Senior Manager, New Business & Innovation (Hybrid)

The role

The Senior Manager, New Business & Innovation builds growth by identifying, sourcing, and developing new member programs and strategic opportunities. This role manages opportunities from initial outreach through business-case development, negotiation, and contracting.

What you will do

• Develop and execute a proactive prospecting strategy and prioritized pipeline of new member-program opportunities.
• Identify and prioritize prospective partners based on strategic fit, member reach, restaurant value, economics and long-term value.
• Own new business opportunities from initial outreach through evaluation, internal alignment, negotiation and contracting.
• Develop clear business cases explaining strategic value, financial opportunity, required investment and potential risks.
• Build relationships with senior decision-makers at prospective partners.
• Evaluate trends across restaurant technology, loyalty, fintech, payments, marketplaces and consumer commerce.
• Translate market insights into recommendations on whether to partner, integrate, build or decline a capability.
• Partner cross-functionally with Product, Finance, Marketing, Legal, Operations and Sales Leadership.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, or related field; or equivalent combination of experience and education
• 7+ years of progressive experience in business development, strategic partnerships, corporate development or a related commercial role.
• Demonstrated success proactively sourcing and developing new business or strategic partnerships, including advancing opportunities through negotiation and contracting.
• Experience building commercial models or business cases for new products, integrations or strategic capabilities.
• Experience developing partnerships that connect platforms, merchants and consumers or expand a product ecosystem.
• Strong understanding of restaurant commerce and how restaurant operators, technology platforms, payment providers and consumers interact.
• Ability to create structure from ambiguity and develop an informed point of view on the competitive landscape and emerging trends.
• Product curiosity and sufficient technical fluency to evaluate platforms, integrations and external capabilities.
• Commercial and analytical judgment to assess opportunity size, economics, strategic value, feasibility, risks and tradeoffs.
• Executive presence and persuasive written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong negotiation, influence and relationship-development skills.
• Cross-functional leadership skills and the ability to build alignment and drive opportunities forward.

Nice to have

• Experience developing consumer-facing loyalty, membership or rewards programs, with an understanding of what drives member acquisition, engagement and retention.
• Experience within the restaurant industry or restaurant-technology ecosystem, with established relationships across areas such as payments, reservations, POS platforms, marketplaces or restaurant comm

Benefits

• Competitive Paid Time Off and company holidays
• Generous dining reimbursement when you dine with our restaurant clients
• 401(k) plan with a company match
• Two medical plan options- Standard PPO or High Deductible Health Plan (HSA with company match for HDHP participants)
• Partnership with Rx n Go, offering certain prescriptions for free
• Two dental plan options and a vision plan
• Flexible Spending Accounts and a pre-tax commuter benefit program
• Accident, Critical Illness, and Hospital Indemnity Insurance Plans
• Short Term and Long Term disability
• Company-paid life insurance and AD&D insurance, supplemental employee, spouse, and child life insurance
• Employee Life Assistance Program
• Hybrid working space in our state of the art office downtown

About the company

Rewards Network is a fast-paced, restaurant-focused fintech company that connects restaurants with consumer loyalty programs. They are a leading capital provider for restaurants.