Partnership Manager – Embedded Finance

CRS Ltd; Greater London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

CRS Ltd in Greater London is seeking a Partnership Business Development Manager to drive the strategic partnerships agenda across ISVs, PSPs, ecommerce platforms, and embedded finance providers. You will build and own a robust partner pipeline and shape the journey from offer to funding.

You’ll work closely with the Director of Partnerships to identify opportunities, define API/data-sharing requirements, and oversee onboarding to go-live.

Qualifications

• Proven track record in partnerships/payments/embedded finance.
• Experience signing and launching partnerships with ISOs/PSPs/ecommerce.
• Strong API and integration literacy; able to discuss endpoints and data flows.
• Excellent communication and cross-functional alignment.

Responsibilities

• Build and own a partner pipeline across payments providers, ISOs, ISVs, PSPs, ecommerce and SaaS.
• Design embedded customer journeys with Product/Tech from offer to repayment.
• Translate commercial goals into API, data-sharing and workflow specs.
• Lead partners from signed agreement to go-live with milestones and testing.
• Track performance, drive growth and optimize lending volume post-launch.
• Negotiate terms, revenue share and commercial models.
• Advise on product roadmap with market insights from partners.

Skills

Partnerships

Business Development

API integration literacy

Commercial negotiation

Job description

My client is a profitable SME fintech lender with over 15yrs successful UK trading.

They are best known for speed of delivery, streamlined lending process & accurate credit decisions. Having multiple distribution channels, they are consistently overperforming on lending objectives & now attention is turning to further investment into their strategic partnership division.

It’s a brilliant time to join the team with C-Suite support, brilliant tech ability & API integration success and a ongoing conversations building their credibility in the wider market!

We are looking for talented Partnership Business Development Manager with a network of contacts across ISV’s / ISO’s / PSP’s and E-Commerce Platforms who is keen to learn world of B2B lending & grow some long term partnerships with mutual commercial benefit.

You will work closely with Director of Partnerships to build a strategic roadmap for acquisition & identification of IPP and have autonomy to execute

Key responsibilities

• Partner pipeline. Build and own a pipeline of partners across payments providers, ISOs, ISVs, PSPs, ecommerce and SaaS platforms, and open banking players
• Embedded journeys. Design the embedded customer journey with Product and Tech, from offer display and application through to funding and repayment. Keep friction low and the experience on-brand for the partner
• Scope integration requirements with partner product and engineering teams. Translate commercial goals into clear API, data-sharing and workflow specifications
• Onboarding and go-live. Lead partners from signed agreement to go-live: plans, milestones, testing, launch readiness and partner enablement
• Performance and growth. Track conversion and volume after launch. Run joint optimisation with each partner and grow lending volume over time
• Commercial negotiation. Negotiate partnership terms, revenue share and commercial models. Balance partner value with long-term commercial return.
• Market voice. Bring partner and market insight back into our product roadmap and proposition.

Success for us will be:

Strategic partnerships take time to deliver lending volume, typically 6-9 months from signature. Looking to measure success on:

• By 6 months: A qualified pipeline across target partner segments; first partners signed; at least one integration live or in final testing; a clear embedded journey design agreed with Product and Tech
• By 12 months: Multiple partners live; lending volume flowing and growing from onboarded partners; conversion data driving journey improvements; a repeatable onboarding playbook in place.

We are looking for:

• A track record in business development or partnerships in payments, embedded finance, BaaS or open banking, for example with an acquirer, PSP or open banking provider, or in a strategic partnerships team at an SME finance provider.
• Experience signing and launching partnerships with ISOs, ISVs, PSPs, ecommerce or SaaS platforms
• Strong API and integration literacy. You can talk confidently with engineers about endpoints, data flows and workflows
• A customer-journey and UX mindset, with the ability to spot and remove friction
• Commercial negotiation skills and sound judgement on deal structure
• Clear communication and the ability to align partners with internal Product, Tech, Risk and Operations teams.
• Knowledge of SME lending or an interest in learning around the SME lending ecosystem

A lending background is not required.