Growth Partnerships Manager, Startups (12 Month Fixed Term Contract)

Canva • San Francisco, CA

2d • $185,000 - $245,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

This role owns one of the broadest portfolios in the Partnerships org, running a startup program on one side and active deal making across Banks & Fintechs, Telcos and OEMs on the other. You won’t be walking into something with all the answers. You’ll inherit real partnerships and real pipeline, then figure out the rest as you go. That means you’re a generalist who can lead a program in the morning and close a deal in the afternoon—and scrappy enough to build the process yourself when one doesn’t exist yet.

Requirements

• 5+ years in partnerships, business development, growth, or ecosystem roles within a startup or consumer/B2B tech environment.
• Deep understanding of the startup ecosystem—you know how founders operate and have experience working with VCs, accelerators, startup communities, and other ecosystem partners.
• Proven deal ownership. You’ve sourced opportunities, built the partnership strategy and business case, negotiated terms, and driven distribution or strategic deals through close—not just managed established relationships.
• Strong cross-functional operator who can bring Product, Marketing, Legal, Finance, and other teams together to move partnerships forward and make decisions.
• Able to build and run programs at scale. You can set clear goals, establish an operating cadence, measure results, and manage a broad portfolio while still knowing when to jump in personally.
• Comfortable building from 0→1. You’re scrappy, self-directed, and able to move quickly without perfect information, established processes, or someone telling you what to do next.

Nice To Haves

• You’ve been a founder, worked at a VC or accelerator, built a startup/ecosystem program from scratch, or closed consumer/SMB distribution partnerships.

Responsibilities

• Run Canva for Startups end to end across the startup ecosystem, working with accelerators and VCs
• Own the program mechanics that get startups from sign-up to activation fast, including tiered offers, coupon administration, startup verification, cohort onboarding and partner-specific experiences
• Track program performance across the startup lifecycle, from portfolio penetration and offer redemption through to activation and conversion, using the data to decide where we invest next
• Be a visible ambassador for Canva in the startup ecosystem, hosting founder events and workshops, showing up at demo days and accelerator cohorts, and building relationships with VC and Accelerator teams
• Source, structure, negotiate, and launch distribution partnerships across Banks & Fintechs, Telcos and OEMs, balancing near-term revenue with longer-term distribution opportunities
• Own channel outcomes with clear targets, tracking and an operating cadence tied to MAU and revenue
• Ship partner launches by working cross-functionally with Product, Marketing, Legal, Finance, Growth and Strategy teams

Benefits

• We offer flexibility in how and where you work.
• competitive, market-informed compensation whilst ensuring internal equity within the team in each region.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed