Director, Partnerships & Growth

Smartly; New York (NY); Remote; USD 140,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Smartly is a growing fintech lending marketplace seeking a Director of Partnerships & Growth who will own the partner ecosystem and work directly with our COO and co-founder. You will drive affiliate and lender relationships, set growth strategies, and shape the partnerships playbook from the ground up.

In the near term you will execute initiatives personally, then build a team as the function scales. You should be comfortable with data, pricing, and industry events to accelerate growth.

Qualifications

• 6+ years in partner/account management, business development, or affiliate marketing.
• Proven track record growing revenue you owned.
• Strong knowledge of affiliate/referral economics.
• Data-driven with ability to pull reports and act on trends.
• Familiarity with API integrations and tracking.
• Established fintech lending or lead-gen network.

Responsibilities

• Grow and manage affiliate and lender relationships.
• Set growth strategies and measurable objectives.
• Optimize pricing and identify opportunities.
• Negotiate deals with lenders and distribution partners.
• Lead partner integrations end-to-end with Product.
• Analyze partner performance and adjust pricing/traffic.
• Represent Smartly at industry events.

Skills

Partnership management

Account management

Business development

Affiliate marketing

Pricing strategy

Data analysis

APIs / integrations

Tools

Looker

Tableau

Job description

TrySmartly is building a next-generation consumer lending marketplace for underserved and subprime borrowers. We take in traffic and lead submissions from distribution partners, enrich and evaluate that data, and connect consumers with lenders and financial-services providers through API integrations, intelligent matching and routing, and data-driven decisioning.

We are early-stage, led by our Co-founder that has built and scaled marketplace platforms before, including leadership from Even Financial (now part of MoneyLion / Gen Digital) and Bankrate. The playbook is still being written, decisions get made in days rather than quarters, and the person in this role will have real influence over how the business scales.

About the Role

In under a year, Smartly has gone from zero to a growing lending marketplace, built and run almost entirely by our founder with minimal outside support. We have established real credibility with lenders, top-tier aggregators, and channel partners across the lead-generation space. This is our first dedicated hire on the partnerships side.

We are looking for a Director, Partnerships & Growth who is hands-on, commercially sharp, and ready to operate like a founder. You will work directly with our COO and Co-founder to own and grow the partner ecosystem — lenders, aggregators, affiliates, and marketplace vendors — and set the strategy rather than inherit it. In the near term you will do the work yourself; as the function grows, you will build the team around you.

What You’ll Own

Partner growth and performance

• Growth and ongoing management of Smartly’s affiliate and lender relationships, including aggregators, marketplace vendors, and financial-services providers.
• The partner relationship itself — you are the main point of contact, setting growth strategies, objectives, and the metrics you are both measured against.
• Performance improvement through optimization, pricing strategy, and identification of new opportunities.

Deals and integrations

• Contract negotiations with lenders, aggregators, and strategic distribution partners; structuring deals that are commercially sound, competitive, and compliant.
• Partner integrations end to end — kickoff and implementation calls, integration documentation, and working with Product through a successful launch.

Analytics and reporting

• Partner analytics and reporting: reviewing performance trends and using them to adjust pricing and traffic volumes.
• The materials partners actually see — performance analyses, insight decks, and QBR presentations, built in Looker, Tableau, or whatever makes the point clearly.

Compliance and market presence

• Compliance guardrails across all partner channels, in coordination with legal and compliance — TCPA, CCPA, FCRA, and lender‑specific program requirements.
• Representing Smartly at industry events such as LeadsCon, Fintech Meetup, and Money20/20, to strengthen existing relationships and source new ones.

What We’re Looking For

• 6+ years in partner or account management, business development, or affiliate marketing — financial services, fintech lending, or lead generation strongly preferred.
• A track record of building relationships and growing account revenue you were personally accountable for.
• Strong working knowledge of affiliate and referral economics (CPA, CPL, EPL, EPC) and how they drive overall profitability.
• Comfort with data — you can pull the report, spot the trend, and change a pricing decision because of it. Looker, Tableau, or similar.
• Enough technical familiarity to hold your own on an integration call: APIs, iFrames, redirect experiences, and tracking.
• An established network in fintech lending, consumer credit, or lead generation — you know the key players and can open doors quickly.
• Entrepreneurial mindset. You are energized by building something from scratch rather than maintaining what already exists. Experience as a player-coach or scaling a function is a plus.

Why Join Now

This is the first partnerships hire at a company that has gotten real traction with a very small team and is now building the function around it. You will work side by side with a co‑founder who has done this before, own a core part of the business, and shape the partnerships playbook from the ground up.

Unlike a role at an established company where the strategy is inherited and headcount is fixed, here you have genuine latitude to set the direction, grow the team as the business grows, and be recognized and rewarded as it scales.

Compensation

• Base salary: $140,000 – $170,000 annually.
• Bonus: Up to 20% of annual base, tied to company financial performance and individual goals.

Compensation varies based on experience, skills, location, and relevant knowledge.

Location and Travel

• Remote — must reside in the United States.
• Travel: approximately 20%, or as required.

TrySmartly is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. The responsibilities outlined above are not exhaustive, and the employee may be asked to take on additional duties as business needs evolve.