Director, US Strategic Partnerships

Deep expertise in the AI and platform ecosystem, including foundation model providers and major tech platforms Leadership role shaping and scaling Zip’s US partnership strategy to drive merchant and consumer growth Remote-first opportunity for San Francisco Metro area based employees Start your adventure with Zip With the merchant and consumer growth ambitions at Zip, we are looking for a Director, Strategic Partnerships who will own, grow, and manage our strategic partnerships in the US. As the Director, Strategic Partnerships, you will have a deep understanding of the AI and technology partnership landscape and bring strong commercial, strategic, and relationship management skills. This role sits at the core of the organization. You will partner closely with internal and external executives, and work cross-functionally with product, sales, marketing, risk, data, and finance teams to design and execute high-impact partnership strategies. The key goals for this role are to: a) Define Zip's long-term AI, platform, and ecosystem strategy and identify new growth vectors capable of driving material enterprise value. b) Shape executive decision-making on build/buy/partner strategies across merchant, consumer, and platform ecosystems. c) Identify, incubate, and commercialize transformational partnerships, platform bets, and strategic investments that create durable competitive advantage. You will focus on core partners including AI leaders (e.g., OpenAI, Anthropic), Amazon, Meta, Adobe, and other strategic technology platforms, and operate as a visible leader and subject-matter expert on AI and platform partnerships across Zip US. Interesting problems you’ll get to solve Develop a deep understanding of the AI, platform & technology landscape to create new opportunities Pull together a consolidated view of trends across AI, cloud, advertising, and commerce platforms, and translate insights into product, commercial, and sales recommendations Complete deep dives on new opportunities across key verticals (e.g., retail, eCommerce, marketplaces) and distribution channels tied to core partners like OpenAI, Anthropic, Amazon, Meta, and Adobe Be extremely proficient in PowerPoint, Excel, and Salesforce to model scenarios, structure narratives, and manage partner pipeline and performance Leverage AI tools to surface partnership insights, automate reporting, and identify revenue optimization opportunities across AI and platform partners (e.g., AI-assisted analysis of partner performance, GTM content generation, and risk/opportunity scanning) Educate executives and sales teams on the AI and platform ecosystem, competitive landscape, and partnership opportunities through structured, data-backed storytelling Manage and grow relationships with strategic AI and technology partners to increase market share Develop growth strategy and clear plans for core partners including AI leaders (OpenAI, Anthropic), commerce platforms (Amazon), social platforms (Meta), and creative/experience platforms (Adobe) Track performance metrics with these strategic partners, ensuring commercial terms are optimized and operationalized Drive revenue growth and cost optimization by developing joint solutions, integrations, and programs that leverage these platforms to acquire and engage merchants and consumers Work with product teams to lead RFPs and drive the right product and commercial outcomes for Zip; understand partner roadmaps and how Zip can leverage upcoming capabilities ahead of competitors Collaborate with sales and marketing to develop high-impact co-marketing, marketplace, and distribution initiatives that help both the partner and Zip succeed Lead regular education, relationship-building, and knowledge-sharing between partner teams and Zip teams, becoming a thought leader in AI and strategic platform partnerships for Zip Lead internal alignment, governance, and execution Regularly align with regional and global counterparts to understand intra-region trends…