Strategic Partnerships Manager

The role:

SoFi is seeking a Strategic Partnerships Manager to help expand and scale strategic partnerships across SoFi’s growing number of products and into new verticals. You will work with key lines of business to identify, develop, and execute partnerships that create value for our members, businesses, and partners.

This role will own complex partnership opportunities from initial concept through sourcing, negotiation, launch, and ongoing relationship management. You will work closely with senior leaders and cross-functional teams across Product, Engineering, Marketing, Legal, Compliance, Finance, Operations, and our business units to develop partnership strategies, align stakeholders, and drive execution.

The Strategic Partnerships team is small and continues to build its structure and operating model. This role will have the opportunity to help shape how the team identifies and evaluates opportunities, manages partner relationships, and brings greater visibility and coordination to partnership activity across SoFi.

What you’ll do: 

• Work with SoFi’s business units to identify opportunities for new partnerships and expand existing relationships
• Develop creative and strategic assessments of partnership opportunities, including member value, business impact, commercial considerations, and execution requirements
• Source, evaluate, negotiate, and execute complex strategic, commercial, technology, and marketing partnerships across a range of industries
• Own the end-to-end partnership process, including internal alignment, partner engagement, diligence, contract negotiation, launch planning, and ongoing relationship management
• Build clear recommendations and business cases for senior leadership, including key opportunities, tradeoffs, risks, and proposed next steps
• Coordinate cross-functional workstreams across Marketing, Product, Engineering, Legal, Compliance, Finance, Operations, and relevant business units
• Create structure around complex or ambiguous initiatives by establishing objectives, workplans, owners, timelines, dependencies, and decision points
• Track partnership progress and performance, identify risks and blockers, and escalate issues with clear recommendations
• Build strong relationships with partners and serve as a trusted point of contact across current and future opportunities
• Manage partner relationships and performance post-launch, identifying opportunities to improve or expand the relationship
• Connect related conversations across SoFi and help identify opportunities that may otherwise be missed
• Help establish repeatable processes and operating rhythms for the Strategic Partnerships team
• Support and mentor more junior team members as the team grows
• Represent SoFi externally at partner meetings, conferences, events, and presentations

What you’ll need:

• Bachelor’s degree; MBA preferred
• 6+ years of experience in strategic partnerships, business development, corporate strategy, consulting, corporate development, or a related field
• Demonstrated success developing and executing partnerships that drive business growth, improve the customer experience, or expand a company’s capabilities
• Strong track record of managing complex, cross-functional initiatives from concept through execution
• Ability to identify opportunities, define a strategy, and translate it into a clear execution plan
• Strong business judgment and ability to make thoughtful, actionable recommendations with limited structure
• Ability to manage competing priorities, align stakeholders, and drive work forward without formal authority
• Strong analytical skills and ability to evaluate business cases, commercial models, tradeoffs, and risks
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to create and present compelling materials for senior leaders and external partners
• Ability to build consensus and influence stakeholders across business units and functions
• Creative problem solver with an entrepreneurial mindset and a willingness to challenge existing approaches
• Ability to work collaboratively with teams across Marketing, Product, Engineering, Data, Legal, Compliance, Finance, Operations, and the business units

Nice to haves:

• Experience in financial services, fintech, payments, banking, lending, investing, or financial technology
• Experience negotiating and managing complex commercial agreements
• Experience working in a high-growth or early-stage environment
• Experience building new processes, teams, or operating models
• Experience mentoring or managing junior team members