Senior Director of Partnerships, Upgrade
+ Stock option plan
Offering responsible credit to mainstream consumers
Be an early applicant
Offering responsible credit to mainstream consumers
1001+ employees
Be an early applicant
+ 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
- The candidate must be able to communicate Flex Pay’s unique capabilities to deliver customized payment marketing solutions and be comfortable working in a fast-paced, highly technical environment
- This is a strategic role for the right person with experience in fintech/travel industries and B2B2C distribution models
- Bachelor's Degree in a business, marketing or related field from an accredited college or university; Master's degree a plus
- 10+ years of B2B Commercial or General Management experience
- A thorough understanding the travel ecosystem in Canada
- Demonstrated expertise managing external partner relationships, including business development and growth initiatives - proven ability to interact with and gain the trust of clients
- Understanding of partner revenue management landscape and sales environments
- Ability to orchestrate relationships across marketing, e-commerce, finance, IT and other departments with Flex Pay partners
- Deep focus on data analytics, synthesizing results to identify opportunities, drive initiatives and evaluate effectiveness
- Strong strategy, research, analysis, presentation and negotiation skills
- Proven success navigating technical integrations and SaaS-driven business environments
- Strong proficiency in project planning and the flexibility to adjust to different settings and shifting priorities
- Comfortable operating with a high sense of urgency, enthusiastic about working with diverse and talented teams across geographies, and driven to succeed
- Passionate about engaging and developing talent; attract, develop, engage and retain talented individuals with a compelling, unifying vision that steers and motivates
- Excellent verbal & written communications skills (bilingual English / French a plus)
What the job involves
- As Senior Director, Partnerships - Canada, you will use your business development background, analytical skills, partner management expertise, and industry knowledge to deepen partnerships and lead segment growth for Flex Pay’s travel partners across the Canada market
- You will work as the voice of the partner cross-functionally with our internal teams in order to deliver operational excellence and promote new innovation and growth
- You will be a thoughtful leader by gathering feedback and insights from your partners and your team to continuously inform and refresh Flex Pay product position within the value chain
- Oversee and direct Flex Pay’s commercial activities and Account Management team for the Canada market
- Build strong, long-lasting relationships with influential stakeholders with all Canadian clients
- Plan, implement and manage strategic commercial activities and pipeline to short and long term business goals and annual revenue targets
- Develop and maintain strategic account plans for key partners, lead business reviews, and recurring check-ins
- Create & articulate compelling value propositions around Flex Pay’s BNPL solution
- Scope projects, shape engagements, and help define business and product solutions that best satisfy partner needs and achieve their desired business outcomes
- Work collaboratively with internal teams (including account management, product, compliance, analytics, UX and delivery teams) to ensure that Flex Pay is meeting market needs and continuously improving service and product offerings
- Gather, assess and share insights on the Segments of the Travel industry and how best to position Flex Pay (airline, tour op, OTA’s, travel agencies)
- Synthesize and share data-driven industry-specific trends and recommendations
- Represent Flex Pay through participation at events, speaking engagements, industry associations and trade shows
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 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. Off the back of impressive growth milestones in 2025, the company raised $165 million in Series G funding, raising its valuation to $7.3 billion, a comfortable position for a future IPO.
Kirsty
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
18% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Funding (last 2 of 6 rounds)
Oct 2025
$165m
SERIES G
Nov 2021
$280m
SERIES F
Total funding: $712m
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.
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