Job Title

Join a ChallengerBeing a traditional bank just isnt our thing. We are big believers in innovating the banking experience because we believe Canadians deserve better options, and we challenge ourselves and our teams to creatively transform whats possible in banking. Our team is made up of inquisitive and agile minds that find smarter ways of doing things. If youre not afraid of taking on big challenges and redefining the future, you belong with us. Youll get to work with people who will encourage you to reach new heights. We like to keep things fun, ask questions and learn together.We are a big (and growing!) family. Overall we serve more than 670,000 people across Canada through Equitable Bank, Canada's Challenger Bank, and have been around for more than 50 years. Equitable Bank's wholly-owned subsidiary, Concentra Bank, supports credit unions across Canada that serve more than six million members. Together we have over $125 billion in combined assets under management and administration, with a clear mandate to drive change in Canadian banking to enrich people's lives. Our customers have named our EQ Bank digital platform (eqbank.ca) one of the top banks in Canada on the Forbes World's Best Banks list since 2021.The WorkReporting to the Vice President, Product Digital Banking (Small Business Banking), this critical role will lead partnership strategy and execution with fintech platforms, SaaS solutions and other potential partners to bring innovative solutions for our small business customers. In addition, the Director will lead end-to-end planning and execution of customer acquisition campaigns through partnerships, in close collaboration with the Marketing team. The ideal candidate will combine financial services knowledge with strong strategic and business development skills to create and execute innovative partnership arrangements for the bank and its small business clients.Strategy development, partnership acquisition and managementDevelop and implement the strategic roadmap for our partnerships program with a focus on embedded finance opportunitiesIdentify high-potential partnership categories and specific targets with clear value propositions based on market research and business objectives; build and manage a pipeline of potential partners; create businesses cases for partnership opportunitiesInitiate and lead partnership discussions, from initial outreach through contract negotiation; structure creative and mutually beneficial partnership agreements with clear performance metrics; be responsible for monitoring and communicating KPIs for partnership successWork cross-functionally with product, technology, and marketing teams to align the partnership strategy with the product roadmap; ensure the successful integration of banking services with partner platforms, supported by compelling go-to-market strategies and marketing plansMaintain strong relationships with partners to identify expansion opportunities and resolve issuesPartnership marketing development and executionWork closely with Marketing to develop and implement comprehensive GTM strategies for different small business segment communities via partnerships Work closely with Marketing to optimize channel strategy to reach target communities effectively, ensuring consistent messaging and positioningCo-develop the marketing, content and events calendar for specific small business communities with the Marketing team; Lead the planning and execution of key business development events and develop engaging content strategies from product information to thought leadership that speak to target communitiesMarket IntelligenceStay current on fintech trends, emerging players, and evolving customer needs in the small business banking space; Provide regular insights to leadership on partnership landscape and strategic opportunitiesMonitor competitor partnership activities and identify differentiating opportunitiesRepresent the company at industry events to identify potential partners and build the company's profileLet's Talk About You!10+ years strategy or business development experience in the B2B spaceProven track record in small business banking, fintech or B2B SaaS productsProven track record of developing and executing successful partnership strategiesStrong understanding of the small business ecosystem and influencer networksExceptional relationship building and stakeholder management skills; especially ability to influence other teams Strong communication skills, both verbal and written. This role involves working with peers, presenting to the senior leadership team and ability to lead multiple and challenging work prioritiesStrategic thinking with strong analytical and execution capabilitiesExperience managing cross-functional projects and initiativesExcellent time management and organization skills, ability to self-initiate on projects is essentialWhat we offer (For full-time permanent roles) Competitive discretionary bonus Market leading RRSP match program