Partner Development Manager, AI

Plaid Inc.; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Plaid Inc. in San Francisco is seeking a senior leader to own the AI partnerships strategy, partnering with sales, partnerships, product, and engineering to drive deals and partnerships across the AI ecosystem.

You will identify AI-native partners, shape use cases, and translate emerging opportunities into tangible business outcomes, while aligning with Plaid's roadmap and customer needs. Join a team at the intersection of fintech and AI, helping Plaid scale its AI GTM agenda and collaborate

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in partnerships, business development, or corporate development.
• Proven ability to drive deals and manage external relationships.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration and communication skills.
• Ability to operate in ambiguity and build from 0-1.
• Interest in AI and emerging technologies.

Responsibilities

• Own Plaid’s approach to AI partnerships including driving the initial strategy, owning cross-functional stakeholder management, and full-stack deal execution
• Identify new AI-native partners and use cases for Plaid
• Own and drive AI-related deals across partnerships
• Identify, structure, and execute industry-first AI partnerships
• Responsible for defining commercial structures, working with Engineering, Product, Design, and Commercial to unlock new technical requirements, and partnership structuring and execution
• Develop POVs on: AI trends
• Develop POVs on: Competitive landscape
• Develop POVs on: Emerging partner needs
• Support cross-functional GTM initiatives (marketing, enablement, events)
• Contribute to building and scaling the AI GTM Pod

Skills

Partnerships

Business development

Cross-functional collaboration

Deal execution

Ambiguity management

Job description

We believe that the way people interact with their finances will drastically improve in the next few years. We’re dedicated to empowering this transformation by building the tools and experiences that thousands of developers use to create their own products. Plaid powers the tools millions of people rely on to live a healthier financial life. We work with thousands of companies like Venmo, SoFi, several of the Fortune 500, and many of the largest banks to make it easy for people to connect their financial accounts to the apps and services they want to use. Plaid’s network covers 12,000 financial institutions across the US, Canada, UK and Europe. Founded in 2013, the company is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in New York, Seattle, Washington D.C., Raleigh, London, and Amsterdam.

About the team

The AI GTM team works with a cross-functional pod to accelerate Plaid’s footprint in AI. Our goal is to sell into and partner with AI companies of all sizes, from the largest model companies to small startups. This team works cross functionally, internally and externally, to ensure Plaid is the financial and identity provider of choice for AI companies; while also working closely with product and engineering to future proof our product set in an AI-driven ecosystem.

AI is reshaping how companies build and interact with financial systems. This role is critical to ensuring Plaid captures this opportunity—by partnering with the most innovative AI companies, shaping new use cases, and helping define how financial infrastructure powers the next generation of applications.

In this role, you will serve as a critical link between our GTM teams (across sales, account management and partnerships), our product team, and the external AI market. You will be responsible for operationalizing our AI strategy, helping us win key deals, and ensuring our roadmap reflects the needs of our current customers and partners. You’ll work at the forefront of AI and fintech, driving deals and partnerships with some of the most innovative companies in the ecosystem. You’ll identify new opportunities, build relationships with AI-native partners, and translate emerging use cases into real business outcomes for Plaid. You’ll collaborate across teams to bring deals to life and help ensure Plaid shows up as a trusted, knowledgeable partner in AI.

Responsibilities

• Own Plaid’s approach to AI partnerships including driving the initial strategy, owning cross-functional stakeholder management, and full-stack deal execution
• Identify new AI-native partners and use cases for Plaid
• Own and drive AI-related deals across partnerships
• Identify, structure, and execute industry-first AI partnerships
• Responsible for defining commercial structures, working with Engineering, Product, Design, and Commercial to unlock new technical requirements, and partnership structuring and execution
• Develop POVs on:
  • AI trends
  • Competitive landscape
  • Emerging partner needs
• Support cross-functional GTM initiatives (marketing, enablement, events)
• Contribute to building and scaling the AI GTM Pod

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in partnerships, business development, or corporate development
• Proven ability to drive deals and manage external relationships
• Strong cross-functional collaboration and communication skills
• Ability to operate in ambiguity and build from 0-1
• Interest in AI and emerging technologies

Nice to have:

• Experience working with AI companies or developer/API platforms
• Background in fintech or financial infrastructure
• Startup or high-growth environment experience

Our mission at Plaid is to unlock financial freedom for everyone. To support that mission, we seek to build a diverse team of driven individuals who care deeply about making the financial ecosystem more equitable. We recognize that strong qualifications can come from both prior work experiences and lived experiences. We encourage you to apply to a role even if your experience doesn't fully match the job description. We are always looking for team members that will bring something unique to Plaid!

Plaid is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and values diversity at our company. We do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religion or religious belief, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, military or veteran status, disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Plaid is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities in our recruiting process. If you need any assistance with your application or interviews due to a disability, please let us know at [e-mail].

Please review our Candidate Privacy Notice here.

Additional compensation in the form(s) of equity and/or commission are dependent on the position offered. Plaid provides a comprehensive benefit plan, including medical, dental, vision, and 401(k). Pay is based on factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience and skillset, and location. Pay and benefits are subject to change at any time, consistent with the terms of any applicable compensation or benefit plans.