---
title: 'Vice President, Strategic Partnerships at Upgrade'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/vice-president-strategic-partnerships-upgrade-united-states-rghhh0kwdq92'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-08'
---

# Vice President, Strategic Partnerships at Upgrade

- **Company:** Upgrade
- **Location:** United States
- **Work type:** remote
- **Posted:** 2026-11-03
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-08
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/upgrade/jobs/4750552005

## Job description

Upgrade helps customers move in the right direction with affordable and responsible financial products. Since 2017, we’ve helped over 7.5 million customers access over $42 billion in consumer credit. With a relentless focus on improving our customers' financial well-being, we build products that put more money in their pocket and support their journey toward a better financial future. We’re backed by some of the most prominent technology investors and were most recently valued at $7.3B.

We’re consistently recognized for our collaborative and inclusive culture. Most recently, we were named one of the World’s Top Fintech Companies by CNBC, Best Places to Work by Built In, Best Places to Work by the San Francisco Business Times, America’s Greatest Workplaces by Newsweek, Best Startup Employer by Forbes, and Healthiest Employers by Phoenix Business Journal.

We’re looking for new team members who get excited about designing and delivering new and better products. Come join us and help build a better financial future for millions of people.

About the Role:

We are looking for a strategic, commercially driven leader to join Upgrade as our VP, Strategic Partnerships, playing a pivotal role in expanding our personal lending business through high-impact enterprise partnerships.

In this role, you will lead the development of strategic white-label partnerships with financial institutions, fintechs, and major consumer-facing brands, enabling them to offer personal loans under their own brand, powered by Upgrade's lending platform. You will be responsible for identifying and engaging high-value partners, building relationships with senior decision-makers, and independently structuring and negotiating complex commercial agreements. With a strong understanding of partnership economics and P&L impact, you'll evaluate opportunities that drive meaningful revenue growth and long-term profitability for Upgrade's personal lending business.

Working closely with executive leadership and cross-functional teams across Finance, Product, Engineering, Legal, Compliance, and Risk, you'll help shape partnership strategies, navigate technical integrations, and bring new opportunities to market. This is a highly visible, hands-on leadership opportunity for someone who thrives on building executive relationships, negotiating strategic deals, and turning commercial opportunities into scalable businesses. You'll have significant autonomy to shape a growing partnership channel, with opportunities to collaborate directly with senior leadership and contribute to emerging AI-driven products and initiatives.

This is a remote-flexible position for candidates based in San Francisco, New York, or Delaware, and requires occasional travel for partner meetings.

What you’ll do:

Sourcing & Pipeline

- Build and manage a pipeline of prospective white-label partners.
- Develop and prioritize a target list based on strategic fit, reach, and revenue potential.
- Represent Upgrade at industry events and in outbound outreach to build a network of decision-makers at prospective partners.
- Source potential partnerships to support Upgrade's emerging AI-driven product initiatives beyond personal loans

Deal Structuring & Negotiation

- Lead commercial negotiations for partnership agreements, including economics, exclusivity, SLAs, and branding terms.
- Partner with Legal, Finance, and Risk to structure deals that meet Upgrade's compliance and margin requirements.
- Own the business case and internal approval process for each partnership, from term sheet through signed contract.

Onboarding & Launch

- Own the end-to-end onboarding of signed partners — project-managing integration, compliance review, branding/marketing/UX approvals, and go-live.
- Serve as the primary point of contact for partners during implementation, coordinating Engineering, Product, Compliance, and Ops to hit launch dates.
- Build repeatable onboarding playbooks and SLAs to shorten time-to-launch as the partner roster grows.

What We Look For:

- 10+ years in strategic partnerships, business development, or a related deal-making role, with a track record of sourcing and closing complex commercial agreements.
- Experience in fintech, consumer lending, or financial services — comfortable with regulatory, compliance, and risk considerations
- Demonstrated ability to manage a deal from first outreach through signed contract and through live launch.
- Strong cross-functional leadership: proven ability to align Legal, Compliance, Risk, Product, and Engineering around a partner launch timeline.
- Excellent negotiation and executive presence; comfortable representing Upgrade large enterprise partner leadership.

