H-1B Visa Director Of Strategic Partnerships Jobs
Director of Strategic Partnerships roles qualify for H-1B visa sponsorship as specialty occupations requiring a bachelor's degree or higher in business, marketing, or a related field. Employers in tech, healthcare, and professional services regularly file H-1B petitions for this title. The annual cap means timing your job search around the April lottery cycle matters.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
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, Los Angeles, 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.
INTRODUCTION
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, Los Angeles, 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.
See all 1,797+ H-1B Visa Director Of Strategic Partnerships Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding H-1B Visa Sponsorship in Director Of Strategic Partnerships
Verify your role meets specialty occupation
Strategic partnerships roles must require a specific bachelor's degree, not just any degree. Review the O*NET profile for Business Development and Partnerships Managers to confirm the educational requirements USCIS uses to evaluate specialty occupation status for your position.
Target employers with cap-exempt filing history
Universities, nonprofits attached to universities, and government research organizations are cap-exempt, meaning they can file your H-1B petition outside the April lottery window. Strategic partnerships roles exist at many of these institutions in technology transfer and grant-funded programs.
Search H-1B sponsors on Migrate Mate
Filter Director of Strategic Partnerships openings by employers with verified H-1B LCA filing history on Migrate Mate. This cuts through listings at companies that lack sponsorship infrastructure for senior individual-contributor or director-level roles.
Request premium processing from your employer
Director-level offers often move quickly, but standard H-1B adjudication can run several months. Ask your employer to file with USCIS premium processing, which guarantees a 15-business-day decision and reduces the gap between offer acceptance and authorized start date.
Build a prevailing wage file before negotiating
Use the OFLC Wage Search to look up the prevailing wage for your SOC code and the employer's location before salary discussions. Your employer's LCA must certify a wage at or above that level, so knowing the floor protects you in negotiations.
Document cross-functional authority in your offer letter
USCIS scrutinizes director-level roles that lack clear supervisory or specialized duties. Ask that your offer letter explicitly lists team management, budget authority, or cross-organizational decision-making responsibilities to support the specialty occupation argument in your I-129 petition.
H-1B Visa Director Of Strategic Partnerships: Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Director of Strategic Partnerships role qualify for H-1B sponsorship?
Yes, if the position genuinely requires a bachelor's degree or higher in a specific field such as business administration, marketing, or a related discipline. USCIS evaluates whether the role is a specialty occupation based on the job duties, not just the title. Roles with vague requirements or that accept any degree in any field face higher scrutiny during adjudication.
Which industries most commonly sponsor H-1B visas for strategic partnerships directors?
Technology, enterprise software, healthcare technology, and professional services firms sponsor H-1B petitions for strategic partnerships directors most frequently, given their reliance on complex business development functions. You can verify which specific employers have active LCA filings for this role type by browsing listings on Migrate Mate, which filters by verified H-1B sponsorship history.
Can I start a Director of Strategic Partnerships role while my H-1B is pending?
Only if you're currently on an unexpired work-authorized status such as OPT, STEM OPT, or a prior H-1B with a valid I-94. If you're changing employers under H-1B portability rules, you can start after your new employer files the transfer petition with USCIS, but only if your previous H-1B was approved and you've maintained lawful status continuously.
What happens to my H-1B if my employer restructures and eliminates the partnerships function?
Your H-1B status is tied to the specific employer and position described in the approved petition. If that role is eliminated, you enter a 60-day grace period to find a new H-1B sponsor, change status, or depart the U.S. Starting a transfer petition with a new employer during that window maintains your work authorization while the petition is pending.
Do strategic partnerships directors face H-1B lottery risk differently than other roles?
The lottery applies equally regardless of job title, but directors with advanced degrees hold an advantage: USCIS runs a separate selection pool for U.S. master's degree holders first, effectively giving those applicants two chances. If your role is at a cap-exempt institution, the lottery doesn't apply at all and your employer can file any time of year.