Business Development Associate

At NerdWallet, we’re on a mission to bring clarity to all of life’s financial decisions and every great mission needs a team of exceptional Nerds. We’ve built an inclusive, flexible, and candid culture where you’re empowered to grow, take smart risks, and be unapologetically yourself (cape optional). Whether remote or in-office, we support how you thrive best. We invest in your well-being, development, and ability to make an impact because when one Nerd levels up, we all do.

This role exists to drive growth and optimize revenue from NerdWallet’s SMB lending marketplace. The Business Development Associate will help manage our portfolio of lending partners who leverage NerdWallet’s lending marketplace as a key customer acquisition source. They will also onboard new partners to fill gaps in our supply side where applicable.

In this role, you will act as the steward of our lending marketplace, being the primary point of contact for partners and ensuring that our Small Business Lending Marketplace runs smoothly while delivering equal value to both small business owners and lending partners. You’ll act as a data detective who digs deep into marketplace data, uncovering trends, and identify revenue opportunities to optimize lead quality, segment performance, and partner outcomes. You’ll then use data-driven insights to negotiate better pricing and terms with partners, strengthening relationships and boosting overall lending performance. You’ll proactively spot and present data-driven business cases to suggest new product features or enhancements that can potentially fuel revenue growth or scale the marketplace and our market influence.

This role reports to the Manager, Business Development.

• Accelerate SMB Lending growth: You will manage and grow a portfolio of high-revenue SMB lending partnerships and serve as the primary point of contact for operational success and revenue growth for a multi-million dollar portfolio of lending partners.

• New partner onboarding: You will be the primary point of contact for new partnerships, managing their onboarding experience to ensure a successful integration and performance ramp.

• Performance reporting: You will regularly monitor and analyze partner performance, preparing and delivering insights and performance performance reports for business reviews meetings with partners and internal stakeholders.

• Identify and pitch growth opportunities: You will leverage your analytical skills to identify partnership growth opportunities and strategic initiatives. You will pitch growth opportunities to partners by highlighting qualitative and quantitative insights and leading negotiations.

• Ensure cross-functional alignment : Maintain collaboration and stakeholder execution with Product, Sales, and Engineering, ensuring smooth and efficient execution of partnership initiatives and campaigns.

• 4–5+ years of experience in business development, partnerships, or strategic account management

• Experience managing the supply side of a two-sided marketplace

• Exceptional analytical skills; proven ability to dive deep into data sets to identify trends, optimize performance, and uncover revenue opportunities

• High level of proficiency with data tools (e.g., Excel, BI platforms, SQL a plus) and comfort translating complex data into actionable insights for both technical and non-technical audiences

• Strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to prioritize and execute in fast-moving environments

• Demonstrated success in stakeholder management, negotiation, and building internal consensus

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to tailor messaging to different audiences and levels of seniority

• Comfortable operating in ambiguous, dynamic, high-growth environments

• Bachelor’s degree required

Preferred qualifications:

• MBA

• Familiarity with CRM and partner reporting tools (e.g., Salesforce, Jira, Mode, SQL)

• Past experience launching new partnerships & programs

• Experience project managing API integrations for partnerships

• This role will be remote (based in the U.S.).

• We believe great work can be done anywhere. No matter where you are based, NerdWallet offers benefits and perks to support the physical, financial, and emotional well being of you and your family.

Work Hard, Stay Balanced (Life’s a series of balancing acts, eh?)

• Industry-leading medical, dental, and vision health care plans for employees and their dependents

• Rejuvenation Policy – Flexible Vacation Time Off + 11 holidays + holiday company shutdown

• New Parent Leave for employees with a newborn child or a child placed with them for adoption or foster care

• Mental health support

• Paid sabbatical after 5 years for Nerds to recharge, gain knowledge, and pursue their interests

• Health and Dependent Care FSA and HSA Plan with monthly NerdWallet contribution

• Monthly Wellness Stipend, Cell Phone Stipend, and Wifi Stipend (Only remote Nerds are eligible for the Wifi Stipend)

• Work from home equipment stipend and co-working space subsidy (Only remote Nerds are eligible for these stipends)

Have Some Fun! (Nerds are fun, too)

• Nerd-led group initiatives – Employee Resource Groups for Parents, Diversity, and Inclusion, Women, LGBTQIA, and other communities

• Hackathons and team events across all teams and departments

• Company-wide events like NerdLove (employee appreciation) and our annual Charity Auction 

• Our Nerds love to make an impact by paying it forward – Take 8 hours of volunteer time off per quarter and donate to your favorite causes with a company match

Plan for your future (And when you retire on your island, remember the little people)

• 401K with 4% company match

• Be the first to test and benefit from our new financial products and tools

• Financial wellness, guidance, and unlimited access to a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) through Northstar

• Disability and Life Insurance with employer-paid premiums

If you are based in California, we encourage you to read this important information for California residents linked here.

NerdWallet is committed to pursuing and hiring a diverse workforce and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We prohibit discrimination and harassment on the basis of any characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law, so all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment.  

NerdWallet will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act and the San Francisco Fair Chance Act, which requires this notice, as well as the Los Angeles Fair Chance Act, which requires this notice.

NerdWallet participates in the Department of Homeland Security U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services E-Verify program for all US locations. For more information, please see:

• E-Verify Participation Poster (English+Spanish/Español)

• Right to Work Poster (English) / (Spanish/Español) 

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