Director of Partnerships

We are seeking an experienced, commercially minded Director of Partnerships with demonstrated success building and scaling strategic partnerships between credit card issuers, travel management companies, restaurant and travel technology companies. This role will lead partner strategy, negotiate commercial agreements, and work cross-functionally to launch and scale the MyDinova rewards platform.  The ideal candidate brings deep knowledge of co-brand/private-label card programs, restaurant technology and card-linking industry experience.   This position is crucial for identifying and cultivating new revenue streams and enhancing our existing offerings within the Dinova and wider Buyers Edge Platform ecosystem.

Who we are:

Dinova, now a part of Buyers Edge Platform, is a leading digital procurement network and solutions provider for the foodservice industry. Dinova operates a preferred business dining program that connects corporations and their employees with a network of over 24,000 restaurants. Our mission is to deliver dining savings to corporations and drive business growth for restaurants through innovative solutions. As part of Buyers Edge Platform, a company revolutionizing the foodservice industry with technology, purchasing power, and collaborative partnerships, we are dedicated to empowering stakeholders across the entire foodservice ecosystem. This role is integral to expanding our reach and impact with business diners and corporate credit card holders.

We are unable to offer work sponsorship for this role.

Your impact:

• Strategic Partnership Development:
  • Develop and execute a strategic partnerships roadmap focused on co-brand, private-label card programs to expand the usage and adoption of MyDinova loyalty platform.
  • Identify and pursue partnership opportunities with credit card companies, travel providers and restaurant technology platforms, with a specific focus on growing MyDinova loyalty program adoption.
  • Conduct competitive analysis of the credit card rewards landscape, loyalty platforms and corporate card partnership trends to inform strategy and identify untapped opportunities within restaurant, catering and private dining. 

• Deal Negotiation & Execution:
  • Source, negotiate, and close partnership agreements with issuing banks, card networks (Visa/Mastercard/Amex), processors, and retail chains.
  • Lead end-to-end negotiations for partnership agreements, including revenue models, co-marketing initiatives, data-sharing protocols, and performance KPIs.
  • Own commercial structure and economics for partnerships (fees, interchange share, revenue splits, subsidies, acquisition incentives).
  • Structure complex deals, including joint ventures, integrations, co-branding opportunities, and referral programs.

• Relationship Management:
  • Build and nurture executive-level relationships with key stakeholders in credit card issuers, processors, and retail partners to ensure alignment and ongoing value delivery.
  • Serve as the primary point of contact for key partners, fostering long-term relationships at the executive level.
  • Manage ongoing partner relationships to ensure mutual success and identify opportunities for expansion, particularly leveraging the Buyers Edge Platform's extensive network.

• Program Launch & Management:
  • Work collaboratively with Dinova Product VP and leadership team on building and managing program launches: product requirements, technology integration, enrollment flows, loyalty linking, and marketing/co-op plans.
  • Partner with Product, Engineering, Risk & Compliance, Legal, Marketing and Operations to ensure successful implementation and ongoing program health.
  • Develop metrics and dashboards to track partnership performance, optimize underperforming deals, and report to senior leadership, aligning with Buyers Edge Platform's data-driven approach.

• Industry Expertise & Market Intelligence: 
  • Maintain deep knowledge of corporate credit card industry trends, restaurant technology and corporate travel market dynamics, with a keen understanding of how these intersect to bring best in class benefits to Dinova diners, restaurants, corporate card partners and corporations.
  • Stay abreast of emerging trends, technologies, and best practices within the restaurant and corporate travel industry.

• Team Leadership & Collaboration:
  • Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing partnerships team; establish operational cadence, playbooks, and SLAs.
  • Collaborate with Sales, Marketing, Product, Legal, and Finance teams to ensure seamless partner integration and execution, working closely with Dinova and Buyers Edge Platform stakeholders.
  • Develop processes, tools, and best practices to scale partnership operations.

About you:

• Experience:
  • 5+ years of relevant experience in payments/credit card and or corporate travel industry, with at least 3 years in a management role.
  • Proven experience and deep understanding of the credit card industry, including payment networks and/or corporate travel industry.
  • Direct experience launching and running co-brand and/or private-label credit card programs with issuers and networks.
  • Demonstrated success in building and managing partnerships with merchants and card issuers and/or corporate travel partners.

• Skills:
  • Strong commercial negotiation experience with banks, card networks, and large retail merchants and/or restaurant merchants.
  • Exceptional negotiation and contract management skills.
  • Familiarity with payment stack (processors, gateways, tokenization, POS integration, EMV), and loyalty/CRM integrations.
  • Experience working with Risk, Fraud and Compliance teams to meet card network and regulatory requirements.
  • Proven P&L ownership and ability to model economics for partnership opportunities.
  • Excellent interpersonal, communication, and executive-level presentation skills.
  • Strong analytical abilities with experience in CRM tools (e.g., Salesforce), partnership analytics platforms, and financial modeling.
  • Bachelor’s degree required; MBA or advanced degree a plus.
  • Travel up to 30% for partner meetings, merchant pilots, and industry events.

• Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience within the foodservice industry or working with foodservice operators/suppliers.
  • Existing relationships with U.S. card issuers, processors, and retail executive teams.
  • Knowledge of consumer acquisition channels, co-op marketing, and cardlinking promotions.
  • Prior experience with scaling partnerships division.

What's in this for you:

• Great benefits from day one. We offer medical, dental, vision, FSA, company-paid life insurance, and more—plus a 401(k) with company match.
• Grow with us. Enjoy strong training, development, and competitive pay.
• Work-life balance. Our flexible PTO policy lets you take time when you need it—no accrual required.

We welcome all.

We are committed to creating a diverse environment and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth and pregnancy-related conditions), gender identity or expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, military service and veteran status, physical or mental disability, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws and ordinances.