Director, Agent Growth and Strategy

Upgrade

15h•Remote

About The Position

Upgrade helps customers move in the right direction with affordable and responsible financial products. Since 2017, we’ve helped over 7.5 million customers access over $42 billion in consumer credit. With a relentless focus on improving our customers' financial well-being, we build products that put more money in their pocket and support their journey toward a better financial future. We’re backed by some of the most prominent technology investors and were most recently valued at $7.3B. We’re consistently recognized for our collaborative and inclusive culture. Most recently, we were named one of the World’s Top Fintech Companies by CNBC, Best Places to Work by Built In, Best Places to Work by the San Francisco Business Times, America’s Greatest Workplaces by Newsweek, Best Startup Employer by Forbes, and Healthiest Employers by Phoenix Business Journal. We’re looking for new team members who get excited about designing and delivering new and better products. Come join us and help build a better financial future for millions of people. About the Role: The Director, Agent Growth and Strategy is a pivotal leadership role responsible for driving the full lifecycle of the Flex Pay Agent Program — from strategic vision to day-to-day execution. This individual will shape the program's commercial direction, modernize operational models, and deliver measurable growth across partnerships, agent engagement, and revenue. The ideal candidate is passionate about the Travel Agent community and brings deep expertise in the Travel Advisor and Call Center ecosystem, including backend operations and technology platforms. They combine a data-driven mindset with strong relationship management skills, and have a proven track record of building high-performing teams and executing complex, multi-stakeholder growth strategies. The ideal candidate possesses superior project management and communication skills with demonstrated experience collaborating with all levels of an organization and external partners. This is a remote role based in United States, but requires frequent travel that may include weekends and/or off-hours support, and may require on-site meetings with Partners as needed

Requirements

10+ years of Travel Agency experience with a focus on strategy, technology, training, and business development
Deep knowledge of Travel Agencies’ booking systems, their UX and capabilities
Proven experience developing training materials and delivering training in-person or via webinar
Excellent analytical and presentation skills
Superior written and verbal communication skills; ability to translate user and partner feedback into actionable product requirements for non-partner-facing stakeholders
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent priorities calmly under pressure and ambiguity
Methodical problem-solving skills with a continuous improvement mindset
Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to work independently
Demonstrated experience managing direct reports, team development, and budget oversight

Nice To Haves

Bilingual in English and French or English and Spanish (oral and written)

Responsibilities

Own and execute the Agent Program strategy, engaging Travel Advisors and Agencies through targeted marketing, incentive programs, and awareness campaigns
Define and track key performance metrics across all Agent Program initiatives — including marketing campaigns, webinars, conferences, incentives, and trainings — and leverage data to continuously optimize program effectiveness
Build and deepen relationships with top Agency Partners by expanding current program value, identifying growth opportunities, and pitching new Flex Pay solutions
Own and actively manage business development pipeline for new Agency Partners and expansion opportunities within the existing portfolio
Develop growth strategy with Agency Partners via multi-channel approach and tapping into partners’ technology offerings
Define and continuously improve internal processes supporting account registration, maintenance, and performance reporting
Identify actionable insights from data and agent feedback, and translate them into strategic recommendations and operational best practices
Develop, maintain, and iterate on agent training materials and programs to improve engagement, product knowledge, and program adoption
Partner with internal Product team to streamline Agent Product Solutions with a focus on user experience and operational efficiency
Collaborate with Marketing, Compliance, and Legal teams on campaign development, ensuring all deliverables meet partner specifications and timelines
Serve as a key internal communicator, ensuring agent program targets and milestones are aligned with broader business goals
Partner with Flex Pay Commercial teams to ensure up-to-date knowledge of Agent solutions for the broader partner portfolio
Support other Commercial teams as needed on training
Work closely with Customer Service to enhance operational processes and enable effective agent support
Partner with Fraud Operations to monitor program activity and proactively mitigate risk
Lead, develop, and retain the agent program team by setting clear goals, establishing accountability frameworks, and delivering consistent performance feedback
Build and execute individualized development plans for each team member, identifying skill gaps and creating targeted opportunities for growth
Foster an inclusive, collaborative, and results-oriented team culture that drives engagement and retention
Set clear team priorities and manage workload distribution, ensuring resources are allocated effectively across concurrent initiatives
Serve as an escalation point for team members on complex partner issues, providing coaching and guidance to build problem-solving capability