Partnership Lead

Velocity; New York (NY); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Velocity in New York is seeking a senior partnerships lead responsible for managing relationships with global payment networks and schemes, driving end-to-end partnership cycles, and translating network roadmaps into Velocity’s product and GTM priorities.

You will define strategy for network collaborations, negotiate complex agreements, and work with Product, Engineering, and Compliance to ensure successful integrations and compliant deployments.

Qualifications

• 6+ years in partnerships, business development, or commercial roles in payments.
• Existing warm network across global payment networks or schemes.
• Proven track record of closing complex multi-stakeholder partnerships, ideally fintech to incumbents.
• Strong understanding of card and account-to-account settlement and the cost dynamics between networks, issuers, and acquirers.
• Experience operating in regulated environments with prudent partnering.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and strong commercial judgement.

Responsibilities

• Own Velocity's relationships with global payment networks, schemes, and ecosystem programmes from initial contact to signed agreements and live integrations.
• Build and execute the network partnerships strategy across stablecoin, settlement, and treasury initiatives.
• Lead complex partnership cycles end to end: relationship development, solution design, commercial structuring, legal/compliance negotiation, and closing.
• Structure and negotiate partnership agreements in collaboration with Finance and Legal.
• Convert partnerships into distribution by engaging networks' merchant, issuer and acquirer relationships.

Skills

Partnerships

Business development

Payments networks

Cross-functional leadership

Regulatory compliance

Job description

About us

Velocity is revolutionising the global financial landscape by unifying fiat and digital assets through regulated stablecoin technology. We are tackling some of the most significant inefficiencies in global payments, from the limitations of SWIFT to the cost and delays of cross-border transactions.

Founded by Eric Queathem, with decades of experience scaling and leading payments businesses, Velocity combines deep expertise in regulated financial systems with a fast-growing team across London, Warsaw, New York and Melbourne.

Our platform enables businesses to manage payments, treasury functions, and liquidity in real time, operating 24/7/365. We remove friction in global payouts, cross-border settlements, and treasury operations, seamlessly integrating stablecoin-powered speed with the reliability of traditional finance.

Backed by robust partnerships, including strategic collaborations with Fireblocks and other leading technology providers, we are building trusted infrastructure for scalable global growth.

We recently announced a $48m Series A led by Dragonfly and FirstMark, with participation from Visa, QED, Capital One Ventures, Circle, Ripple and Coinbase Ventures.

The role

This is a senior role owning Velocity's relationships with the global payment networks and schemes that sit at the centre of how money moves, and one of our first dedicated partnerships hires.

Velocity's growth increasingly runs through these networks. We already have live relationships with several and a pipeline of others. You will own that portfolio end to end: deepening what exists, opening what does not, and turning network relationships into distribution for Velocity's stablecoin settlement and treasury products.

Beyond the portfolio itself, you will help set how Velocity partners: defining where we plug into network-led stablecoin and settlement initiatives, where we partner versus build, and how network relationships translate into pipeline for the wider commercial team.

Key responsibilities

• Own Velocity's relationships with global payment networks, schemes and their ecosystem programmes, from first conversation through to signed commercial agreements and live integrations.
• Build and execute the network partnerships strategy: identify where Velocity fits into network stablecoin, settlement and treasury initiatives, and prioritise accordingly.
• Run complex, multi-stakeholder partnership cycles end to end: relationship development, solution design, commercial structuring, legal and compliance negotiation, and close, typically spanning several quarters and multiple decision-makers.
• Structure and negotiate partnership agreements, including commercial models, revenue share, and integration terms, in partnership with Finance and Legal.
• Convert partnerships into distribution: work with networks' merchant, issuer and acquirer relationships to bring Velocity to their customers, and hand qualified opportunities to the sales team.
• Represent Velocity in network working groups, consortium discussions, certification processes and industry forums.
• Act as the internal voice of the networks: translate their roadmaps, requirements and internal dynamics into what Product, Engineering and Go-to-Market need to do.
• Work closely with Product and Engineering to scope network integrations and carry the weight to influence roadmap prioritisation.
• Partner with Compliance and Legal to navigate scheme rules, jurisdictional requirements and contracting in a regulated environment.
• Represent Velocity at senior level at industry conferences and events.

What we are looking for

• 6+ years' experience in partnerships, business development or commercial roles in payments, with a meaningful part of it spent inside or working directly with global payment networks or schemes.
• An existing, warm network at senior levels across the network and scheme ecosystem that you can activate from day one.
• A demonstrable track record of closing complex, multi-stakeholder commercial partnerships, ideally between a fintech or infrastructure provider and a large incumbent.
• Deep understanding of how card and account-to-account settlement actually works, and where cost, float and friction sit between networks, issuers and acquirers.
• Experience operating in a regulated environment, and the judgement to partner honestly within it.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, and the commercial judgement to know which partnerships are worth pursuing and which are not.
• Comfortable working across time zones with a team concentrated in London and the United States, and self-directed enough to operate without a large local office around you.
• Exposure to stablecoins or digital assets is an advantage, but deep network and payments experience matters more than prior crypto experience.

Nice to have

Deep experience in one or more of the areas we partner across either:

• Network programmes: scheme partner, fintech or innovation programmes, and how third parties get certified, integrated and commercialised within a network.
• Issuing: issuer-processors, BIN sponsors and card programme managers, and the funding and settlement mechanics that sit behind a card programme.

• Why join?

  Work on a groundbreaking, forward-thinking solution: Be part of a team leveraging cutting-edge technologies to transform the global financial landscape.

• Mission-driven environment with purpose: At Velocity, we prioritize security and user empowerment, ensuring our solutions are built with integrity and designed to make a difference.

• Learn from industry leaders: The founding team consists of seasoned operators with a proven track record in the industry, providing invaluable mentorship and guidance as we grow.

• Backed by top-tier venture capital: Velocity is supported by premier investors, providing the resources and backing necessary to scale rapidly and execute on our ambitious vision.

• Shape the future of global finance: Join an innovative team working on a revolutionary solution that is changing the long-term trajectory of financial operations.

• Be part of a company with long-term vision: With a strong regulatory-first approach and a focus on sustainable, scalable growth, Velocity is poised for long-term success.