Director, US Strategic Partnerships

• Deep expertise in the AI and platform ecosystem, including foundation model providers and major tech platforms
• Leadership role shaping and scaling Zip’s US partnership strategy to drive merchant and consumer growth
• Remote-first opportunity for San Francisco Metro area based employees

Start your adventure with Zip

With the merchant and consumer growth ambitions at Zip, we are looking for a Director, Strategic Partnerships who will own, grow, and manage our strategic partnerships in the US. As the Director, Strategic Partnerships, you will have a deep understanding of the AI and technology partnership landscape and bring strong commercial, strategic, and relationship management skills. This role sits at the core of the organization. You will partner closely with internal and external executives, and work cross-functionally with product, sales, marketing, risk, data, and finance teams to design and execute high-impact partnership strategies.

The key goals for this role are to: a) Define Zip's long-term AI, platform, and ecosystem strategy and identify new growth vectors capable of driving material enterprise value. b) Shape executive decision-making on build/buy/partner strategies across merchant, consumer, and platform ecosystems. c) Identify, incubate, and commercialize transformational partnerships, platform bets, and strategic investments that create durable competitive advantage.

You will focus on core partners including AI leaders (e.g., OpenAI, Anthropic), Amazon, Meta, Adobe, and other strategic technology platforms, and operate as a visible leader and subject-matter expert on AI and platform partnerships across Zip US.

Interesting problems you’ll get to solve

Develop a deep understanding of the AI, platform & technology landscape to create new opportunities

• Pull together a consolidated view of trends across AI, cloud, advertising, and commerce platforms, and translate insights into product, commercial, and sales recommendations
• Complete deep dives on new opportunities across key verticals (e.g., retail, eCommerce, marketplaces) and distribution channels tied to core partners like OpenAI, Anthropic, Amazon, Meta, and Adobe
• Be extremely proficient in PowerPoint, Excel, and Salesforce to model scenarios, structure narratives, and manage partner pipeline and performance
• Leverage AI tools to surface partnership insights, automate reporting, and identify revenue optimization opportunities across AI and platform partners (e.g., AI-assisted analysis of partner performance, GTM content generation, and risk/opportunity scanning)
• Educate executives and sales teams on the AI and platform ecosystem, competitive landscape, and partnership opportunities through structured, data-backed storytelling

Manage and grow relationships with strategic AI and technology partners to increase market share

• Develop growth strategy and clear plans for core partners including AI leaders (OpenAI, Anthropic), commerce platforms (Amazon), social platforms (Meta), and creative/experience platforms (Adobe)
• Track performance metrics with these strategic partners, ensuring commercial terms are optimized and operationalized
• Drive revenue growth and cost optimization by developing joint solutions, integrations, and programs that leverage these platforms to acquire and engage merchants and consumers
• Work with product teams to lead RFPs and drive the right product and commercial outcomes for Zip; understand partner roadmaps and how Zip can leverage upcoming capabilities ahead of competitors
• Collaborate with sales and marketing to develop high-impact co-marketing, marketplace, and distribution initiatives that help both the partner and Zip succeed
• Lead regular education, relationship-building, and knowledge-sharing between partner teams and Zip teams, becoming a thought leader in AI and strategic platform partnerships for Zip

Lead internal alignment, governance, and execution

• Regularly align with regional and global counterparts to understand intra-region trends and best practices, and apply them to the US market
• Provide clear, recurring updates on partnerships, pipeline, opportunities, and risks to key regional stakeholders and executive sponsors
• Ensure strong processes, operating rhythms, and governance are built and followed to set up all partnerships and merchants for success
• Track and analyse partner performance (merchant growth, transaction volume, unit economics, activation/adoption of AI or platform features) and propose strategic courses of action, experiments, and improvements

Impact and collaboration The Director, Strategic Partnerships will be a key leader within the Partnerships team, driving critical initiatives across:

• AI & Platform Strategy: Develop strategy and approach to leverage AI and key platforms (OpenAI, Anthropic, Amazon, Meta, Adobe, and others) to enhance Zip’s products, economics, and customer experiences.
• Partnership Enablement: Assess and negotiate global and regional deals with partners and channels to drive revenue via new SMB and Enterprise merchant acquisition.
• Partnership Management: Own and track merchant and partner KPIs with our strategic partners, ensuring Zip achieves its growth, profitability, and customer experience goals through these platforms.

What you’ll bring to the team

• Proven industry or consulting experience – Preferably 10+ years in strategy, partnerships, consulting, or technology business development, with a strong track record of managing and growing relationships with AI or platform partners.
• Analytical & financial acumen – Advanced Excel and financial modeling skills, strong comfort with data-driven decision-making, and a track record of optimizing commercial outcomes at scale
• Demonstrated use of AI in your role – Experience using AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Notion AI, Salesforce Einstein, or similar) to improve decision-making, efficiency, GTM execution, or partner engagement
• Salesforce & GTM execution – Proven ability to track complex deals, manage partner pipelines, operationalize co-selling motions, and execute go-to-market strategies with sales and marketing teams
• Negotiation & influence – Experience leading complex deal cycles end-to-end, collaborating cross-functionally, and influencing senior stakeholders internally and externally
• Consulting experience helpful – Experience at a top-tier consulting firm (e.g., Deloitte, McK