Senior Director, Partner Business Development

This pivotal role will be responsible for sourcing, negotiating, signing, and critically, activating and scaling impactful partnerships across Payment Service Providers (PSPs), Gateways, E-commerce Platforms, and emerging verticals such as Travel and Invoicing. This leader will directly contribute to Affirm's strategic imperative of accelerating product distribution through scalable solutions. Reporting directly to the VP of SMB and Distribution Partnerships, the Senior Director will lead and mentor a team of approximately 5 Business Development professionals, driving the identification and execution of high-value partnerships that significantly expand Affirm's reach and drive merchant adoption. What you'll do Strategic Partnership Development: Define and execute a comprehensive strategy for identifying, prioritizing, and securing strategic partnerships within target verticals (PSPs, Gateways, E-commerce Platforms, Travel, Invoicing, etc.). End-to-End Partnership Lifecycle: Lead the full partnership lifecycle, from initial opportunity identification and qualification through negotiation, contract execution, and successful activation and ongoing management. Activation and Scalability Focus: Develop and implement robust activation plans in collaboration with internal teams (Product, Engineering, Marketing, Sales) to ensure signed partnerships translate into significant merchant adoption and transaction volume. Possess a deep understanding of how to effectively capitalize on partnerships beyond initial signing. Team Leadership and Development: Build, lead, mentor, and inspire a high-performing team of Business Development professionals, fostering a collaborative and results-driven environment. Set clear goals, provide coaching and development opportunities, and drive team success. Market Expertise and Insights: Maintain a deep understanding of the payments landscape, industry trends, competitive dynamics, and emerging opportunities within target verticals. Leverage this knowledge to inform partnership strategy and identify innovative collaboration models. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with Product, Engineering, Marketing, Sales, Legal, and Finance teams to ensure seamless partnership integration, activation, and ongoing success. Executive Communication: Effectively communicate partnership strategy, progress, and key performance indicators to senior leadership. Performance Management: Establish and track key performance metrics for partnership success, ensuring the team meets and exceeds targets for signed partnerships and activation goals. Relationship Management: Cultivate and maintain strong, executive-level relationships with key partners.