Director of Business Development, Financial Services

Ascenda•New York, NY

About The Position

As Director of Business Development, Financial Services, you will own and close complex enterprise partnerships with major financial institutions, driving net-new revenue growth across the US market. Reporting into the SVP of Business Development, Financial Institutions, you will serve as a senior commercial lead responsible for originating, advancing, and converting high-value opportunities into long-term revenue-generating clients. This is a senior, externally facing role requiring strong executive presence, disciplined deal leadership, and deep expertise in loyalty economics. You will lead senior-level sales conversations with banking executives, shape strategic partnership discussions, and independently drive enterprise negotiations from initial engagement through contract execution. You will operate as a hands-on commercial owner, building sales materials, developing business cases, structuring commercial models, and coordinating internal stakeholders to ensure opportunities are progressed with rigor and clarity. This role plays a critical part in expanding Ascenda’s footprint within the US financial services market while supporting global engagement as required.

Requirements

10+ years of enterprise business development or sales experience within financial services, loyalty, or payments
Proven track record of independently closing complex, high-value, multi-stakeholder enterprise deals
Deep understanding of loyalty program economics, monetization models, and the levers that create long-term partnership value
Strong executive presence with the ability to influence senior banking stakeholders
Experienced in navigating enterprise procurement, risk, legal, and negotiation processes
Hands-on and resourceful, comfortable building materials, structuring deals, and driving execution without heavy support infrastructure
Combines strong analytical thinking with commercial acumen to evaluate broader client business impact and solve complex, ambiguous challenges
Thrives in a fast-paced, scaling environment and operates with high ownership and accountability
Structured thinker and communicator who presents ideas in a simple, actionable manner
A true role model for Ascenda’s core values of growth mindset, hands-on ownership, supportive collaboration, and radical simplicity

Responsibilities

Own and close complex enterprise partnerships across major financial institutions, with primary responsibility for the US market
Originate new sales opportunities by leveraging an established industry network and proactive market engagement
Synthesize client feedback and translate market signals into actionable product insights, partnering with Product to prioritize technology investments and shape the product roadmap
Lead senior executive conversations, articulating a clear and differentiated value proposition grounded in loyalty program economics
Progress opportunities from qualification through commercial structuring, procurement, negotiation, and signed agreement
Develop tailored commercial models and internal business cases to support strategic partnership discussions
Develop and customize client-facing materials to strengthen positioning and win probability
Maintain disciplined pipeline management and accurate forecasting to ensure predictable revenue delivery
Represent Ascenda at industry events and executive forums to strengthen market presence and generate new opportunities
Provide structured market feedback and competitive insights to inform commercial and product strategy