Strategy & Partnerships Manager

Meet the future Akoya is an API-based network backed by major financial institutions that creates a safer and more transparent way for people to safely send their personal financial data to third-party financial apps. If you are inspired and fascinated by innovative technology that solves complex, real-world problems, then join us as we transform how financial data is accessed and shared. Akoya offers a highly collaborative, fast-paced, and fun working environment and our team is comprised of diverse, creative, and driven professionals with expertise in the banking, securities, fintech, and data aggregation industries. We are an equal opportunity employer. Come join us and be part of this exciting journey – check out  www.akoya.com  for more information! The Role   Akoya is seeking a Strategy & Partnerships Manager to report to the Head of Corporate Strategy and Strategic Partnerships. This highly dynamic role is at the intersection of strategy, market and competitive intelligence, pricing, cost optimization, and channel partner development. This is an individual contributor role for an experienced professional with strong influence amongst internal colleagues and external clients and partners. The ideal candidate is equally comfortable planning and facilitating collaborative and productive working sessions with clients and partners as well as building a financial model or developing a presentation or white paper synthesizing market developments.   You will work closely across executives and departments, including Product Management, Growth, Customer Success, Marketing and Engineering, to advance Akoya’s core strategic initiatives. You will also interface with external-facing financial institutions, fintech, and ecosystem partners.   As a Strategy & Partnerships Manager , you will:   Own Discovery & Evaluation of Key Initiative & Innovation Opportunities   Drive structured discovery for strategic initiatives, including customer research, value proposition development and use case documentation.   Develop and validate business cases grounded in forecasting benefit realization and initial effort and investment estimates   Develop pricing and monetization    Own and evolve product pricing models – continuously partner with customers and the Growth team  to adjust to market input   Maintain cost optimization tracking to identify anomalies and partner with Product & Engineering on reduction opportunities   Market Analysis & Competitive Intelligence   Monitor market and competitive developments and share key highlights with colleagues for awareness and recommended actions   Conduct deep dives on emerging players in the ecosystem who may be potential partners   Contribute analytical materials for strategic planning and executive materials   Channel Partner Management   Own the end-to-end health of partner relationships (resellers, referrals), serving as the primary day-to-day point of contact for the partner   Ensure co-selling artifacts are available (pitch decks, tear sheets, demos) and continuously improve and evolve per partner feedback, collaborating with Marketing     Enable the partner’s team through training and live deal support   Conduct monthly and quarterly partner business reviews to measure success, identify improvement areas, and surface feedback; prepare executive updates, including pipeline and financials   Required Experience & Skills   At least 3 years' experience in management consulting, product strategy or a closely related function, preferably serving the financial services and/or fintech  sectors   Demonstrated ability to build financial models, business cases, and pricing analyses in Excel   Experience conducting and synthesizing market and competitive analysis, including maintaining structured frameworks and repeatable outputs   Experience managing or supporting external channel partnerships and ongoing relationship management   Genuine curiosity about fintech, open finance, and emerging technology; extreme comfort engaging in technical discussions with Product, Engineering, Solutions and Architecture colleagues   Demonstrated proficiency and motivation in leveraging generative AI tools (such as Claude) to enhance productivity, improve efficiency, and elevate the quality of work outcomes, with a commitment to continuous learning and sharing of best practices amongst team members    Preferred Experience/Skills   Background in commercialized API platforms, data networks, or banking technology infrastructure   Experience interpreting regulatory and compliance requirements in the design and development of solutions   Prior relationship management of channel partners in referral or reseller arrangements   Use of business tools such as Confluence, Jira, Figma, and BI reporting tools (such as QuickSight, Domo, PowerBI, etc)   Client-facing or internal experience with US Financial Institutions   Exposure to TCH, FDX, EWS, or other open finance or financial services industry payment or fraud consortiums   Additional Information Our Commitment Akoya is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status. We’re committed to building an inclusive, welcoming workplace where people feel supported, respected, and empowered to do their best work. We know that experience can come from many different paths. We value diverse perspectives and encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply, even if they don’t meet all listed qualifications. If you’re excited about this role but don’t meet every single requirement, we still encourage you to apply. You may be the right candidate for this role or another opportunity at Akoya. Where We Work Akoya is remote-first, wit