Senior Partnerships Manager

Our mission is to make higher education accessible and affordable for everyone. We empower students with financial support and supercharge their ability to pay down their debt, so they can get on the right financial track, fast.

We build tools that help people feel in control of their financial future, including:

• Private student loans - low rates, people-first service, and flexible payments.
• Student loan refinancing - break free from high-interest rates or monthly payments.
• Scholarships - access to thousands of scholarships to help students pay less.

Earnies are committed to helping students live their best lives, free from the stress of student debt. If you’re as passionate as we are about our mission, read more below, and let’s build something great together!

The Senior Partnerships Manager position will report to the Senior Director, Partnerships Marketing. 

As the Senior Partnerships Manager, you will:

• Oversee and grow strategic partnerships to drive key business goals for the Student Loan Originations product.
• Define and measure the long-term vision and success of partnerships, including setting clear OKRs and reporting on progress.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Marketing, Product, Engineering, Legal, and Client teams to ensure seamless partner onboarding and retention.
• Drive revenue growth opportunities with existing partners through conversion optimization and marketing collaboration.
• Lead cross-departmental projects aligned with corporate objectives, managing multiple priorities while delivering high-quality results.
• Continuously assess and improve operational systems and processes, proactively identifying and implementing process improvements.

About You: 

• 4–6+ years of experience in Partnerships or Business Development, ideally within financial services, preferably in lending, with a strong preference for student loan expertise.
• Deep expertise in user growth strategies and partnership models, with a strong understanding of how to drive business expansion through strategic collaborations.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to deliver clear, professional presentations and recommendations to executive-level audiences.
• Strong interpersonal and client relationship management, with a proven ability to build trust and maintain credibility with senior stakeholders.
• Advanced problem-solving and adaptability, including the ability to analyze complex issues, make sound decisions quickly, and thrive in dynamic, changing environments.
• Willingness to travel to the Oakland office monthly to collaborate with other Earnies!

Even Better:

• Experience implementing marketing automation best practices across email, landing pages, and campaign infrastructure.
• Prior success working cross-functionally with Product, Legal, and Engineering teams to drive partnership initiatives forward.
• Strong presentation development skills with the ability to tailor messaging for executive audiences.
• Background in a high-growth, fast-paced environment within fintech or related industries.
  

Where:

• This role will be based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
• While you’ll enjoy the flexibility of remote work, we also love to see our Earnies face-to-face! We ask you to join us at our Oakland office for 3 consecutive days a month for team collaboration and some fun. It's a chance to connect, share ideas, and maybe even grab some coffee together!

#LI-AM1

A little about our pay philosophy: We take pride in compensating our employees fairly and equitably. We are showcasing a range of your potential base salary based on the roles location. The successful candidate’s starting pay will also be determined based on job-related qualifications, internal compensation, candidate location and budget. This range may be modified in the future.

Earnest believes in enabling our employees to live their best lives. We offer a variety of perks and competitive benefits, including: 

• Health, Dental, & Vision benefits plus savings plans
• Mac computers + work-from-home stipend to set up your home office
• Monthly internet and phone reimbursement
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)
• 401(k) plan to help you save for retirement plus a company match
• Robust tuition reimbursement program
• $1,000 travel perk on each Earnie-versary to anywhere in the world 
• Competitive days of annual PTO
• Competitive parental leave

What makes an “Earnie” culture: 

• Drivers – Drivers are satisfied by making things happen, not coming along for the ride. They feel a strong sense of ownership for their projects and teams and demand high standards from themselves and others.
• Humility – Humble team players check their egos and consider the team’s needs above their own. They are self-aware of their strengths and opportunities for improvement.
• Growth Mindset – People with a growth mindset approach challenges and failures as learning opportunities. They seek feedback to improve, give feedback to others, and genuinely want to perform well. 

At Earnest, we are committed to building an environment where our employees feel included, valued, and heard. Our belief is that a strong commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging enables us to move forward with our mission. We are dedicated to adding new perspectives to the team and encourage anyone to apply if your experience is close to what we are looking for.  

Earnest provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability or genetics. Qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered for the position in a manner consistent with the Fair Chance Ordinance.