Strategic Partnerships Director

You will sit at the intersection of strategy, commercial, product, and GTM and work with  the Founder/ CEO, GM, and Regional Leaders. They need strategic partnerships — not PR alliances, not logo swaps, not “nice to have” MOUs — but commercial, operational, and distribution partnerships that materially move revenue, scale, access, or capability.

The incumbent must think strategically, negotiate commercially, execute operationally and manage senior stakeholders without ego and you have multi-region experience.

You have worked in at least two different organisations sizes (product-led tech or platform companies or Fintechs/ regular businesses or enterprise, PE-backed or scale-ups).

This role goes well beyond “partner sourcing” and you would typically be accountable for:

• Defining the partnership strategy aligned to company growth objectives
• Identifying, prioritising, and structuring high-impact partnerships
• Leading commercial negotiations, including revenue share, pricing, and incentives
• Working cross-functionally with Product, Sales, Legal, Finance, and Operations
• Designing partnership operating models (governance, KPIs, escalation)
• Moving partnerships from idea → signed → launched → scaled
• Measuring partnership performance and killing those that don’t deliver
• Advise founders or executives on build vs buy vs partner decisions
• Represent the company externally at senior partner or ecosystem level
• Build or mentor a partnerships team as the function matures

Requirements

What Strong Candidates Typically Bring

• Experience owning strategic or commercial partnerships end-to-end
• Comfort operating at senior stakeholder level (internally and externally)
• Strong commercial instincts — you understand P&L impact, not just relationships
• Experience navigating complex organisations or ecosystems
• Ability to balance long-term strategy with near-term execution
• High judgment, low ego, and credibility with operators

Backgrounds we often see (not mandatory):

• Strategic partnerships / alliances roles
• Corporate development or strategy
• Commercial / GTM leadership with partnership exposure
• Consulting + operator hybrid profiles

What Success Looks Like (12–18 Months In)

• A clear, prioritised partnership roadmap tied to business goals
• Fewer partnerships — but better ones
• Partnerships generating measurable revenue, distribution, or capability leverage
• Strong internal trust across product, sales, and leadership
• Founders or executives relying on you as a strategic thought partner, not just a deal closer

This Role Is NOT For You If

• You define partnerships by announcements rather than outcomes
• You avoid commercial negotiation or conflict
• You need highly structured environments with clear playbooks
• You prefer relationship management without accountability
• You are uncomfortable saying “this partnership should be killed”

Benefits

At Substance, we believe in genuine connections, not just filling roles. If your profile is a strong match, you’ll hear from us within 1-2 weeks. If not, no empty promises—just know we appreciate your interest, and we’ll keep you in mind for future opportunities where you can truly make an impact. Our focus is on building meaningful partnerships, so when the right role comes along, we’ll be ready to make it count.

Getsubstance.co Pte. Ltd. | EA License No: 24C2398