Partnerships Manager

IntelliPro; United States; Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

IntelliPro is seeking a founding US partner relations leader to originate and structure banking and payments-infrastructure partnerships. You will secure sponsor banks, BIN sponsorships, and connect to card networks and BaaS platforms to enable US operations.

You’ll also build a broader ecosystem of fintech and channel partners, driving commercial momentum while coordinating across cross-functional teams. This is a high-ownership, build-from-scratch role in a small US team.

Qualifications

• Experience originating and structuring banking and payments-infrastructure partnerships with sponsor banks, BIN sponsors, networks and processors.
• Hands-on experience developing PSP, payout, card-issuing, or acquiring partnerships between fintechs and banks.
• End-to-end sponsor-bank relationship experience: application, diligence, term-sheet negotiation, launch.
• Fluency in the economics of the payments stack: interchange, settlement, BIN structure, scheme membership.
• Existing relationships in banking and fintech ecosystems to leverage for partnerships.
• Strong commercial-negotiation skills and ability to structure partnerships with economics and SLAs.
• A versatile, hands-on operator who can span infra and commercial partnerships on a small team.
• Excellent written and verbal English for senior stakeholder engagement.

Responsibilities

• Originate and structure US sponsor-bank, BIN-sponsorship, and payments-infrastructure relationships; lead applications, diligence, term-sheets, and launches.
• Identify, evaluate, and onboard strategic infrastructure partners including sponsor banks, networks, processors, and BaaS platforms.
• Build fintech, reseller, and pipeline partnerships to extend reach and commercial momentum.
• Lead commercial negotiations covering pricing, settlement terms, and interchange economics.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams (Banking, Product, Operations, Risk, Compliance) to launch integrations.
• Develop standards for clean channel integration aligned with regulatory policies.
• Monitor partner performance and optimize routing, cost efficiency, and service quality.
• Provide market insight, reporting, and strategic recommendations for the US roadmap.

Skills

Banking partnerships

Payments infrastructure

Sponsor banks

BIN sponsors

Card networks

Negotiation

Cross-functional teamwork

English communication

Job description

Our client is a fast-growing, cross-border payment service provider (PSP) delivering secure and efficient payment and corporate banking solutions to businesses worldwide. Headquartered in London, with offices in Los Angeles, Amsterdam, Singapore, Hong Kong and other key financial hubs, the company provides reliable, compliant and borderless financial infrastructure to support global business growth.

The company operates under multiple financial licenses across key jurisdictions, including a UK Electronic Money Institution (EMI) license, European Payment Institution (PI) license, Hong Kong Money Service Operator (MSO) license, Singapore Major Payment Institution (MPI) license, and U.S. Money Services Business (MSB) registration.

The company enables businesses to accept global card payments across all major card networks, with infrastructure designed for high authorization rates, robust fraud controls, and seamless cross-border payment experiences. As part of its continued US expansion, the company is registered as an MSB with FinCEN and is in the process of obtaining and maintaining state-level Money Transmitter Licenses (MTLs).

About the Role:

This is a founding US role with real breadth. At its core, you will own the origination and structuring of the banking and payments-infrastructure partnerships that make the US business possible — sponsor banks, BIN sponsors, card networks, processors, and BaaS / program-manager platforms. Getting the company banked, sponsored, and connected to US rails is the priority.

From that foundation, the role wears many hats. As the company grows, you'll also build and structure fintech, reseller, and pipeline-generating partnerships — the broader ecosystem of solution providers, channel partners, and platforms that extend the company’s reach. This is a small US team by design, so we’re looking for someone versatile who can move between infrastructure partnerships and commercial partnerships as the business needs.

You will work directly with the President & GM — with high ownership, direct influence over how the US business is built, and the mandate to shape the partnership function from the ground up. This role intentionally offers director-level scope and ownership in a founding seat: the chance to build and own something, not inherit it.

