Business Development – Affiliate Partnerships (Hybrid, Chicago)
About The Position
This role sits within a backed, fast-scaling digital business operating at the intersection of comparison, consumer decision-making, and performance marketing. The company runs high-traffic comparison experiences across finance, insurance, and consumer services, where affiliate economics, rankings, and deal structure directly determine market position. The business is supported by an experienced investment group with a track record of building and scaling performance-driven platforms. The focus is on winning competitive markets through smarter monetization and faster execution, not brand spend or long sales cycles. The Opportunity You’ll own a portfolio of high-impact affiliate partnerships and be responsible for improving payout economics, securing stronger partner terms, and reacting quickly to market and ranking changes. This is a role for someone who enjoys operating close to revenue, using performance data to justify better deals and having the authority to negotiate and execute independently. What You’ll Own Lead negotiations with affiliate and strategic partners to improve payouts, exclusivity, and placement Monitor rankings, performance trends, and competitor activity to identify deal opportunities Structure and renegotiate agreements to unlock incremental revenue Build commercially focused partner relationships beyond standard affiliate management Use data and performance insights to guide deal strategy and decision-making Who This Role Is Built For Background in affiliate partnerships, performance marketing, or monetization Experience owning partner relationships in comparison, commerce, or lead-generation environments Comfort negotiating rates, terms, and value directly with partners Data-driven, decisive, and commercially minded Looking for meaningful ownership and accountability tied to outcomes Why This Makes Sense Career-Wise More authority over payout strategy and partner negotiations Clear line between your decisions and revenue impact Strong performance-based upside Exposure to multiple competitive verticals Hybrid structure that supports collaboration while maintaining autonomy Compensation & Growth Competitive base salary Meaningful performance incentives tied directly to outcomes Opportunity to expand scope as the business continues to scale What This Is (and Isn’t) Is: Performance-driven, affiliate-first, negotiation-heavy Isn’t: Brand marketing, passive account management, or SDR-style sales Ready to Apply? If this role aligns with your experience in affiliate partnerships, performance marketing, or monetization, we’d love to connect. If a recruiter from Next Step reached out to you directly about this opportunity, please note that in your application so we can flag and prioritize your candidacy appropriately. What to Expect From the Process We aim to keep the process focused, transparent, and respectful of your time: Intro conversation with Lauren (Recruiter) – alignment on background, role scope, and what you’re looking for CCAT assessment – a brief cognitive assessment used consistently across roles Two interviews with the team – focused on experience, deal approach, and how you think about partnerships Offer – for candidates who are a strong mutual fit Our Commitment to You At Next Step Recruitment, we believe strong hiring is a two-way decision. If your background aligns, we move quickly, communicate clearly, and aim to make the process worth your time. We’re excited to meet candidates who want real ownership, real impact, and a thoughtful conversation about what’s next. If this sounds like you, we’d love to speak with you soon!
Requirements
- Background in affiliate partnerships, performance marketing, or monetization
- Experience owning partner relationships in comparison, commerce, or lead-generation environments
- Comfort negotiating rates, terms, and value directly with partners
- Data-driven, decisive, and commercially minded
- Looking for meaningful ownership and accountability tied to outcomes
Responsibilities
- Lead negotiations with affiliate and strategic partners to improve payouts, exclusivity, and placement
- Monitor rankings, performance trends, and competitor activity to identify deal opportunities
- Structure and renegotiate agreements to unlock incremental revenue
- Build commercially focused partner relationships beyond standard affiliate management
- Use data and performance insights to guide deal strategy and decision-making
Benefits
- Competitive base salary
- Meaningful performance incentives tied directly to outcomes
- Opportunity to expand scope as the business continues to scale
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Education Level
No Education Listed
