Upwork

Director of Payments & Financial Services Partnerships

Remote

Not SpecifiedCompensation
Expert & Leadership (9+ years)Experience Level
Full TimeJob Type
UnknownVisa
Financial Services, Payments, Marketplace PlatformsIndustries

Position Overview

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Upwork is the world’s largest work marketplace, connecting businesses with highly skilled professionals worldwide. From entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 enterprises, companies trust Upwork’s platform to access expert talent, leverage AI-powered work solutions, and drive meaningful business outcomes. Upwork’s AI-powered platform has facilitated over $20 billion in economic opportunity for professionals worldwide. With professionals spanning 10,000+ skills, including AI and machine learning, software development, sales and marketing, customer support, finance and accounting, and more, Upwork empowers businesses of all sizes to scale, innovate, and build agile teams.

We are searching for a Director of Payments & Financial Services Partnerships to lead, strengthen, and establish strategic relationships within our existing and growing payment and financial services ecosystem. The individual will play a pivotal role on our Partnerships team by enhancing our platform's payment and financial services capabilities and ensuring that our freelancers and clients experience seamless, secure, and flexible payment solutions globally.

The Partnerships team is part of Upwork’s Strategy and Growth function, which also includes Corporate Strategy and Corporate Development. The Partnerships team is a dynamic, high-performing team responsible for sourcing, evaluating, negotiating, and executing strategic partnerships. This role is an integral part of how we think about, build, and scale payments and financial service products and is central to Upwork’s continued growth. We work closely with senior leadership, Product, Design, Engineering, Marketing, Legal, and Finance teams to contribute to Upwork’s long-range strategy and plans. This role in particular will partner closely on a daily basis with the Payments and Marketplaces business units and will lead all aspects of identifying, evaluating, and executing partnerships that have a significant impact on the overall direction of the company.

The Director of Payments & Financial Services Partnerships will report directly to the VP of Strategy, Corporate Development and Partnerships and oversee all Payments and Financial Services partnerships end to end. This person will also partner closely with the GM of Payments and Work Management, and will have a high level of autonomy to identify opportunities to advance all elements of our payments and financial services infrastructure through partnerships globally.

Responsibilities

  • Strategic Partnerships: Identify, establish, and nurture relationships with payment partners, fintechs, and relevant financial institutions. This role spans the gambit - the opportunities for exciting and rich new partnerships to solve the myriad of marketplace use cases for both clients and freelancers are plentiful, focus will be key.
  • Business Growth: Collaborate with cross-functional teams to design and implement strategies that drive payment volume, P&L impact, and a delightful platform payments experience for clients and freelancers.
  • Contract Negotiation: Negotiate commercial terms with partners, ensuring our platform and its users get the most favorable conditions.
  • Product Integration: Work closely with the product and tech teams to ideate, scope, and integrate new payment features and partners, ensuring ease of use and top-notch security.
  • Regulatory Compliance: Collaborate closely with legal and compliance to ensure all payment partners adhere to regional and global regulations.
  • Market Trends, Insights & Strategy: Stay updated with industry trends, competitor actions, and advancements in payment and fintech technology to keep our platform at the forefront of innovation. Stay plugged in and connected with payments and fintech leadership peers through conferences, and other events. Translate trends and insights into perspective and payments and financial services strategy.

Company Information

Upwork is the world’s largest work marketplace, connecting businesses with highly skilled professionals worldwide. From entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 enterprises, companies trust Upwork’s platform to access expert talent, leverage AI-powered work solutions, and drive meaningful business outcomes. Upwork’s AI-powered platform has facilitated over $20 billion in economic opportunity for professionals worldwide. With professionals spanning 10,000+ skills, including AI and machine learning, software development, sales and marketing, customer support, finance and accounting, and more, Upwork empowers businesses of all sizes to scale, innovate, and build agile teams.

Skills

Payments
Financial Services
Partnership Development
Strategic Relationship Management
Negotiation
Business Development
Financial Ecosystem
Platform Strategy
Cross-functional Collaboration

Upwork

Online platform connecting freelancers and clients

About Upwork

Upwork connects freelancers with clients looking for various services in the gig economy, which focuses on short-term contracts instead of permanent jobs. The platform allows freelancers to create profiles that showcase their skills, while clients can post job listings for specific projects. Freelancers bid on these projects, and clients choose the best candidates based on proposals and reviews. Upwork earns revenue through service fees charged to freelancers based on their earnings, with a tiered structure that rewards long-term client relationships. The platform also offers premium memberships and additional services for enhanced visibility and access to job listings. Upwork provides tools for time tracking, invoicing, and project management, making it easier for both freelancers and clients to manage their work and payments. The goal of Upwork is to facilitate successful project completion by bridging the gap between freelancers and clients.

San Francisco, CaliforniaHeadquarters
2015Year Founded
$143.8MTotal Funding
IPOCompany Stage
Consulting, Enterprise SoftwareIndustries
10,001+Employees

Benefits

Health Insurance
Unlimited Paid Time Off
401(k) Retirement Plan
401(k) Company Match
Parental Leave
Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Risks

Increased competition from Fiverr and Toptal threatens Upwork's market share.
The new Fiverr-style Project Catalog may commoditize services, reducing freelancers' perceived value.
Strategic shifts under new management may not align with current client expectations.

Differentiation

Upwork connects freelancers with clients across diverse industries, enhancing global work opportunities.
The platform offers tools like time tracking and invoicing for efficient project management.
Upwork's tiered fee structure incentivizes long-term client relationships, differentiating it from competitors.

Upsides

Upwork's acquisition of Objective AI enhances its AI capabilities for better talent matching.
The introduction of Featured Jobs increases visibility for job posts, attracting more candidates.
Upwork's recognition as the top job posting site boosts its credibility among employers.

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