Senior Director, Bank Partnerships

Marqeta is on a mission to change the way money moves. We’re one of the earliest enablers of embedded finance, a market opportunity sized up in the trillions. Our card issuing platform provides unprecedented flexibility and control for companies to issue cards, authorize transactions, and manage payment operations in real time. Marqeta is powering the most well known brands in the new economy (Block, Cash App, Affirm, Instacart, Doordash, Uber, Walmart, etc). Today nearly 8 out of 10 Americans use a product powered by Marqeta every week. This is the opportunity of a lifetime to work with innovators around the world and unlock equitable financial access for all.

We work Flexible First. This role can be performed remotely anywhere within the United States or from our Oakland, CA headquarters. We’d love for you to join us!

Position Summary

The Partner Operations team is a key division within Marqeta's broader Go-To-Market Organization, with two essential functions. The bank and network partnership teams drive global strategies to enhance our core technology and capabilities across credit, debit, prepaid card, and money movement offerings. Meanwhile, the solution design and delivery teams guide and support our customers in launching tailored, best-in-class solutions to meet their business needs.

We are seeking an experienced and strategic Senior Director of Bank Partnerships to lead the development, management, and optimization of key relationships with our bank partners. In this role, you will be responsible for driving growth, maximizing incentives, managing contractual obligations, and establishing favorable terms to enhance the economics of the company. Additionally, you will design and execute a holistic strategy to ensure we maintain the right mix of bank partners to support the company’s diverse products and services. You will work closely with cross-functional teams to align bank partnerships with the company’s overall objectives and growth goals.

The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in building and managing successful bank partnerships, particularly in the financial services or fintech industry. They will be an exceptional negotiator, balancing strategic and financial objectives to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes, and possess strong analytical skills to optimize partnership terms and drive data-informed decision-making. With excellent communication abilities, they can influence and build relationships at all levels, both internally and externally. As a visionary leader, they will create and implement innovative strategies to shape long-term success, while leveraging deep industry knowledge of banking products and services. The ideal candidate thrives in a fast-paced environment, managing multiple priorities effectively, and is focused on driving growth, profitability, and operational efficiency.

The Impact You'll Have

• Partnership Development & Management: Build, foster, and maintain strong relationships with bank partners to ensure mutually beneficial partnerships. Develop deep expertise in the needs, goals, and business models of each partner to align objectives and drive growth.
• Growth Optimization: Maximize growth opportunities with each bank partner by identifying and executing on new business opportunities, expanding product offerings, and driving the adoption of our services across bank networks.
• Contractual Oversight & Negotiations: Lead the negotiation and management of contracts, ensuring favorable terms for the company, minimizing risk, and ensuring contractual obligations are met. Collaborate with legal and other teams to facilitate smooth contract execution.
• Strategic Planning & Alignment: Design and implement a comprehensive strategy to build and manage a diverse portfolio of bank partnerships, ensuring alignment with company objectives and long-term growth plans.
• Economic Optimization: Drive the company’s financial success through careful management of partnership terms, incentives, and compensation structures. Analyze and optimize the financial terms of each agreement to maximize profitability.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with internal teams, including sales, product, legal, and marketing, to ensure effective execution of partnership initiatives. Act as the primary point of contact between the company and bank partners, ensuring smooth communication and alignment.
• Performance Metrics & Reporting: Establish and track key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor the success of bank partnerships. Regularly report on performance, identify challenges, and implement strategies to continuously improve outcomes.
• Market Intelligence: Stay informed of industry trends, emerging technologies, and competitor activities that could impact the bank partnership landscape. Provide insights and recommendations to the leadership team for staying ahead of the curve.

Who You Are 

• Experience: Minimum of 10+ years of experience in financial services, partnership management, business development, or similar roles. Experience in bank partnerships or financial products/services is highly preferred.
• Leadership Skills: Proven experience in leading and managing strategic partnerships at a senior level. Strong ability to lead cross-functional teams, manage complex relationships, and drive results.
• Negotiation Expertise: Extensive experience in negotiating commercial agreements, managing contract terms, and optimizing financial outcomes for the company.
• Strategic Thinker: Ability to develop and execute complex, long-term strategies that align with organizational goals. Must have a data-driven approach and be comfortable working with senior leadership to drive business outcomes.
• Financial Acumen: Strong understanding of the financial industry, including banking operations, products, and incentives. Ability to optimize partnership terms to maximize financial value.
• Communication Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to present ideas clearly and persuasively to internal teams and external partners.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree required; MBA or advanced degree preferred.