Nice to Have:

- Direct experience structuring white-label or embedded finance partnerships (co-branded cards, private-label lending, BaaS-style programs).
- An existing network of relationships at financial services companies or consumer-facing brands that could become Upgrade partners.
- Experience at a high-growth fintech or consumer lending company.

What We Offer You:

- Competitive salary & stock option plan
- Paid coverage of medical, dental and vision insurance
- Flexible PTO
- Opportunities for professional growth and development
- Paid parental leave
- Health & wellness initiatives

The base salary range for this position is $250k-$275k annually. Actual compensation will be determined based on a variety of factors, including the candidate’s experience, qualifications, skills, and geographic location. In addition to base salary, this position is eligible for an annual performance-based bonus as well as equity and other benefits as part of Upgrade’s total compensation package.

## About Upgrade

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Upgrade is a neobank offering responsible credit, mobile banking, and payment products including personal loans, credit cards, auto financing, home improvement loans, and high-yield savings.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series G)
- **Headquarters**: San Francisco, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2016
- **Founders**: Renaud Laplanche (former founder/CEO of LendingClub)

## Core Business
- Primary industry: Neobanking / Consumer Finance / Fintech
- Target customers: B2C (individual consumers in the U.S. seeking affordable credit, banking, and payment flexibility)
- Mission: “To help our customers move in the right direction with responsible financial products that put more money in their pocket.”

## Products & Services
- **Upgrade Personal Loans**: Fixed-rate installment loans for debt consolidation, home improvement, and major purchases.
- **Upgrade Card**: A hybrid credit card that combines credit card acceptance with installment payment flexibility; recognized as the fastest-growing credit card in the U.S. at launch.
- **Upgrade OneCard™**: A single card offering “Pay Now” (debit-like) and “Pay Later” (installment) options; also available as a secured version for credit-building.
- **Auto Financing**: Indirect auto loans originated through franchise and independent dealerships; surpassed $1 billion in originations by mid-2025.
- **Home Improvement Financing**: Flexible loan programs for contractors and homeowners; surpassed $1 billion in originations by December 2024.
- **Flex Pay** (formerly Uplift): Travel-focused buy now, pay later (BNPL) solution, now rebranded and powering flexible payments for Expedia Group cruise bookings.
- **Premier Savings**: High-yield savings account with competitive APY, no monthly fees, and FDIC/NCUA insurance.
- **Boost Money**: Acquired product offering high-yield savings and secured credit cards.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation**: $7.3 billion (Series G round, October 2025) [wikipedia.org]
- **Key Metric**: Over $50 billion in credit made available to more than 8 million customers since inception. [upgrade.com]
- **Total Equity Raised**: ~$750 million [wikipedia.org]
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Neuberger Berman (lead Series G), Santander Group, Koch Disruptive Technologies, Coatue Management, DST Global, Ribbit Capital, LuminArx Capital Management. [wikipedia.org]
- **Growth Signals**:
  - Auto loan originations surpassed $1 billion in first ~18 months of indirect lending.
  - Home improvement originations crossed $1 billion by end of 2024.
  - Cruise booking division achieved 23% YoY growth in 2024.
  - Named to CNBC’s World’s Top 250 Fintech Companies (2024, 2025) and USA Today’s Most Trusted Brands in Banking & Financial Services (March 2026). [wikipedia.org]

## Competitive Advantages
- **Hybrid Credit Innovation**: Products like the Upgrade Card and OneCard blur the line between credit cards and installment loans, giving consumers flexibility to avoid revolving debt.
- **Speed of Execution**: Launched several new product lines (auto, home improvement, travel BNPL) in rapid succession and hit billion-dollar milestones within 1–2 years.
- **Deep Industry Experience**: Founded by LendingClub’s former CEO, with a team experienced in marketplace lending and regulatory navigation.
- **Scalable Platform**: Uses a technology-driven, branchless model that keeps costs low and allows fast iteration.

