Director of Strategic Partnerships

About the Position

Director of Strategic Partnerships

Circle is building the world’s leading AI-powered, all-in-one platform for digital businesses. We make it possible for creators, coaches, educators, and businesses to bring together their audience with engaging discussions, live streams, events, chat, courses, and payments - all in one place, all under their own brand.

We’re proud to be a fully remote company of around 270 (and growing!) team members from 30+ countries around the world. We seek exceptional individuals around the world, set them up to do the best work of their lives, and in turn, create a meaningful impact in their own lives.

About the Role

The Director of Strategic Partnerships will lead the strategy, growth, and performance of Circle's partnerships function, building programs and relationships that strengthen Circle's brand while driving meaningful business outcomes.

This role sits at the intersection of business development, partnerships, creators, content, and growth. You'll be responsible for translating Circle's broader company priorities into a forward-looking partnerships strategy, identifying where and how we invest, developing our most important creator and strategic relationships, and ensuring those investments translate into measurable impact across customer growth, brand awareness, and market position.

Responsibilities

• Own Circle's Partnerships strategic planning, and roadmap, using deep, company-wide knowledge of Circle's business, strategy, and goals to originate new concepts and ideas that extend the function's impact beyond its current scope.
• Take ownership of the function's contribution to new business and other agreed performance goals, using those outcomes to inform where we invest, what we build, and how we prioritize.
• Build repeatable partnership programs and playbooks that allow successful initiatives such as webinars, challenges, creator campaigns, launches, and event activations to scale without requiring the same level of hands-on involvement each time.
• Develop a forward-looking quarterly and annual partnership plan across creator partnerships, strategic relationships, campaigns, launches, events, and other high-impact opportunities.
• Lead Circle's highest-value creator and strategic partnerships, including relationship development, opportunity identification, deal strategy, negotiation, creative direction, and long-term growth.
• Shape the content and creative strategy behind major partnerships, working closely with partners to develop ideas that are authentic to their audience, differentiated in the market, and effective for Circle.
• Bring a strong marketing mindset into partnership development, including offer strategy, audience journeys, conversion opportunities, and ways Circle and its partners can create greater value together over time.
• Develop a sophisticated measurement framework for brand activities, so we are leveraging data and insight to inform investments and decisions.
• Establish clear measurement, reporting, and decision-making frameworks for the function, using performance and qualitative insights to improve future investments.
• Support cross-functional teams in a consultative capacity on any content-forward initiatives.

Requirements

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills in English (CEFR C2 or equivalent).
• 10+ years of experience building strategic partnerships, creator programs, brand initiatives, or strategic growth programs within SaaS, technology, the creator economy, or a similarly fast-moving industry.
• Strong business development skills including pipeline management, negotiation, partner development, and cross-functional project management.
• Performance marketing instincts and an understanding of how partnerships can drive both brand value and measurable business outcomes.
• Deep understanding of Circle's customers, the creator economy, and the broader market, with a point of view on where Circle can build differentiated relationships and influence.
• Experience developing and growing high-value relationships, with strong judgment around deal structure, negotiation, partner dynamics, and long-term opportunity.
• Exceptional content and creative instincts, with the ability to understand an audience, identify a compelling story, and translate Circle's value into ideas that feel native to a creator or partner.
• The ability to move fluidly between brand strategy and performance, understanding how strong storytelling, offers, funnels, campaigns, and distribution work together.
• A track record of turning successful one-off initiatives into repeatable programs, systems, and playbooks that can scale through a team.
• Strong strategic planning skills and in-depth knowledge of the partnerships function, Circle's broader business strategy, and company-wide goals.
• Experience managing and developing a team through senior managers or managers-of-managers.
• Strong cross-functional leadership skills and the ability to influence senior stakeholders across teams without needing direct authority.

We Offer

• U.S.-benchmarked compensation globally
• Equity in the company with ongoing refresh grants
• 35 days of paid time off each year
• Remote work options
• Twice-yearly company retreats in beautiful destinations around the world
• A benefits package that supports health, wellbeing, and professional growth

About the Company

Circle is building the world’s leading AI-powered, all-in-one platform for digital businesses. We make it possible for creators, coaches, educators, and businesses to bring together their audience with engaging discussions, live streams, events, chat, courses, and payments - all in one place, all under their own brand.

We’re proud to be a fully remote company of around 270 (and growing!) team members from 30+ countries around the world. We seek exceptional individuals around the world, set them up to do the best work of their lives, and in turn, create a meaningful impact in their own lives.

Check out our Careers page for more about working at Circle.