Senior Director, Business Development

About the role

The owns the strategic vision and execution for the company's partnership ecosystem, driving growth through high-impact collaborations. This role is responsible for leading and expanding the Business Development team to uncover new market opportunities and strengthen existing relationships. The hire will champion the power of Squarespace's platform as a foundational tool for customers to build their brand and business with confidence. They will act as a key strategist in optimizing the portfolio of partnerships across channels, including resellers, payment processors, financial solutions, and the app ecosystem. This position requires a strong focus on revenue generation and the ability to translate market insights into actionable business initiatives. The Senior Director will represent partner needs internally, ensuring alignment across Legal, Finance, Product, and other cross-functional teams to deliver seamless experiences. Finally, this role will shape the future direction of Squarespace's platform by fostering innovation and scalable growth through strategic external alliances.

Key facts

What you'll do

Lead, mentor, and grow a high-performing team of business development leaders, technical partner solutions architects, operational gurus, and partner managers, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and innovation.

Optimize and expand a broad portfolio of partners, investing strategically in growth areas such as the reseller channel program, payment processing partners, financial solutions, the app ecosystem of integrated third-party solutions, and embedded integration partnerships across the platform.

Own the delivery of new subscriptions and revenue targets through the reseller channel program, rallying the team to bring partners to market efficiently and effectively.

Collaborate with internal teams to identify new opportunities, optimize existing partnerships, and ensure seamless partner experiences across the entire Squarespace ecosystem.

Serve as a trusted advisor and escalation point for top-tier partners, representing their needs internally while aligning cross-functional teams on shared priorities.

Influence strategy and decision-making at the VP and executive levels, communicating market insights, partner feedback, and industry trends to inform product roadmaps and business initiatives.

Develop and implement comprehensive go-to-market strategies for partnership programs, ensuring alignment with company objectives and market demands.

Analyze competitive landscapes and industry trends to identify partnership opportunities that drive differentiation and long-term value.

Establish clear performance metrics and reporting structures to measure the success of partnership initiatives and optimize outcomes.

Foster a culture of continuous learning and development within the Business Development team, encouraging knowledge sharing and best practices.

Build and maintain strong executive-level relationships with key partners to ensure strategic alignment and mutual growth objectives.

Leverage data and analytics to guide decision-making, identify trends, and uncover new avenues for revenue generation through partnerships.

Requirements

15+ years of experience in business development, partnerships, strategy, or product management, ideally in the technology and SaaS sectors.

Proven experience managing senior managers, building high-performing teams, and fostering a strong, inclusive team culture.

Strong product sense and comfort with technical concepts and integrations, including API-based ecosystems, with a passion and curiosity for new creative tool products and their potential to transform industries.

Exceptional executive presence and communication skills, with the ability to influence senior leaders and cross-functional teams effectively.

Experience and/or interest in commercial payments, fintech, marketplaces, reseller channels, or app ecosystems is essential.

Demonstrated ability to operate at a senior executive level, making strategic decisions that balance short-term results with long-term vision.

Proven track record of achieving or exceeding revenue and growth targets in complex, dynamic environments.

Commitment to ethical business practices and the ability to build trust-based relationships with partners and internal stakeholders.

Practical notes

The role is hybrid, with work performed from Squarespace's headquarters office in New York City. There are no specified working hours, travel requirements, visa conditions, or application deadlines outlined in the source material. Compensation includes a base salary range, and employees are eligible for benefits such as medical plans, fertility and adoption benefits, supplemental insurance, retirement matching, paid time off, parental leave, and other perks detailed in the source. The position involves collaboration across Legal, Finance, Product, and cross-functional teams, with high visibility to executive leadership.