Strategic Partner Manager

Strategic Partner Manager
Location: Hybrid; San Francisco/Menlo Park, CA
Pay: Competitive Market (W2)
Duration: Initial 6-month contract (expected extensions/conversion)
Schedule: Full-time, 40 hrs/week (Mon–Fri)
Target Start: April 2026
Benefits: Medical, dental, vision, 401(k), paid vacation & sick leave

Job Overview:

This is a unique opportunity to work in payments. The opportunity to use unique AI tools!

The Global Payments Partnerships team builds and manages relationships with companies that provide critical payment services across commerce products, and partners that unlock new payment experiences on our platforms.

We’re seeking a Strategic Partner Manager to own high-impact partner workstreams end-to-end—from strategy and business case development through negotiation, execution, and ongoing performance management. This role is ideal for a leader who brings broad payments experience (not narrow SME depth), a strong strategic mindset, and the ability to communicate clearly and influence effectively at every level—from XFN ICs to executive stakeholders, and from partner operators to C-level counterparts. You will be expected to move quickly, operate with sound judgment amid ambiguity, and apply modern AI tools to accelerate analysis, synthesis, and day-to-day execution.

Responsibilities:

• Lead major partner workstreams with key payments ecosystem partners (e.g., networks, processors, issuers, PSPs), including quarterly planning, executive reporting, and issue resolution.
• Develop and drive partnerships strategy: identify opportunities, prioritize bets, define success metrics, and align internal stakeholders on path forward.
• Structure and negotiate complex agreements, including commercials, technical scope, performance expectations, privacy/data protection terms, and operational readiness requirements.
• Partner closely with Product & Engineering to translate strategy into executable roadmaps; provide crisp tradeoffs and recommendations grounded in business and platform constraints.
• Run cross-functional execution across Product, Engineering, Legal, Finance, Tax, Ops, and Marketing to launch and scale initiatives.
• Create decision frameworks and operating mechanisms that improve how we select partners, sequence builds, and manage ongoing partner performance.
• Communicate up and down the org effectively: concise leadership updates, clear asks, strong stakeholder management, and thoughtful escalation when needed.
• Use AI thoughtfully in daily work (e.g., drafting, summarizing, analysis support, workflow automation) to increase speed and quality while maintaining strong judgment.

Education / Experience:

• 8+ years of experience in payments (e.g., networks, PSPs, processors, issuers, platforms, or payments partnerships), with demonstrated breadth across business, product, and partner execution.
• Degrees/Certifications Required: BA/BS or equivalent practical experience.

Must Have Skills:

1. Proven track record of leading cross-functional initiatives and influencing without authority.
2. Experience in structuring and negotiating commercial agreements, including comfort with financial models, pricing, and key contractual terms.
3. Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; ability to tailor messages to executives, XFN teams, and external partners. Experience with payments cost optimization

Nice-to-Have Skills:

1. 12+ years of relevant payments and/or partnerships experience, including ownership of complex, multi-threaded negotiations.
2. Demonstrated ability to operate strategically in ambiguous environments, create frameworks, and drive alignment across competing priorities. Experience working with large global partners and executive stakeholders.
3. Strong operational rigor: setting goals/metrics, running QBRs, and driving accountability. Demonstrated ability to leverage AI tools to improve productivity (prompting, synthesis, analysis support, automation), with good
   data-handling judgment.

Pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act, Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, qualified applicants will be considered for assignment with arrest and conviction records. Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship with some of the material job duties of this position. These include the duties and responsibilities listed above, as well as the abilities to adhere to company policies, exercise sound judgment, effectively manage stress and work safely and respectfully with others, exhibit trustworthiness, meet client expectations, standards, and accompanying requirements, and safeguard business operations and company reputation.

#TM2