Sales & Business Development Manager @ Earnest

Our mission is to make higher education accessible and affordable for everyone. We empower students with financial support and supercharge their ability to pay down their debt, so they can get on the right financial track, fast.

We build tools that help people feel in control of their financial future, including:

Private student loans - low rates, people-first service, and flexible payments.
Student loan refinancing - break free from high-interest rates or monthly payments.
Scholarships - access to thousands of scholarships to help students pay less.

Earnies are committed to helping students live their best lives, free from the stress of student debt. If you’re as passionate as we are about our mission, read more below, and let’s build something great together!

The Sales & Business Development Manager position will report to the General Manager.

As the Sales & Business Development Manager, you will:

Lead the acquisition, management, and optimization of strategic partnerships to drive business growth.
Develop and negotiate partnership agreements, ensuring mutually beneficial terms and long-term success.
Collaborate with Marketing, Product, Engineering, Legal, and Client Happiness teams to streamline partner onboarding and engagement.
Identify and implement revenue growth opportunities within existing partnerships through marketing collaboration and conversion optimization.
Shape the long-term vision for partnerships by leveraging market trends, performance insights, and innovative strategies.
Oversee multiple priorities, drive cross-functional initiatives, and ensure alignment with Earnest’s company strategy.
Ensure compliance with partnership agreements and operational processes, minimizing risks and enhancing efficiency.

About You:

5+ years of experience in partnerships, account management, or marketing at a fast-paced, high-growth company.
Expertise in developing, negotiating, and managing strategic partnerships that drive revenue and business expansion.
Strong communication and negotiation skills with the ability to engage and influence stakeholders at all levels, both internally and externally.
Proven ability to analyze industry trends, competitor positioning, and partnership performance to optimize strategy.
High attention to detail, strong time management skills, and the ability to prioritize and delegate effectively in a dynamic environment.
Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to quickly assess challenges, apply logical judgment, and drive data-backed decisions.
Ability to adapt to evolving business needs, manage multiple priorities, and thrive in a fast-moving, results-oriented environment.

Even Better:

B2B sales or partnerships experience in fintech, with a proven track record of driving revenue and business expansion.

Where:

This role will be based in the US.

Additional Information:

There will also be a competitive commission plan bundled in with this role.

#LI-GA1

A little about our pay philosophy: We take pride in compensating our employees fairly and equitably. We are showcasing a range of your potential base salary based on the roles location. The successful candidate’s starting pay will also be determined based on job-related qualifications, internal compensation, candidate location and budget. This range may be modified in the future.

Pay Range

$123,000—$153,000 USD

Earnest believes in enabling our employees to live their best lives. We offer a variety of perks and competitive benefits, including:

Health, Dental, & Vision benefits plus savings plans
Mac computers + work-from-home stipend to set up your home office
Monthly internet and phone reimbursement
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)
401(k) plan to help you save for retirement plus a company match
Robust tuition reimbursement program
$1,000 travel perk on each Earnie-versary to anywhere in the world
Competitive days of annual PTO
Competitive parental leave

What Makes an Earnie:

At Earnest, our people bring our cultural principles to life. These principles define how we work, how we win, and what we expect of ourselves and each other:

Every Second Counts: Speed is our competitive advantage. Our customers need better solutions, and the faster we execute, the greater our chance of success.
Choose To Do Hard Things: We win by tackling the hard things that others avoid, fueled by grit and resilience.
Pursue Excellence: Great companies, teams, and individuals never settle and are proud of the work that they do. What’s good enough today won’t be good enough tomorrow. Excellence isn’t a destination; it’s a mindset of continuous improvement.
Lead Together: Our success comes from how we work together. Leadership is not about titles—it is about action. We take ownership, drive results, and move forward as a team.
Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously: We take our work seriously, not ourselves. The stakes are high, but a sense of humor keeps us grounded, creative, and resilient.

At Earnest, we are committed to building an environment where our employees feel included, valued, and heard. Our belief is that a strong commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging enables us to move forward with our mission. We are dedicated to adding new perspectives to the team and encourage anyone to apply if your experience is close to what we are looking for.

Earnest provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability or genetics. Qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered for the position in a manner consistent with the Fair Chance Ordinance.

Sales & Business Development Manager

Earnest

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