Strategic Partnerships Lead – Financial Institutions

Helcim is building a dedicated Banking and Credit Union partnership channel from the ground up. We've had early, active conversations with US banks interested in reselling Helcim's merchant services, and a defined list of target US credit unions we want to bring on as partners.

We're looking for a senior, full-cycle partnership builder to take this from early conversations to a signed, activated channel - someone who can independently run prospecting, pitches, and deal structuring, and who understands the commercial and regulatory realities of working with financial institutions well enough to move fast inside them.
This is a 0-to-1 build: you're establishing the playbook for how Helcim partners with banks and credit unions, not inheriting one.
Are You Our Next Builder? 🛠️

• 5+ years of full-cycle partnership, business development, or sales experience, with a track record of closing complex, multi-stakeholder deals.
• Deep familiarity with the US banking and/or credit union landscape - how these institutions evaluate, buy, and roll out partner products.
• Proven ability to run an entire deal cycle independently - prospecting through close - without heavy oversight or ramp-up support.
• Comfortable operating with real autonomy: this role is not part of a large team, and success depends on your ability to self-direct.
• Startup grit: comfortable wearing multiple hats and moving at high velocity in an agile environment.
• Strong enough technical aptitude to understand Helcim's platform and APIs well enough to clear early technical questions before looping in product.
• Willingness to travel frequently within the US for in-person deal-making and industry events.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the polish to engage bank and credit union executives directly.

Candidates must be eligible to work in Canada and travel to the US.

✨ Not checking every box? Please apply anyway! We know that candidates have different experiences that may make them a great fit for this position and for Helcim. We believe that diversity and having an inclusive culture is not only the right thing, but key to our long-term success. Diversity brings more experience, view-points, knowledge and insight about our future. We also want to provide an accessible interview process, so if there's any accommodations that would make your experience more comfortable, please let us know.
The Role: What You’ll Own 🔑
You'll own the full-cycle relationship with US banks and credit unions who want to offer Helcim's merchant services to their own business customers - from first conversation through signed agreement to live, onboarded partner. This isn't a support or account-management role: you're expected to generate and close partnerships largely independently, with a strong bias toward action over process.
Here are the things you’ll own day to day:

• Own the full-cycle sales process for banking and credit union partnerships in the US - prospecting, pitching, negotiation, and close.
• Build relationships with bank and credit union executives and business development teams to secure warm introductions and deliver pitches.
• Navigate multi-stakeholder, regulated-industry sales cycles to reach signed partnership agreements.
• Develop and refine the go-to-market approach for this channel, including how we prioritize and sequence outreach.
• Work cross-functionally with product, risk, delivery, and support to ensure new partnerships activate smoothly - from signed deal to live merchants.
• Own a meaningful share of post-sale partner success - helping new bank/CU partners ramp and grow their book of merchants - alongside new-partnership sales. This is a blended sales-and-success role, not sales-only.
• Track and report on pipeline health and conversion across the funnel: first meeting → due diligence → signed → activated.
• Bring back what you learn to help shape how this channel scales over time.

Benefits
Helcim was founded with a mission at heart: to be the world’s most loved payment system. From the very start, we knew that we wanted to be different from every payment processor out there. We want the merchants we serve to feel supported and see us as a trusted partner rather than simply just another “cost of doing business.” We are relentless in our pursuit to provide a radically transparent and honest payments solution that flat out saves business owners money, all while treating them like human beings.

At Helcim, we build a team of engaged, caring and intelligent people.  In return we provide an environment where you can be excited to come to work each day and tackle these challenges with an amazing team.  Learn more in our culture book; The Way of the Helcim.
The Helcim Culture: How We Work 

• We Are Builders: We don't wait for solutions; we create them. 
• The Harder Path: We choose what’s difficult because it’s more rewarding. 
• Creating Trust: We earn it every day by being our best selves. 
• Company of Many: We’re a collective force. Great teams do great things. 
  

The Perks: Why You’ll Love It Here 🎁

• Ownership: Every single team member gets Stock Options. You own a piece of what you build! 📈
• Health First: Comprehensive benefits + a Health Spending Account (HSA) starting on Day 1. 🦷
• Flexibility: Hybrid life! We’re in-office Mon/Wed/Fri and remote Tue/Thu. 🏠
• Family Support: Top-ups for maternity leave and "bonding breaks." 👶
• Rest & Recharge: Paid vacation + a full company break in December. ❄️
• Growth: $500 annual training budget to keep your skills sharp. 📚