Partnership Manager

Thunes; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Thunes in San Francisco is seeking a highly motivated Partnerships Manager to own the end-to-end lifecycle of our external partner ecosystem, from sourcing to ongoing governance. You will build strategic financial partnerships with banks, mobile wallet providers, and cash networks, while managing third-party risk, commercial terms, and SLA performance across the region.

This hybrid role requires deep relationship skills, strong negotiation, and the ability to navigate regulatory requirements to

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Law, Technology, or related field.
• 7+ years in partnerships, vendor management, procurement, or TPRM in payments/fintech.
• Experience with Banks, Mobile Wallet Providers, payment processors, and compliance tools.
• Proven track record negotiating multi-party contracts and favorable terms.
• Knowledge of financial regulations, SOC 2, AML, OFAC compliance.

Responsibilities

• Identify, source, and build relationships with Banks, Mobile Wallet Providers, and Cash Networks to expand regional payout footprint.
• Manage full sales lifecycle from lead generation to go-live and ongoing relationship management.
• Maintain executive relationships to ensure high retention, healthy contracts, and mutual value.
• Represent the company at industry events and regulators as needed.
• Lead negotiations for commercial terms, pricing, SLAs, and renewal cycles across partners and vendors.
• Coordinate cross-functional approvals (Legal, Compliance, Security, Finance, Product) for agreements.
• Track deals and renewal timelines using CRM and CLM/VMS tools (e.g., Gatekeeper).
• Conduct third-party risk reviews, coordinate security evaluations, and support audits.
• Monitor KPIs and SLAs, resolve friction points, and discuss service credits when needed.
• Collaborate with Product, Engineering, Treasury, and Legal for integrations and onboarding.

Skills

Partnership development

Negotiation & closing deals

Stakeholder management

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Law, Technology, or related field

Tools

CRM systems

CLM/VMS systems (Gatekeeper)

Job description

We are seeking a highly motivated, versatile Partnerships Manager to manage the end-to-end lifecycle of our external partner ecosystem. This hybrid role combines strategic partnership/network expansion with rigorous vendor management and third-party risk governance.

In this position, you will be responsible for sourcing, building, and scaling strategic financial partnerships (Banks, Mobile Wallet Providers, Cash Networks) to expand our payout network, while concurrently overseeing critical third-party vendor relationships, commercial negotiations, SLA performance, and regulatory risk compliance across the region.

Key Responsibilities

1. Network Development & Account Growth

• Strategic Expansion: Identify, source, and build relationships with key financial partners, including Banks, Mobile Wallet Providers, and Cash Networks, to expand and optimize our regional payment footprint.
• Full Sales & Deal Lifecycle: Manage live accounts and drive the full business development cycle—from lead generation and deal structuring to go-live and ongoing relationship management.
• Account Retention & Health: Maintain strong working relationships with partner executives to ensure high retention rates, positive contractual health, and long-term mutual value creation.
• Industry Representation: Represent the company at industry events, conduct regulatory outreach as needed, and serve as an ambassador for the brand.

2. Contract Ownership & Commercial Negotiations

• End-to-End Contract Management: Lead negotiations for commercial terms, pricing models, SLA structures, liability terms, and renewal cycles across both network partners and operational vendors.
• Cross-Functional Approvals: Coordinate multi-departmental sign-offs (Legal, Compliance, Security, Finance/Treasury, and Product) for new agreements and contract renewals.
• Pipeline & Tool Management: Utilize CRM and CLM/VMS systems (e.g., Gatekeeper) to systematically track deals, contract pipelines, and renewal timelines.

3. Third-Party Risk Governance & Compliance

• Risk Assessments & Audits: Conduct initial and periodic third-party risk management (TPRM) reviews, coordinate security evaluations (e.g., SOC 2), and support internal/external compliance audits.
• Regulatory Alignment: Ensure partners and vendors adhere to strict industry oversight, local data privacy mandates, anti-money laundering (AML), and OFAC compliance standards.
• Issue Remediation: Proactively identify risk findings during partner/vendor reviews, establish actionable remediation plans, and track issues through to resolution.

4. SLA Enforcement & Performance Governance

• Service Quality & SLA Monitoring: Continuously monitor partner and vendor performance against agreed KPIs and SLAs; resolve operational friction points and negotiate cost reimbursements or service credits for performance breaches.
• Executive Governance & QBRs: Structure, organize, and facilitate Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) with key partners/vendors to report on performance metrics and align product/technology roadmaps.
• Internal Escalations: Present complex legal, commercial, or operational risks to leadership with actionable recommendations.

5. Cross-Functional Alignment & Operational Support

• Internal Collaboration: Partner closely with internal stakeholders (Product, Engineering, Solutions Delivery, Treasury, and Legal) to ensure seamless technical integration and operational execution far beyond contract signing.
• Implementation Support: Drive onboarding, API integration, and system upgrade projects for new and existing partner/vendor solutions.
• Reporting & Insights: Maintain precision records in internal systems and provide executive updates on performance metrics, regional regulatory shifts, and strategic growth initiatives.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Law, Technology, or a related field.
• Experience: 7+ years of combined experience in Business Development/Partnerships, Vendor Management, Procurement, or Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) within Payments, Fintech, Banking, or Financial Services.
• Domain Expertise: Strong background working with Mobile Wallet Providers, Financial Institutions, Payment Processors, and compliance/risk tooling.
• Commercial Acumen: Proven track record of negotiating complex, multi-party commercial contracts and achieving favorable commercial terms.
• Risk & Regulatory Knowledge: Solid understanding of financial regulations, third-party risk management frameworks, privacy regulations, SOC 2 standards, and OFAC/AML compliance.
• Operational Execution: Highly organized with experience using CRM and CLM/VMS systems to manage contract workflows and track SLA metrics.
• Interpersonal & Communication Skills: Exceptional negotiation, presentation, and stakeholder‑management skills, with the confidence to communicate effectively at the C‑suite and regulatory levels.

Key Attributes for Success:

• Adaptability: Comfortable moving seamlessly between high-level strategic deal-making and detailed risk/contract review.
• Problem-Solver: Ability to navigate competing demands across internal teams and external partners.
• Self-Motivated: High energy, business-minded, and operationally disciplined.