Ecosystem Partner Development Lead

Block•San Francisco, CA

3d•$239,600 - $359,400

About The Position

The Block Ecosystem Partnerships team leads product partnerships, business development, and commercialization for Afterpay, Cash App, and Square. The team develops partnerships that extend product capabilities and reach across the payments and technology industries. The Ecosystem Partner Development Lead defines and owns the global strategy for a portfolio of high-impact partnerships and emerging opportunities. The role identifies where to invest, shapes partnership approaches, and leads cross-functional execution to achieve measurable business results. It includes leading multiple zero-to-one initiatives, developing strategic rationales and commercial models, and taking opportunities from concept through launch and scale. The role works closely with leaders across Afterpay, Cash App, and Square, including Product, Engineering, Sales, Account Management, Marketing, Finance, Compliance, and Legal. In addition to delivering portfolio results, the lead develops repeatable practices that improve how teams develop, launch, and grow partnerships.

Requirements

12+ years of experience across business development, strategic partnerships, and commercialization, with deep experience in payments or financial technology.
Demonstrated ownership of business strategy and commercial outcomes across complex partnerships, products, or markets.
Track record of building new businesses or partnership models from zero to one, including identifying opportunities, developing business cases, shaping product and go-to-market strategy, negotiating complex agreements, and delivering measurable growth.
Strong commercial and strategic judgment, including evaluating investment tradeoffs, assessing unit economics, prioritizing resources, and influencing senior leaders on opportunities to pursue, scale, or stop.
Deep knowledge of consumer and business payments, payments economics, distribution models, and competitive dynamics; ability to turn market developments and emerging business models into growth strategies.
Ability to build C-suite relationships and navigate complex organizations; expert negotiation skills; understanding of commercial contracts; and experience managing cooperative and competitive partner dynamics.
Strong product fluency and experience working with multiple Product and Engineering teams for a single partner; ability to connect customer needs, technical capabilities, integration requirements, and commercial value.
Ability to influence without formal authority, resolve organizational blockers, and secure cross-functional commitment to shared priorities.
Experience creating repeatable frameworks or operating practices that improve execution beyond immediate responsibilities.
Entrepreneurial ownership and sound decision-making in ambiguous, fast-changing environments; ability to guide senior colleagues and clearly communicate strategy, risks, and tradeoffs.
Willingness to travel, primarily domestically with some international travel.
BS/BA required.

Nice To Haves

MBA or another master's degree.

Responsibilities

Define and own long-term partnership strategy, translating customer needs, payments economics, competition, and emerging technologies into priorities, investment recommendations, and execution plans.
Identify unmet customer and partner needs, build business cases, and develop new partnership and distribution models, including initiatives without an established playbook.
Evaluate market potential, unit economics, strategic fit, and execution requirements; recommend which opportunities to pursue, decline, scale, or stop, and communicate associated tradeoffs and resource needs.
Design experiments, milestones, and decision criteria; lead opportunities through partner development, negotiation, integration, launch, and commercialization; and turn successful approaches into repeatable models.
Own the commercial outcomes and long-term health of partnerships by setting success measures, assessing performance, and adapting strategy as products, partner priorities, and markets change.
Coordinate with colleagues working with shared partners to establish a coherent global approach.
Build executive relationships and negotiate complex agreements that expand distribution, extend product capabilities, and support sustainable economics, including with partners that may also be competitors.
Translate strategy into product dependencies, resource requirements, ownership, and delivery plans; influence roadmap and investment decisions; resolve cross-functional blockers and competing priorities; and provide recommendations to senior leaders.
Develop global distribution strategies for B2B and B2B2C payment products, including integrations, upsell, and cross-sell opportunities, while accounting for regional customer, regulatory, and operational requirements.
Establish shared planning cadences, decision frameworks, and accountability; improve opportunity evaluation and partnership execution practices; and mentor senior colleagues and other leaders.