Strategic Partnerships Lead

Column•San Francisco, CA

1d•$275,000 - $375,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Column is a bank and a software company built from the ground up, offering technology-forward banking solutions that cut out hundreds of vendors, middleware providers, and abstraction layers. This means a safer, more transparent, and less costly banking supply chain. We are hiring a strategic deals person to own high-value relationship development and deal execution across Column's most important partnerships. You'll drive the full commercial cycle — from identifying and qualifying strategic accounts to structuring and closing agreements with companies building financial products on Column's API infrastructure. Working closely with leadership and the broader Business team, you'll develop a deep understanding of each prospect's product roadmap and articulate Column's value proposition and differentiation at every stage of the deal. Success looks like a portfolio of trusted, long-term partnerships and a consistent track record of closing complex, high-impact deals. We win on speed and expertise. If you move fast, love becoming an expert, and are able to build relationships and influence quickly, this opportunity might be for you. This role reports to the Head of Sales & Partnerships and is based in San Francisco or remote, with ~50% travel expected, always dependent on deal needs.

Requirements

Minimum 5+ years (ideally 8+ years) in strategic partnerships, business development, strategic accounts sales, or a commercial-adjacent function, including investors or capital markets professionals who have spent meaningful time sourcing, evaluating, and closing complex deals with sophisticated counterparties.
Proven ability to run structured, autonomous deal cycles from pipeline generation through close
Demonstrated ability to navigate large, multi-stakeholder organizations: you know how to find the decision maker and move deals forward when the path isn't obvious
Subject matter credibility in your space — prospects and partners seek out your perspective
High agency and a builder's orientation: you're comfortable operating without a fully defined playbook and contribute to building one as you go. You take ownership and adapt on the fly.
Competitive, curious, and coachable — you solicit feedback, iterate quickly, and hold yourself to a higher standard than anyone else would

Nice To Haves

Direct experience selling into or partnering with financial services companies; familiarity with embedded finance, APIs, or regulated product environments strongly preferred

Responsibilities

Run the full sales cycle: discovery, scoping, negotiation, and close across complex, multi-stakeholder organizations.
Navigate procurement, compliance, legal, and technical stakeholders simultaneously; proactively identify and overcome blockers before they stall deals.
Partner with Solutions Engineering, Legal, Risk, and Compliance to structure solutions that address novel customer use cases.
Develop deep fluency in Column's API suite and how it applies across financial services use cases; position yourself as a credible thought partner for prospects' Product and Compliance teams.
Maintain a strong pulse on market dynamics, competitive positioning, and regulatory developments affecting Column's target customers.
Build and maintain account plans with clear milestones, stakeholder maps, and commercial targets.
Source and qualify new opportunities through outbound prospecting, industry relationships, and market intelligence — you're building pipeline, not waiting for it.
Contribute to the development of Column's sales playbook — deal structures, qualification frameworks, and processes that the broader team can learn from and build on.
Operate in accordance with safe and sound business practices and applicable regulatory requirements.

Benefits

Comprehensive health, dental, and vision plans, including options that are 100% covered by Column for you and 100% covered for your dependents!
Comprehensive family planning and fertility benefits via partnership with Carrot, including reimbursement of up to $20,000 in qualified expenses
Up to $2,000 (post-tax) monthly rent subsidy for employees living within 2 miles of Column’s office
FSA and HSA account options to enable use of pre-tax money for medical and dependent care expenses
401k plan, including self-directed brokerage options
Flexible time-off policy - take the time off that you want and need to relax and recharge
100% paid parental leave, including 16 weeks for birth mothers, 12 weeks for primary caregivers, and 8 weeks for secondary caregivers
Up to $4,500 in annual reimbursements for backup childcare
Catered lunches and dinners for SF employees
Commuter benefits
Regular team building events, including annual offsite