Strategic Partnerships Lead, Credit

About the role

You will own the end to end execution of high value strategic credit partnerships that define how Column collaborates with leading financial technology and infrastructure companies. This role requires you to discover, qualify, and close complex deals while balancing credit risk considerations with commercial ambition. You will act as the primary commercial strategist for key accounts, translating their product roadmaps into tailored Column solutions. You will build deep, consultative relationships that position Column as an indispensable partner rather than a transactional vendor. Your work will directly influence the growth and resilience of Column's credit ecosystem by expanding our portfolio of trusted, long term partnerships. You will leverage your expertise in credit and capital markets to identify and evaluate opportunities to take on risk alongside our partners. Ultimately, you will drive a consistent pipeline of high impact deals that reinforce Column's position as a leader in modern financial infrastructure.

Key facts

What you'll do

Run the full commercial cycle for strategic credit partnerships, encompassing discovery, scoping, negotiation, and deal closure across complex, multi-stakeholder organizations.

Evaluate opportunities to take credit risk alongside our partners, ensuring alignment between risk appetite and commercial objectives.

Navigate procurement, compliance, legal, and technical stakeholders simultaneously, proactively identifying and removing blockers before they stall progress.

Partner with Solutions Engineering, Legal, Risk, and Compliance to architect solutions that address novel customer use cases and regulatory constraints.

Develop deep fluency in Column's API suite and demonstrate how these capabilities apply across diverse financial services use cases.

Position yourself as a credible thought partner for prospects' Product and Compliance teams, offering insight that extends beyond basic feature discussions.

Maintain a current awareness of market dynamics, competitive positioning, and regulatory developments affecting Column's target customer segments.

Construct and maintain structured account plans that include clear milestones, stakeholder maps, and defined commercial targets for each key relationship.

Source and qualify new opportunities through proactive outbound prospecting, leveraging industry relationships, and acting on market intelligence rather than waiting for inbound interest.

Contribute directly to the development of Column's sales playbook by shaping deal structures, qualification frameworks, and operational processes for the broader team.

Operate in strict accordance with safe and sound business practices and all applicable regulatory requirements governing credit and financial services.

Build influence quickly by establishing expertise and trust, enabling you to move complex deals forward even when the organizational path is not immediately clear.

Requirements

Bring a minimum of 8 years of experience in strategic partnerships, business development, or strategic accounts sales within a commercial environment.

Possess a background in credit, lending, capital markets, or structured finance, or have worked as an investor analyzing and closing complex deals with sophisticated counterparties.

Demonstrate a proven ability to run structured, autonomous deal cycles from initial pipeline generation through to final contract execution.

Show a documented history of navigating large, multi-stakeholder organizations to identify decision makers and advance deals through ambiguous environments.

Exhibit subject matter credibility that causes prospects and partners to actively seek out your perspective and expertise.

Display high agency and a builder's orientation, thriving in situations where the playbook is incomplete and contributing to its creation in real time.

Be competitive, intensely curious, and consistently coachable, soliciting feedback and iterating quickly on both strategy and execution.

Hold yourself to a higher standard of accountability and performance than any external manager or stakeholder might enforce.

Have a strong commitment to operating safely and soundly within applicable regulatory frameworks that govern financial services and credit operations.

Nice to have

Direct experience selling into or forming partnerships with financial services companies.

Familiarity with embedded finance models, API driven infrastructure, and regulated product environments.

Practical notes

This position involves approximately 50% travel, with the exact schedule dependent on the needs of active deals.

Travel may occur on any given week based on strategic priorities and urgent deal timelines.

Candidates must be eligible to work in the United States without sponsorship for this role.

The position requires adaptation to evolving business conditions and shifting priorities inherent in a high growth startup environment.