data privacy mandates, anti-money laundering (AML), and OFAC compliance standards.
  • Issue Remediation: Proactively identify risk findings during partner/vendor reviews, establish actionable remediation plans, and track issues through to resolution.
• SLA Enforcement & Performance Governance
  • Service Quality & SLA Monitoring: Continuously monitor partner and vendor performance against agreed KPIs and SLAs; resolve operational friction points and negotiate cost reimbursements or service credits for performance breaches.
  • Executive Governance & QBRs: Structure, organize, and facilitate Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) with key partners/vendors to report on performance metrics and align product/technology roadmaps.
  • Internal Escalations: Present complex legal, commercial, or operational risks to leadership with actionable recommendations.
• Cross-Functional Alignment & Operational Support
  • Internal Collaboration: Partner closely with internal stakeholders (Product, Engineering, Solutions Delivery, Treasury, and Legal) to ensure seamless technical integration and operational execution far beyond contract signing.
  • Implementation Support: Drive onboarding, API integration, and system upgrade projects for new and existing partner/vendor solutions.
  • Reporting & Insights: Maintain precision records in internal systems and provide executive updates on performance metrics, regional regulatory shifts, and strategic growth initiatives.

Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Law, Technology, or a related field.
• Experience: 7+ years of combined experience in Business Development/Partnerships, Vendor Management, Procurement, or Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) within Payments, Fintech, Banking, or Financial Services.
• Domain Expertise: Strong background working with Mobile Wallet Providers, Financial Institutions, Payment Processors, and compliance/risk tooling.
• Commercial Acumen: Proven track record of negotiating complex, multi-party commercial contracts and achieving favorable commercial terms.
• Risk & Regulatory Knowledge: Solid understanding of financial regulations, third-party risk management frameworks, privacy regulations, SOC 2 standards, and OFAC/AML compliance.
• Operational Execution: Highly organized with experience using CRM and CLM/VMS systems to manage contract workflows and track SLA metrics.
• Interpersonal & Communication Skills: Exceptional negotiation, presentation, and stakeholder-management skills, with the confidence to communicate effectively at the C-suite and regulatory levels.

Key Attributes For Success

• Adaptability: Comfortable moving seamlessly between high-level strategic deal-making and detailed risk/contract review.
• Problem-Solver: Ability to navigate competing demands across internal teams and external partners.
• Self-Motivated: High energy, business-minded, and operationally disciplined.