Head of Strategic Partnerships

Human Interest is on a mission to ensure that people in all lines of work have access to retirement benefits. More than half of all working Americans are not saving enough for their future. Too often, it’s because they are employed by a company that doesn’t offer a retirement plan. Human Interest is changing that by making it affordable and accessible for small and medium-sized businesses to offer employees a path to financial independence through retirement savings. We’re a high-growth fintech company changing the retirement industry. We are backed by a number of investors. This includes funding from Marshall Wace and Baillie Gifford, as well as top investors such as BlackRock, TPG (The Rise Fund), SoftBank, Glynn Capital, NewView Capital, USVP, Wing, Uncork, and more. About the role The Head of Strategic Partnerships owns a vital piece of Human Interest's most important growth channel: expanding our ecosystem of partners who put our retirement platform in front of millions of small and medium-sized businesses. Reporting directly to the Chief Revenue Officer, you will lead the team to identify, pursue, and close strategic partnerships across payroll providers, benefits brokers, accountants, financial institutions, PEOs, and embedded fintech distribution. This is a leadership role focused on building, scaling, and driving the strategic partnership ecosystem. While hands-on, the focus is on organizational strategy, team mentorship, and driving cross-functional success. You will be responsible for signing complex, multi-year agreements with some of Human Interest’s largest and most important partners. The role is equal parts strategist, dealmaker, and operator. You'll be just as comfortable modeling the economics of a new channel as you are in a room negotiating terms, and just as effective driving a deal across the finish line as you are shaping the partnership thesis with the CRO and the broader leadership team. The person who thrives here is a natural hunter — energized by the pursuit of net-new relationships, comfortable opening doors cold, and relentless about carrying complex, multi-stakeholder deals through long sales cycles. You bring executive presence and the systems thinking to see how a single partnership fits into a broader distribution strategy. You read a term sheet and a partnership thesis with equal fluency, you make sharp prioritization calls about where to spend your time, and you carry deals with a sense of ownership. Above all, you are a builder: you're drawn to the ambiguity of standing up new channels from scratch, and you bring structure, pace, and judgment to a function that is still writing its own playbook. About the team The Partnerships organization is the engine behind Human Interest's reach, with over 95% of our business coming from our partner ecosystem. This team builds the relationships that let us scale access to retirement benefits far faster than we could one employer at a time. They think in systems and incentives: which partners share our mission, how we make those partners successful, and how we design programs that compound over time. The team works shoulder-to-shoulder with Sales, Product, Marketing, Legal, and Operations to establish and launch partnerships that are commercially sound, operationally clean, and genuinely good for the businesses we ultimately serve. As we continue to scale, we're looking for a leader who can take this function to its next level: bigger partners, deeper integrations, and a measurable line on the revenue plan. What you get to do every day Team Leadership & Mentorship: Coach, mentor, and develop a high‑performing team of partnership professionals, fostering a culture of ownership, strategic thinking, and high‑quality deal execution. Strategic Organizational Scaling: Design and implement scalable partnership processes, playbooks, and systems that allow the team to efficiently manage growth and long‑term partner success. Partnership Strategy: Shape and own the strategy for your portfolio of partnerships, prioritizing the channels, partner types, and deals that drive the highest‑quality growth, in close partnership with the VP of Partnerships. Sourcing & Closing: Act as a primary "hunter" for the organization; while guiding the team, you will remain hands‑on in identifying, pursuing, and opening net‑new strategic partnerships across payroll, benefits brokers, and financial institutions, personally leading high‑stakes negotiations to close complex deals. Performance Management: Set clear performance metrics and KPIs for the team, tracking progress and providing regular feedback to ensure the team consistently meets and exceeds revenue targets. Deal Structuring & Execution: Lead commercial negotiation and deal structuring end‑to‑end, while empowering team members to lead negotiations on key accounts. Partner with Legal and Finance to protect the business. Cross‑Functional Influence: Partner with Product, Engineering, Marketing, Legal, and Sales to scope integrations, build co‑marketing enablement, and operationalize partner‑sourced demand. Executive Communication: Translate the partnership thesis, pipeline, and results into clear narratives for the VP of Partnerships and senior leadership, and represent Human Interest externally with senior partner stakeholders. Market Intelligence: Maintain a sharp view of the retirement, payroll, fintech, and benefits landscape, surfacing competitive and regulatory shifts that should shape the partnership roadmap. What you bring to the role Partnerships & Business Development Expertise: 10+ years in partnerships, business development, or channel sales, with a track record of personally owning and growing a book of strategic partnerships. Leadership Experience: 5+ years experience building, coaching, and scaling high‑performing teams, with a track record of enabling others to achieve revenue targets. Proven Dealmaking: Demonstrated history of sourcing, structuring, and closing complex, high‑value partnership and distribution agreements with measurable revenue impact. Domain Fluency: Deep experience in fintech, retirement / wealth, payroll, benefits, or an adjacent financial‑services