VP Partnerships

Basis Theory provides unbounded encryption and tokenization infrastructure, giving companies a flexible, performant, and distributed way to secure and use sensitive data. In payments, our platform gives companies control over their payment data and the flexibility to work across processors, networks, and technology providers without being locked into a single ecosystem.

Payments is an ecosystem business. No single company can solve every customer problem, deliver every capability, or serve every market need on its own. Partnerships are a force multiplier for Basis Theory, helping us deliver more complete solutions for customers, accelerate growth, influence product strategy, and expand our reach across the payments ecosystem.

As VP of Partnerships, you will own and develop that ecosystem. You will lead relationships across payment networks, processors and acquirers, technology providers, platforms, consultants, and other organizations that can create meaningful value for Basis Theory and our customers.

This is a strategic role, but it is also a hands-on one. You should be equally comfortable discussing long-term strategy with senior executives and working directly with teams to turn those conversations into something real. You will frequently represent Basis Theory in rooms where other Basis Theory leaders aren't present, and you'll have the autonomy and responsibility that comes with it.

Success isn't measured by how many partners we have. It's measured by what those partnerships allow Basis Theory, our customers, and our partners to accomplish.

Responsibilities

• Own Basis Theory's partnership strategy and portfolio, identifying where we should invest, where we should build new relationships, and where we should intentionally spend less time.
• Build, own, and grow strategic relationships across the payments ecosystem, serving as the primary Basis Theory leader for many of our most important partners.
• Develop relationships at multiple levels within partner organizations, from executives shaping long-term strategy to the teams responsible for making things happen.
• Turn relationships into outcomes. Identify opportunities for joint solutions, product capabilities, integrations, commercial opportunities, customer introductions, co-selling, market expansion, and other forms of mutual value.
• Work closely with Product, Payments, Engineering, Sales, and Customer Success to connect customer and business needs with partner capabilities and turn opportunities into execution.
• Bring an informed point of view to product and ecosystem strategy. Understand partner capabilities and roadmaps, identify gaps and opportunities, and help influence roadmaps both inside Basis Theory and across our partner ecosystem.
• Identify and create commercial opportunities through partners without viewing every partnership through the lens of lead generation. Understand when the value of a relationship is revenue, product capability, distribution, market influence, intelligence, or a combination of them.
• Develop a deep understanding of the evolving payments landscape and serve as an internal authority on partners, ecosystem dynamics, emerging capabilities, and opportunities for Basis Theory.
• Represent Basis Theory externally at partner meetings, industry events, conferences, dinners, and other strategic engagements. Speaking and thought leadership opportunities are available for someone who wants them, but they are not a requirement of the role.
• Establish the operating cadence, accountability, and measurement required to manage partnerships as a portfolio rather than a collection of individual relationships.
• Lead a small partnerships team initially and help determine how the function should grow as it demonstrates value to the business.
• Partner closely with the Chief Payments Officer, who will serve as executive sponsor for many strategic relationships while giving you the ownership and autonomy to run those relationships day to day.

Key Experience

• Significant experience in payments with a strong understanding of how merchants, payment networks, processors, acquirers, platforms, and technology providers interact.
• Experience building and owning complex strategic partnerships within the payments or fintech ecosystem. You have sat across the table from organizations like Visa, Mastercard, major PSPs, or similarly complex ecosystem participants and know how to navigate them.
• The ability to operate at multiple altitudes. You can develop a multi-year partnership strategy with senior executives, build alignment across internal teams, and work with the people responsible for executing it to make sure something actually happens.
• Strong product and technical fluency within payments. You don't need to be the deepest technical expert in every room, but you can walk the walk and talk the talk with payments, product, and technical teams.
• Commercial instincts and an ability to recognize where partnerships can create business value, whether through revenue, customer opportunities, new capabilities, distribution, product acceleration, or strategic influence.
• Executive presence and sound judgment. You can independently represent Basis Theory with senior external stakeholders, navigate sensitive conversations, understand what information should and shouldn't be shared, and recognize when to make a decision versus escalate one.
• A track record of turning relationships into measurable outcomes. You aren't satisfied with meetings, logos, or partnership announcements if nothing meaningful happens afterward.
• A hands-on operating style. You're comfortable building the strategy, making the call, preparing the meeting, working through the details, following up, and driving execution rather than handing the work off to someone else.
• Existing relationships across the payments ecosystem are valuable, but more important is a demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships and create value from them.
• Comfortable operating in a fast-moving environment with significant autonomy, incomplete information, and the expectation that you'll help build the function while running it.
• Willingness to travel regularly for partner meetings, industry events, and other strategic engagements, generally up to once per month.