Typical Process

• Application submission
• Recruiter phone call
• Hiring manager video call
• Virtual “Onsite” consisting of 4-5, 45 min calls
• Offer!

Compensation and Benefits

Marqeta is a Flex First company which allows you to choose your best working environment, whether that be from home or at a company office. To support Flex First, we calibrate pay to a competitive value according to working location. Compensation is aligned according to three tiers within the United States:

• National: A baseline tier that applies to most of the geographic territory of the United States.
• Premium: Slightly elevated from the National tier, and oriented toward a narrower set of higher cost-of-living areas, such as Los Angeles CA and Seattle WA
• Premium Plus: A tier for the most expensive working areas, like the San Francisco Bay area and New York City.

Visit this page or consult with a Recruiter to determine which tier would be applicable to you.

When determining salaries, we consider several factors including, but not limited to, skills, prior experience, and work location. The new-hire base salary range for this position is:

• National: $224,500 - $280,600
• Premium: $243,000 - $303,700
• Premium Plus: $264,100 - $330,100

We also believe in recognizing the contributions of our people. That's why we award annual bonuses to eligible employees, rewarding both individual performance and the success of the entire company.

Along with monetary compensation, Marqeta offers

• Multiple health insurance options
• Flexible time off – take what you need
• Retirement savings program with company contribution and after tax contributions
• Equity in a publicly-traded company and an Employee Stock Purchase Program
• Family-forming benefits, fertility support, and up to 20 weeks of Parental Leave
• Free therapy sessions, financial and professional coaching, and legal advice
• Monthly stipend to support our remote work model
• Annual “development dollars” to support our people growth and development

About Marqeta

Marqeta is on a mission to change the way money moves. We’re one of the earliest enablers of embedded finance, a market opportunity sized up in the trillions. Our card issuing platform provides unprecedented flexibility and control for companies to issue cards, authorize transactions, and manage payment operations in real time. Marqeta is powering the most well known brands in the new economy (Block, Cash App, Affirm, Instacart, Doordash, Uber, Walmart, etc). You don’t need to be a Payments expert to join the Marqeta Team, let us help you with that.  This is the opportunity of a lifetime to work with innovators around the world and unlock equitable financial access for all.

Marqeta’s Values

– Solve for the Customer: With a deep understanding of our customers' business and empathy for their needs, we deliver products and services that drive their success. Earning and keeping their trust guides everything we do.

– Do What's Right: Knowing businesses and livelihoods depend on us, we pursue solutions that disrupt responsibly and deliver high-quality results that our customers count on. We own our work from start to finish.

– Simplify and Innovate: We approach challenges with curiosity and take smart risks. Innovation comes from finding better, simpler ways to achieve extraordinary outcomes.

– Win as a Team: We succeed together by embracing diverse perspectives and pushing each other to raise the bar. We lead with humility and set aside hierarchy to work as a team.

– Make it Count: We drive forward with focus and agility. With a sense of urgency and purpose, we get the job done, and done right.

Equal Employment Opportunity, Accommodations and Privacy 

Marqeta is proud to be an equal opportunity employer that gives consideration to all qualified applicants regardless of race, ancestry, national  origin, color, Indigenous, citizenship, religion/creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression marital status, family status, disability, veteran status, criminal histories consistent with legal requirements, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. 

Our dedication to diversity and inclusion extends beyond the categories above. Review Marqeta’s ESG Report to see that dedication in action. Fostering an environment where everyone feels valued and respected creates a stronger and more innovative team at Marqeta. We celebrate the unique contributions of each individual and empower all members of our organization. Join us in building a company where diversity thrives and everyone can be their authentic selves.

If you require reasonable accommodation for the application process and beyond (including due to a disability), please submit this form and we will be more than happy to assist you. Marqeta will make reasonable accommodations for candidates when needed in accordance with applicable law. The Applicant and Candidate Privacy Notice applies to the personal data that you directly provide to us or that we collect during the application and candidate recruitment process.