Leads business development for the Credit Cards category, expanding QuinStreet’s small-business publisher and partner network. Responsibilities include prospecting, qualifying, negotiating, and launching scalable partnerships across SMB-focused platforms and services. The role evaluates traffic quality, commercial potential, compliance, and scalability; manages a prioritized pipeline; develops creative distribution models; collaborates with internal teams; provides market intelligence; and represents the company at conferences and partner meetings.
Powering Performance Marketplaces in Digital Media
QuinStreet is a pioneer in powering decentralized online marketplaces that match searchers and “research and compare” consumers with brands. We run these virtual- and private-label marketplaces in one of the nation’s largest media networks.
Our industry leading segmentation and AI-driven matching technologies help consumers find better solutions and brands faster. They allow brands to target and reach in-market customer prospects with pinpoint segment-by-segment accuracy, and to pay only for performance results.
Our campaign-results-driven matching decision engines and optimization algorithms are built from over 20 years and billions of dollars of online media experience.
We believe in:
- The direct measurability of digital media.
- Performance marketing. (We pioneered it.)
- The advantages of technology.
We bring all this together to deliver truly great results for consumers and brands in the world’s biggest channel.
Job Category
We are looking for an experienced business development professional to join our Credit Card category, with a specific focus on expanding our Small Business publisher and partner network.
As Director of Business Development, you will be responsible for identifying and developing new sources of high-quality small business credit card traffic. The ideal candidate understands where small business owners spend their time online and has existing relationships or industry exposure across areas such as payroll, merchant services, accounting/bookkeeping, HR platforms, business formation, small business lending, B2B SaaS, and other SMB-focused services and communities.
This is a highly proactive, hunter-oriented role. A major focus will be building the top of the funnel: identifying new partner opportunities, developing relationships, qualifying traffic potential, and converting those opportunities into scalable partnerships.
You will work closely with our broader Business Development, Account Management, Product, and Media teams to help expand QuinStreet's presence within the small business credit card market.
Responsibilities
- Expand QuinStreet's publisher network with a focus on partners that reach small business owners and business decision-makers at scale.
- Identify new and non-traditional sources of small business credit card traffic beyond traditional financial publishers and affiliates.
- Build and maintain a high-volume prospecting pipeline across payroll, merchant services, HR/payroll technology, accounting and bookkeeping, business formation, SMB lending, B2B SaaS, entrepreneur communities, and other SMB-focused verticals.
- Own the business development cycle from initial prospecting and outreach through qualification, partnership development, negotiation, and launch.
- Develop creative distribution opportunities including content partnerships, embedded experiences, email, marketplaces, referral programs, contextual placements, and other performance-based models.
- Evaluate prospective partners based on audience quality, traffic scale, commercial potential, compliance considerations, and ability to grow.
- Develop relationships with key decision-makers at publishers, platforms, and SMB-focused businesses.
- Maintain an active and prioritized pipeline with clear expectations around prospecting activity, qualified opportunities, launches, and revenue potential.
- Partner with internal teams to develop customized pitches, commercial structures, and integration strategies for prospective partners.
- Provide market intelligence on emerging SMB platforms, distribution models, competitors, and opportunities within the small business ecosystem.
- Represent QuinStreet at relevant industry conferences and partner meetings.
Requirements
- 5+ years of experience in business development, partnerships, affiliate/performance marketing, digital media, fintech, or a related field.
- Demonstrated hunter mentality with a track record of proactively sourcing and developing new business.
- Strong network or industry experience within the small business ecosystem, ideally including payroll, merchant services/payments, accounting/bookkeeping, HR technology, B2B SaaS, SMB lending, business formation, or related categories.
- Experience developing partnerships with publishers, platforms, fintech companies, SaaS companies, agencies, or other digital businesses.
- Understanding of performance marketing and the ability to evaluate opportunities based on traffic, conversion, economics, and scalability.
- Ability to identify opportunities that may not resemble traditional credit card affiliate partnerships and develop creative ways to monetize SMB audiences.
- Consistent track record of meeting or exceeding business development or revenue goals.
- Strong pipeline management and prioritization skills.
- Excellent communication, influencing, and negotiation skills.
- Highly proactive, intrinsically motivated, and comfortable operating independently.
- Strong attention to detail and ability to collaborate across teams.
- CRM proficiency (Salesforce preferred).
- Willingness to travel approximately 10–20%.
Preferred Experience
- Experience within small business financial services, fintech, payments, payroll, accounting, or B2B SaaS.
- Existing relationships with companies or publishers that have meaningful SMB audiences.
- Familiarity with small business credit cards, lending, banking, payments, or other SMB financial products.
- Experience developing partnerships that generate measurable customer acquisition or performance marketing results.
The expected salary range for this position is $100,000 USD to $125,000 USD annually. This salary range is an estimate, and the actual salary may vary based on the Company’s compensation practices. The salary may be adjusted based on applicant's geographic location. The position is also eligible to receive performance bonus or commission and equity in the form of restricted stock units. This position is eligible to participate in the Company’s standard employee benefits programs, which currently include health care benefits; (2) retirement benefits; (3) the amount of paid days off (paid sick leave, parental leave, paid time off, or vacation benefits); (4) any other tax-reportable benefits.
QuinStreet is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, pregnancy status, sex, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other characteristics protected by law.
Please see QuinStreet’s Employee Privacy Notice here.
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