Strategic Partnerships Director

ABOUT NEXTSTEP

NextStep connects top consulting talent with high-potential opportunities through smart, AI-powered matching. We partner with ambitious companies across sectors to place experienced professionals in roles where they can have a real impact. On behalf of a client in our partner network, we are currently looking for a Strategic Partnerships Director to join their team.

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Our client is a fast-growing embedded finance company headquartered in London, enabling non-financial businesses to offer financial products (including lending, insurance, and payments) to their customers through a single API platform. Series C backed with £75m raised, they are scaling their distribution through strategic partnerships with large platforms, marketplaces, and enterprise brands. The partnerships function is core to the company's growth model, and the incoming Director will build the team and the strategy from a position of real commercial traction.

THE ROLE

As Strategic Partnerships Director, you will lead the company's partnerships function, owning the strategy, building the team, and personally leading the highest-value partnership relationships. You will define what a great partnership looks like for this business, and build the processes, commercial models, and governance needed to scale partnership revenue to a significant share of total ARR.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Set the partnerships strategy, including target segment definition, commercial model design, and partner tiering framework.

• Lead a team of partnership managers, setting direction, coaching performance, and building a high-accountability culture.

• Personally own the most strategic partnership relationships, acting as the senior face of the business to major enterprise partners.

• Design and negotiate commercial partnership structures, including revenue sharing, integration agreements, and co-marketing arrangements.

• Work with Product to ensure the platform's integration and onboarding capabilities meet the needs of large-scale distribution partners.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

• 10–15 years of experience in partnerships, business development, or commercial leadership, with a track record of building partnerships that drive meaningful revenue.

• Experience in structuring and closing complex, multi-year commercial partnerships with large organisations.

• Strong leader with experience managing and developing partnership teams.

• Commercial and analytical, able to assess the financial value of partnerships and build business cases that secure internal investment.

• Fintech, embedded finance, or platform/marketplace experience is a strong advantage.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

• Base salary of £140,000 – £175,000, depending on experience.

• Significant performance bonus tied to partnership revenue targets.

• Equity package in a high-growth fintech.

• Private health cover, enhanced pension, and hybrid working from London.

HOW TO APPLY

To be considered for this role, please create your profile at getnextstep.com https://getnextstep.com/candidate/landing?utm_medium=job-board&utm_source=job-board. Once your profile is complete, our matching system will evaluate your background against the role criteria and match you with the company if it's a strong fit. No cover letter required.

This role is listed by NextStep on behalf of our client. All applications are handled with confidentiality.