Partnerships Lead

Payflows is the agentic finance platform built for modern enterprises. Backed by Balderton Capital Ribbit Capital and Headline (25M Series A) we help finance teams automate accounts payable procurement and payments replacing manual processes with AI-driven workflows that deliver 90% touchless invoice rates and dramatic cost savings. Our customers are fast-growing mid-market and enterprise companies across Europe and private equity-backed businesses are increasingly a cornerstone of our ICP.

The Role

This is a founding role. Youll build Payflows partnerships and alliances function from scratch designing the model identifying the right partners across PE technology and advisory ecosystems and turning those relationships into a repeatable measurable pipeline.

Youll own three partnership pillars:

• Private equity & sponsors value creation teams operating partners and portfolio finance leads at EMEA mid-market funds

• Technology & ecosystem ERPs accounting platforms payments providers and complementary finance tooling

• Advisory & SI finance transformation consultancies Big Four practices and implementation partners who shape the buying decision

Youll sit at the intersection of partnerships sales and strategy. This is a high-autonomy high-impact position that reports directly to the Head of GTM and works closely with the CEO and founding team. If youve built alliances functions at a high-growth SaaS company or youve spent years inside PE the ERP ecosystem or a finance transformation practice and want to be on the building side of the table this is the role for you.

What Youll Do

• Build the function from zero define the partnership model tier partners by fit across all three pillars and develop the playbook for how Payflows engages with PE funds technology partners and SIs at every stage

• Own the relationship map cultivate relationships with value creation teams and operating partners at target funds; with alliance channel and BD leaders at ERP and ecosystem partners; and with finance transformation leads at advisory firms

• Drive qualified pipeline convert partner relationships into warm introductions co-sell motions and referrals; track and report on partnership-sourced revenue as a first-class number

• Develop partnership collateral work with GTM and marketing to build partner-specific one-pagers ROI tools integration narratives and co-branded materials that resonate with each audience

• Run the outreach motion own outbound sequencing to new partners attend LP/GP events ERP and finance ecosystem conferences and represent Payflows at industry forums

• Stand up co-marketing and co-selling joint webinars events content and field motions with anchor partners

• Collaborate on deal execution stay involved through the sales cycle on partner-sourced deals; bring context on portco dynamics fund priorities integration positioning and stakeholder maps

• Feed intelligence back into the business surface themes from partner conversations that inform product roadmap integrations packaging and ICP strategy

Why Join

• Greenfield ownership youre not inheriting someone elses playbook youre writing it

• Direct access to leadership small team fast decisions high visibility

• Strong backer network Balderton Ribbit and Headline open doors; youll have investor relationships to leverage from day one

• Meaningful equity early-stage competitive package

• Category tailwind agentic AI in finance is one of the most active investment themes in enterprise software.

Must-haves

• 5 years in partnerships alliances business development or value creation at a B2B SaaS company building a partner ecosystem at a PE fund (operating partner value creation portfolio ops) or at a technology/SI partner selling into finance buyers

• A genuine network across at least one of our three pillars (PE ERP/fintech ecosystem or finance advisory) in EMEA particularly UK and European mid-market and the credibility to build the other two quickly

• Strong commercial instincts you understand how partners evaluate vendor relationships how CFOs make buying decisions and what joint value actually means in practice

• Track record of sourcing pipeline through partners you can point to specific deals ARR or relationships youve built and closed through

• Excellent communication you can speak fluently to a CFO an operating partner an ERP alliance lead and a founder in the same day

• Self-starter mentality youre comfortable with ambiguity and energised by building something new

Nice-to-haves

• Background in finance fintech or finance transformation (AP automation P2P ERP payments)

• Experience standing up an alliances function at a high-growth Series A/B SaaS company

• Existing relationships with NetSuite SAP Oracle Microsoft or major finance advisory practices