ecosystem, with a working understanding of how these distribution channels actually buy and sell. Cross‑Functional Influence: A proven ability to mobilize Product, Engineering, Marketing, Legal, and Sales around a partnership without direct authority over those teams. Executive Presence: Ability to negotiate with and present to senior executives, both internally and across partner organizations, with confidence and credibility. Builder's Mindset: Thrives in a fast‑paced, scaling environment; brings structure to ambiguity and is energized by standing up new motions from scratch. Analytical Rigor: Strong commercial and financial instincts: able to model channel economics and make sharp prioritization calls about where to invest. Values‑Driven: A deep alignment with Human Interest's core principles, especially Customer Obsession, Long‑Term Orientation, and Leading with Autonomy. Strategic Organizational Scaling: Ability to design and operationalize partnership processes that scale beyond a single contributor, ensuring consistent growth and partner success. Why you will love working at Human Interest Human Interest is tackling one of our country's biggest challenges - closing the retirement gap. You'll be instrumental in architecting and scaling solutions that bring financial security to employees at small and medium-sized businesses nationwide. We’ve made significant progress, but there is still growth ahead, offering you a unique opportunity to solve complex problems, drive innovation, and advance your career alongside a dedicated, mission‑driven team. We value hard work and recognize that our team's contributions are key to our continued success. Join Human Interest and make a lasting impact by shaping the future of retirement. Our operating principles define how we work together as a team. They reflect Human Interest’s unique view on what’s important and what’s right. Documenting this core aspect of our culture helps employees make good decisions on their own. It also helps candidates considering career opportunities critically evaluate whether they will thrive at Human Interest. Customer obsession : We’re all about creating amazing experiences for our customers. We put their needs first and go the extra mile to have them smile. Long-Term Orientation : We’re not just playing for today; we’re building a legacy. We think big, plan strategically, and invest in our future. Autonomous and Accountable Teams : We trust our team members to take ownership and make smart decisions. We empower you to be your best self! An Escalating Bar for Talent and Performance : We’re constantly raising the bar and challenging ourselves to be better. We believe in growth and continuous improvement. Fundamental Optimism : We see the glass as half full (and then we fill it up with more amazing ideas!). We believe in the power of positivity and the potential for greatness. Compensation - At Human Interest, we consider a number of factors to determine the appropriate pay range for each position, including the cost of labor in different markets across the U.S. The total On Target Earnings (OTE) for the role described in this job posting is $700,000 which includes a base salary of $350,000 and a variable target compensation of $350,000. The specific pay rate offered is based on the candidate’s relevant skills and experience. Base pay is just one component of our Total Rewards package, which also includes a comprehensive suite of physical, financial, and mental wellness benefits. Additionally, employees receive stock option grants, enhancing long‑term financial growth and investment in our company's success. Benefits - A great 401(k) plan: Our own! Our 401(k) includes a dollar‑for‑dollar employer match up to 4% of compensation (immediately vested) and $0 plan fees Top‑of‑the‑line health plans, as well as dental and vision insurance Competitive time off and parental leave Addition Wealth: Unlimited access to digital tools, financial professionals, and a knowledge center to help you understand your equity and support your financial wellness Lyra: Enhanced Mental Health Support for Employees and dependents Carrot: Fertility healthcare and family forming benefits Candidly: Student loan resource to help you and your family plan, borrow, and repay student debt Monthly work‑from‑home stipend; quarterly lifestyle stipend Engaging team‑building experiences, ranging from virtual social events to team offsites, promoting collaboration and camaraderie. We’re a great place to work (but don’t take our word for it) Here’s a list of our awards and accolades: Certified as a Great Place To Work (2023-2025) Fortune Best Place to Work in the Bay Area (2024) Best Places to Work by Built In (2023-2024) America’s Best Startup Employers by Forbes (2020-2022, 2024) A Top Company by Y Combinator (2020-2023) Inc. Fastest Growing Companies (2021) Human Interest is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran or military status, pregnancy, or any other characteristics protected under federal, state, or local laws. Employment with Human Interest is at‑w‑t, meaning either you or the company may terminate employment at any time, with or without cause or notice, except as otherwise provided by law or written agreement. We are committed to making every stage of our application process fully accessible to all individuals. If you need a reasonable accommodation at any point in the process, please let us know at View email address on click.appcast.io . Please note Human Interest does not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than directly from candidates. We will not consider resumes from vendors, including and without limitation search firms, staffing agencies, fee‑based referral services, and recruiting agencies. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider employment‑qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. We comply with CCPA guidelines. Voluntary Self-Identification For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file. As set forth in Human Interest’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law. If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. 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