Director of Partnerships, Upgrade
Offers stock option plan
Offering responsible credit to mainstream consumers
Open for applications
Offering responsible credit to mainstream consumers
1001+ employees
Open for applications
Offers stock option plan
1001+ employees
Company mission
To help our customers move in the right direction with responsible financial products that put more money in their pocket.
Role
Who you are
- We are looking for new team members who get excited about designing and delivering new and better products to join a team of 1850 talented and dedicated professionals
- We are looking for a self-starter who can thrive in a fast-paced growth environment to take Flex Pay to the next level
- 8-10 years of progressive channel partnerships and sales leadership experience within BNPL or payments space
- Deep understanding of the BNPL landscape, payment technologies, retail, e-commerce ecosystems, and PSPs
- Track record of achieving ambitious revenue targets in a fast-paced, competitive market
- Excellent communication, negotiation, and deal closing skills
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, or a related field; MBA preferred
What the job involves
- We are seeking an experienced and strategic Director of Partnerships for our Flex Pay BNPL product within the retail and non-travel space
- This person will play a pivotal role in driving revenue growth, launching channel partnerships, and expanding our footprint in BNPL
- This IC leader will be instrumental in developing and executing a comprehensive partnerships strategy, building strong relationships with payments service providers (PSPs), e-commerce platforms, and digital wallets
- The Partnerships Director will prospect, nurture, and sign channel partnerships to drive net new Flex Pay merchant acquisition
- Identify and cultivate strategic partnerships with PSPs, e-commerce platforms, and digital wallets to expand adoption of BNPL solutions
- Create consultative sales presentations, RFP proposals, and own the end-to-end contract negotiation process for new opportunities
- Develop and implement a data-driven partnerships strategy aligned with company goals to drive revenue growth and market penetration
- Work closely with Product, Design, Data, Engineering, Marketing, Legal, and other teams to ensure the Flex Pay team is continuously improving the product offering
- Own channel partnerships targets, pipeline management, and forecasting, ensuring consistent achievement of KPIs and revenue goals
- Leverage customer feedback, market insights, and industry trends to refine partnership approaches and inform product development and adoption
Our take
Most credit cards don't encourage the owner to pay down their debt. The longer it takes to pay off the balance, the more money lenders are set to make. Upgrade is an online lender and card issuer doing things differently. The company offers personal loans and credit cards but with a fixed instalment structure and a set number of equal payments. This ensures the balance reduces every month.
The company believes this model reduces default rates, as borrowers are forced to pay down rather than maintain their debt, and it encourages a greater commitment to repay the balance. Further, by combining the ease of a Visa card with the fixed payments and decreased rates of a personal loan, Upgrade sets itself apart from competitors.
In 2021, Upgrade launched its mobile banking and debit card as a strategy to onboard new customers and increase loyalty. The fixed-rate nature of the company's cards is expected to be of use to customers in future years in an environment of rising rates. Upgrade also plans to expand beyond the U.S. in the future, which will represent new challenges for the business as it adapts to alternative regulations.
Kirsty
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
18% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Funding (last 2 of 5 rounds)
Nov 2021
$280m
SERIES F
Aug 2021
$105m
SERIES E
Total funding: $547m
Company benefits
- Stock option plan
- 100% paid coverage of medical, dental and vision insurance
- Flexible PTO
- Opportunities for professional growth and development
- Paid parental leave
- Health & wellness initiatives
Company HQ
Financial District, San Francisco, CA
Leadership
Renaud Laplanche
(Co-Founder & CEO)After an MBA at London Business School, Renaud spent 5 years as an Associate at Clearly Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton and co-founded MatchPoint. They then left Oracle after a year to co-found Lending Club in 2006 and co-founded Upgrade in August 2016.
Adelina Grozdanova
(Co-Founder & Head of Investor Group)Adelina started their career with 6 years at Morgan Stanley after a degree at Princeton. They left banking in 2012 to join Lending Club as VP, and after 3 years co-founded Upgrade, serving as Head of Investor Group since 2016.
Share this job
View 11 more jobs at Upgrade