Please read before applying: The foundation of this role is hands‑on experience developing PSP, payout, card‑issuing, or acquiring partnerships with fintechs and banks — including direct work with sponsor banks, BIN sponsors, processors, or BaaS / program‑manager platforms. If you have not personally originated, structured, and launched banking or payments‑infrastructure partnerships of this kind, this is not the right role for you. The role is broad and includes reseller and pipeline partnerships — but that breadth is built on top of the banking foundation, not in place of it. Merchant‑services‑sales‑only or ISO/ISV‑reseller‑only backgrounds, without the banking/infrastructure experience, are not a fit.

What You’ll Own:

• - Originate and structure the company's US sponsor-bank, BIN-sponsorship, and payments‑infrastructure relationships — leading applications, diligence / EDD, term‑sheet negotiation, and program launch. (The priority.)
• - Identify, evaluate, and onboard strategic infrastructure partners — sponsor banks, BIN sponsors, card networks, processors, acquirers, and BaaS / program‑manager platforms.
• - Build and structure fintech, reseller, and pipeline‑generating partnerships that extend the company's reach and create commercial momentum.
• - Lead commercial negotiations covering pricing, settlement terms, interchange economics, and partnership structures.
• - Serve as the US-based owner who coordinates cross‑functional and cross‑border teams (Banking, Product, Operations, Risk, Compliance) to launch partnership integrations — bringing distributed workstreams into a single, coherent US‑facing effort.
• - Develop the standards and processes for clean channel integration that comply with institutional and regulatory policies.
• - Monitor partner performance and drive continuous optimization of routing, cost efficiency, and service quality.
• - Provide market insight, reporting, and strategic recommendations that shape the US roadmap.

What You Bring (Required):

• - Experience originating and structuring banking and payments‑infrastructure partnerships — with sponsor banks, BIN sponsors, card networks, processors, and/or BaaS / program‑manager platforms.
• - Direct, hands‑on experience developing PSP, payout, card‑issuing, or acquiring partnerships between fintechs and banks. This is the core requirement.
• - Demonstrated experience taking a fintech or PSP through a sponsor‑bank relationship end to end — application, diligence / EDD, term‑sheet negotiation, and launch.
• - Fluency in the economics and mechanics of the payments stack — interchange, settlement, BIN structure, scheme membership, and flow of funds.
• - Existing relationships across the banking and fintech ecosystem that you can bring to the table.
• - Strong commercial‑negotiation skills and the judgment to structure partnerships (economics, risk allocation, SLAs), not just manage them.
• - A versatile, hands‑on operator comfortable taking on a broad range of responsibilities on a small team — moving between infrastructure and commercial partnerships as needed.
• - Excellent written and verbal communication in English, with the credibility to engage bank risk committees and senior institutional stakeholders.

Nice to Have:

• - Experience with cross‑border payment flows and/or China‑corridor commerce.
• - Fintech, reseller, or channel‑partnership experience beyond the banking core.
• - Background at a BaaS / program‑manager / issuer‑processor platform, a sponsor bank, or a cross‑border fintech that stood up US issuing or acquiring.
• - Comfort operating in an early‑stage, build‑from‑scratch environment, and coordinating across time zones.

Logistics:

• - Los Angeles based, hybrid; some travel based on business requirements.
• - Founding US hire alongside a small, growing team — high ownership, director‑level scope, direct access to the President & GM, and real influence over how the US business is built.

About Us:

Founded in 2009, IntelliPro is a global leader in talent acquisition and HR solutions. Our commitment to delivering unparalleled service to clients, fostering employee growth, and building enduring partnerships sets us apart. We continue leading global talent solutions with a dynamic presence in over 160 countries, including the USA, China, Canada, Singapore, Japan, Philippines, UK, India, Netherlands, and the EU.

IntelliPro, a global leader connecting individuals with rewarding employment opportunities, is dedicated to understanding your career aspirations. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, IntelliPro values diversity and does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or any other legally protected group status. Moreover, our Inclusivity Commitment emphasizes embracing candidates of all abilities and ensures that our hiring and interview processes accommodate the needs of all applicants. Learn more about our commitment to diversity and inclusivity at https://intelliprogroup.com/.

Compensation:

Compensation: The pay offered to a successful candidate will be determined by various factors, including education, work experience, location, job responsibilities, certifications, and more. Additionally, IntelliPro provides a comprehensive benefits package, all subject to eligibility.