Director of Partnerships

About Native Pet

• At Native Pet, we’re redefining what better nutrition looks like for dogs. We make high-quality, vet-developed supplements made with clean, effective ingredients that help dogs live healthier, happier lives. We’re a fast-growing brand built on transparency, trust, and a deep love for dogs.

The Role

• We’re hiring a Director of Partnerships to build and lead Native Pet’s performance partnerships function end to end. You’ll own three connected programs: affiliates, performance influencer, and a brand-new vet ambassador program, and turn them into a predictable, incremental, growth engine. This is both a strategic and hands-on role: you’ll set the vision and the economics, and you’ll roll up your sleeves to recruit partners, negotiate deals, and optimize performance. You’ll report to the Head of Growth & Retention and partner closely with brand, creative, digital product and retention teams. 

What you'll do

• Affiliates. Own the affiliate and creator-commerce program end to end: partner recruitment, commission and payout structures, platform management, publisher and coupon/loyalty relationships, and fraud/compliance controls.
• Performance influencer. Scale a performance-driven influencer and UGC program inclusive of partner sourcing and vetting, briefs and usage rights, whitelisting/creator-led paid amplification, and rigorous measurement of contribution to new-customer acquisition.
• Vet ambassador program (new). Design and launch Native Pet’s vet ambassador program from the ground up: the recruitment model, incentive and disclosure framework, enablement and content, and the measurement approach that ties professional advocacy to acquisition and trust.

Key Responsibilities

• Set the strategy, roadmap, and annual/quarterly targets for the partnerships function, and own the budget across all three programs.
• Build and manage the partner portfolio: sourcing, vetting, negotiating, and retaining affiliates, influencers, and veterinary professionals.
• Define the economics of every program: commission and fee structures, CAC targets, and guardrails that keep spend ROI-positive.
• Establish measurement and reporting alongside Head of Growth & Retention: attribution, incrementality testing, and clear dashboards so partnerships can be evaluated against the same growth economics as our other channels.
• Design the vet ambassador program end to end and manage a compliant, well-run launch.
• Partner cross-functionally with brand and creative on messaging and assets, with finance on forecasting and payouts, and with retention on partner-driven LTV.
• Manage agencies, platforms, and tools; own vendor selection, scopes, and performance.
• Oversee and mentor the current team; ability to build the team as the function scales. 

What you bring

• 7+ years in partnerships, affiliate, influencer, or growth marketing, including time owning affiliate and/or influencer programs at a consumer/DTC brand.
• A track record of building programs that are measurably incremental and ROI-positive — you think in CAC, LTV, payback, not just reach or GMV.
• Strong commercial and negotiation instincts, with real experience structuring partner deals and commission models.
• Fluency with affiliate/influencer platforms and attribution, and comfort standing up measurement and incrementality frameworks.
• A builder’s mindset: you’ve launched something new from zero and can operate strategically and hands-on at the same time.
• Excellent cross-functional collaboration and clear, data-backed communication.
• Passion for pets is a big plus

Why Join Native Pet

• Competitive salary with opportunity for equity and performance bonus
• Opportunity to help build a category-defining brand in one of the fastest-growing segments of pet wellness
• Collaborative, empathetic team that values creativity, ambition, and balance
• Flexible remote work and open vacation policy designed to support rest and sustainability
• St. Louis office located at the newly renovated City Foundry campus
• Dogs and cats welcome in the office (obviously)