## Strategic Focus
- **Expanding Product Verticals**: Continuing to grow auto, home improvement, and travel (Flex Pay) lending channels.
- **Partnership Growth**: Deepening integrations with major travel platforms (Expedia Group), dealer networks, and contractors.
- **Responsible Credit**: Emphasizing products that help consumers avoid high-interest revolving debt and build credit.
- **Geographic Footprint**: U.S.-focused with remote and regional offices; potential further international expansion via Flex Pay in Canada.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture & Values**: Core values include “We Move Fast,” “We Act as Owners,” “We Help Each Other,” and “We Are Always Learning.” Emphasis on curiosity, continuous improvement, and inclusive team environment. [upgrade.com]
- **Recognition**: Named to Forbes’ America’s Best Startup Employers (2026) and BuiltIn’s Best Places to Work. [upgrade.com]
- **Remote/Hybrid Policy**: Multiple office locations (San Francisco HQ, Atlanta, Phoenix, Montreal, Orange County) and remote-friendly roles (e.g., remote Account Managers, Senior Data Analysts). Not fully remote for all positions, but flexibility exists.
- **Compensation & Benefits**:
  - 100% paid medical, dental, and vision insurance for team members.
  - Competitive salary plus stock options.
  - 401(k) with 4% match, fully vested immediately.
  - Unlimited PTO for salaried positions.
  - Paid parental leave and wellness programs. [upgrade.com]

## Sources
1. [upgrade.com/careers](https://www.upgrade.com/careers/)
2. [greenhouse.io/jobs](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/upgrade)
3. [upgrade.com/about](https://www.upgrade.com/about/)
4. [upgrade.com/careers/benefits](https://www.upgrade.com/careers/benefits/)
5. [wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upgrade,_Inc.)

## Other roles at Upgrade

- [Principal DevSecOps Developer](https://feeny.ai/job/principal-devsecops-developer-upgrade-canada-zcrwyxfhpq6e) — Canada
- [Responsable des intégrations partenaires](https://feeny.ai/job/responsable-des-integrations-partenaires-upgrade-montreal-qk3sp9vwa93g) — Montréal, Canada
- [Merchant Risk Data Analyst](https://feeny.ai/job/merchant-risk-data-analyst-upgrade-atlanta-38hvhkhcpry0) — Atlanta, GA
- [Dispute Resolution Specialist](https://feeny.ai/job/dispute-resolution-specialist-upgrade-atlanta-hz136twbbepx) — Atlanta, GA
- [Dealer Development Manager (Portland, OR)](https://feeny.ai/job/dealer-development-manager-portland-or-upgrade-united-states-rad5j4byv3z2) — United States
- [Dealer Development Manager (Las Vegas, NV)](https://feeny.ai/job/dealer-development-manager-las-vegas-nv-upgrade-united-states-va78e1p2qx72) — United States
- [Product Manager, Operations](https://feeny.ai/job/product-manager-operations-upgrade-phoenix-4v1dwys8p448) — Phoenix, AZ
- [Développeur(-euse) Expérience IA (IA conversationnelle)](https://feeny.ai/job/developpeur-euse-experience-ia-ia-conversationnelle-upgrade-canada-1s881ajbee7r) — Canada
- [AI Experience Engineer (Conversational AI)](https://feeny.ai/job/ai-experience-engineer-conversational-ai-upgrade-canada-rx5dwz4yz5pq) — Canada
- [Director, Product Management - Fraud](https://feeny.ai/job/director-product-management-fraud-upgrade-san-francisco-472gr5jwbfy1) — San Francisco, CA