Strategic Partnerships Lead, Credit

For companies building financial technology and transforming the financial services space the biggest bottleneck to their growth and innovation is often the underlying banks and infrastructure stack they rely on. We have spent our careers founding and scaling companies like Plaid Square Meta Blend and Affirm and have seen this problem firsthand builders and developers needing to partner with traditional banks and creating API and abstraction layers over the patchwork that is the bank its core and many other vendors. All of this results in a complex (and often expensive) banking supply chain involving a user fintech BaaS middleware provider bank core and the Federal Reserve.

At Column we set out to simplify and fix this. We are a bank and a software company built from the ground up offering builders and developers technology-forward banking solutions that cut out the hundreds of vendors middleware providers and abstraction layers. This means a safer more transparent and less costly banking supply chain. Come build with us!

Were hiring a strategic deals person to own high-value relationship development and deal execution across Columns credit partnerships. Youll drive the full commercial cycle from identifying and qualifying strategic accounts to structuring and closing agreements with companies building financial products on Columns API infrastructure. Working closely with leadership and the broader Business team youll develop a deep understanding of each prospects product roadmap and articulate Columns value proposition and differentiation at every stage of the deal. Success looks like a portfolio of trusted long-term partnerships and a consistent track record of closing complex high-impact deals. For this credit-focused role you must have a background in credit and lending capital markets structured finance or a similar field.

We win on speed and expertise. If you move fast love becoming an expert and are able to build relationships and influence quickly this opportunity might be for you.

This role reports to the Head of Sales & Partnerships and is based in San Francisco or remote with 50% travel expected always dependent on deal needs.

• Run the full sales cycle: discovery scoping negotiation and close across complex multi-stakeholder organizations; evaluate opportunities to take credit risk alongside our partners.

• Navigate procurement compliance legal and technical stakeholders simultaneously; proactively identify and overcome blockers before they stall deals.

• Partner with Solutions Engineering Legal Risk and Compliance to structure solutions that address novel customer use cases.

• Develop deep fluency in Columns API suite and how it applies across financial services use cases; position yourself as a credible thought partner for prospects Product and Compliance teams.

• Maintain a strong pulse on market dynamics competitive positioning and regulatory developments affecting Columns target customers.

• Build and maintain account plans with clear milestones stakeholder maps and commercial targets.

• Source and qualify new opportunities through outbound prospecting industry relationships and market intelligence youre building pipeline not waiting for it.

• Contribute to the development of Columns sales playbook deal structures qualification frameworks and processes that the broader team can learn from and build on.

• Operate in accordance with safe and sound business practices and applicable regulatory requirements.

• 8 years in strategic partnerships business development strategic accounts sales or a commercial-adjacent function including investors or capital markets professionals who have spent meaningful time sourcing evaluating and closing complex deals with sophisticated counterparties.

• Proven ability to run structured autonomous deal cycles from pipeline generation through close

• Demonstrated ability to navigate large multi-stakeholder organizations: you know how to find the decision maker and move deals forward when the path isnt obvious

• Subject matter credibility in your space prospects and partners seek out your perspective

• High agency and a builders orientation: youre comfortable operating without a fully defined playbook and contribute to building one as you go. You take ownership and adapt on the fly.

• Competitive curious and coachable you solicit feedback iterate quickly and hold yourself to a higher standard than anyone else would

• (nice to have) Direct experience selling into or partnering with financial services companies; familiarity with embedded finance APIs or regulated product environments strongly preferred

A note on fit: This role is built for someone who enjoys betting on themselves. This isnt SaaS a relationship management role or an inbound motion. If your sales motion has been straightforward your pipeline has historically been handed to you or youre looking to maintain accounts rather than build them this wont be a fit.

• Comprehensive health dental and vision plans including options that are 100% covered by Column for you and 100% covered for your dependents!

• Comprehensive family planning and fertility benefits via partnership with Carrot including reimbursement of up to $20000 in qualified expenses

• Up to $2000 (post-tax) monthly rent subsidy for employees living within 2 miles of Columns office

• FSA and HSA account options to enable use of pre-tax money for medical and dependent care expenses

• 401k plan including self-directed brokerage options

• Flexible time-off policy - take the time off that you want and need to relax and recharge

• 100% paid parental leave including 16 weeks for birth mothers 12 weeks for primary caregivers and 8 weeks for secondary caregivers

• Up to $4500 in annual reimbursements for backup childcare

• Catered lunches and dinners for SF employees

• Commuter benefits

• Regular team building events including annual offsite

The annual OTE range for this position is $200000 - $375000 equity.

The range provided is the roles On Target Earnings (OTE) range which is inclusive of base salary and incentive compensation. New hire offers are made based on a candidates experience expertise geographic location and internal pay equity relative to peers.

Column is committed to working with the best and brightest people from the broadest talent pool possible. We value bringing together a team with different perspectives educational backgrounds and life experiences and believe a diversity of ideas is what allows us to develop the best solutions. All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply.

If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation during the application and recruiting process please reach out to

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