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.

The Business Development Associate, SMB Products helps manage and grow NerdWallet’s SMB product partnerships across Credit Cards, Banking, and Software. This role manages the day-to-day performance of assigned partnerships and serves as a trusted, consultative resource to partners, using quantitative and qualitative insights to identify opportunities that improve partnership performance and drive revenue growth. The role also supports the development of NerdWallet’s SMB partner network by identifying prospective partners, evaluating partnership opportunities, and helping launch new relationships aligned with the long-term goals of the SMB Products business.

You are a highly organized and analytical business development professional who can independently manage day-to-day partner priorities while coordinating effectively with internal stakeholders. You understand the drivers of partnership performance and use data, business context, and partner insights to identify opportunities for incremental growth.

You build collaborative relationships with partners and cross-functional teams, communicate clearly across a variety of audiences and mediums, and are comfortable presenting recommendations and performance insights. You effectively manage competing priorities, follow through on commitments, and take ownership of resolving issues that may affect partner performance or the consumer experience. You bring a growth mindset to your work, contribute ideas and new approaches, and know when to engage your manager or other stakeholders for support on more complex or ambiguous decisions.

This role reports to the Director, Business Development.

• Manage the day-to-day performance and operations of assigned SMB product partnerships, building trusted relationships with partners and supporting achievement of revenue and performance goals.

• Analyze onsite and partnership performance to identify key trends, opportunities, and potential issues affecting conversion, partner performance, and revenue.

• Lead recurring business and performance reviews with partners and internal stakeholders, translating quantitative and qualitative insights into clear recommendations and actionable next steps.

• Identify, develop, and pitch growth opportunities to existing partners that can increase partnership value, improve performance, and generate incremental revenue.

• Partner with Content, Product, Quality Assurance, Engineering, and other internal teams to execute partnership initiatives and maintain an effective consumer experience and accurate product positioning across NerdWallet.

• Develop and recommend pricing and commercial opportunities with existing partners, supporting negotiations that improve partnership economics and contribute to SMB Products revenue growth.

• Prospect and evaluate potential new partners based on business needs, consumer value, and alignment with NerdWallet’s longer-term SMB Products strategy.

• Coordinate the launch and implementation of new partnerships, working across internal and external stakeholders to ensure requirements, deliverables, and timelines are effectively managed.

• Monitor partner needs, deliverables, and dependencies and proactively surface risks, opportunities, or performance issues that may require additional support or escalation.

• Maintain a strong understanding of the SMB Products business and assigned partner categories to inform partner conversations and contribute ideas for improving business performance.

• Bachelor’s degree required

• 4–5+ years of relevant experience in business development, partner management, affiliate marketing, partner marketing, or a related role, ideally within a high-growth or similarly scaled organization.

• Demonstrated ability to manage external partner relationships and balance partner needs with internal business priorities.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret performance data, identify business drivers, and translate findings into actionable recommendations.

• Business acumen and an understanding of how partnership performance, pricing, conversion, and other commercial drivers contribute to revenue growth.

• Strong written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to communicate clearly and succinctly across different audiences and mediums.

• Ability to build collaborative relationships with immediate team members, functional business partners, and external stakeholders.

• Ability to prioritize routine responsibilities and projects, manage multiple concurrent priorities, and follow through on dependencies and commitments.

• Demonstrated initiative and willingness to identify opportunities, contribute ideas, and try new approaches to achieving business results.

• Ability to exercise sound judgment within established areas of responsibility and recognize when complex or ambiguous issues should be escalated for additional guidance.

• Strong organizational and time-management skills with the ability to perform effectively against goals and deadlines.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in financial services, lending, financial technology, or SMB-focused products.

• Experience working with affiliate or performance-based commercial 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) 

#LI-Remote