Strategy Senior Associate

Department: Commercial

Employment Type: Permanent

Location: London

Reporting To: Eoin O'Kane

Description

YouLend is building the leading embedded finance platform for small businesses. We work with partners like Amazon, eBay, Shopify, Stripe and Monzo to give merchants fast, flexible access to funding.

We are growing quickly across the UK, Europe and the US. We need brilliant strategic problem solvers who can find opportunities, get into the data, work across teams and drive real impact.

You will take ownership of scaling major partners, turning around underperformance, building business cases for investment into new products or markets, shaping commercial proposals, and driving cross-functional initiatives that could materially change YouLend's growth trajectory.

You will be responsible for analysing partnership performance, pricing, supporting RFPs, preparing and presenting insights to partners, and implementing initiatives to grow key markets. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a fast-paced fintech environment, enjoys problem-solving, and is eager to make an impact. You will have real autonomy to define your own roadmap.

Key Responsibilities

• Identifying, prioritising and driving high-value growth opportunities across partners, products and markets.
• Owning performance deep-dives for strategic partners and turning the findings into action.
• Building business cases for new product, market and partner initiatives.
• Structuring commercial proposals, pilots and partner growth plans.
• Building the operating rhythms, tools and processes that help YouLend scale.
• Working across Partnerships, Product, Risk, Data, Operations and Capital Markets to get things done.

• YouLend is considering a major new product, market or partner investment. How big could it be, what would need to be true for it to work, and should we go after it?
• A pricing, risk or eligibility change could unlock significant growth, but could also create downside risk if we get it wrong. How do we size the opportunity, make the trade-offs clear and drive the decision?
• One of our largest global partnerships isn't growing as fast as we want. What is holding it back, what would materially change the trajectory, and how do we get their senior stakeholders aligned behind the plan?

Skills, Knowledge & Expertise

Partnerships & Commercial Growth:

• A strong interest in fintech, partnerships, and commercial strategy.
• Understanding of commercial metrics, unit economics, and financial concepts (or a strong willingness to learn).
• Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously, balancing strategic initiatives and hands-on execution.
• Strong ability to create clear, structured, and visually compelling presentations for both internal stakeholders and external partners.
• Comfortable presenting insights and strategic recommendations to senior stakeholders and external partners, ensuring clarity and impact.

Technical & Analytical Skills:

• Strong problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, with the ability to extract insights from large datasets.
• Experience with SQL and Python is a plus, but not required - a strong willingness to learn is essential.
• Proficiency in Excel/Google Sheets

Communication & Collaboration:

• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to engage both partners and internal stakeholders effectively.
• Comfortable working cross-functionally in a fast-moving, high-growth environment.

Learning & Adaptability:

• A fast learner who enjoys tackling new challenges.
• Proactive, self-motivated, and eager to take ownership of projects.

Job Benefits

Why join YouLend?

• Award-Winning Workplace: YouLend has been recognised as one of the "Best Places to Work in 2024, 2025 and 2026" by the Sunday Times for being a supportive, diverse, and rewarding workplace.
• Award-Winning Fintech: YouLend has been recognised as a "Top 250 Fintech Worldwide" company by CNBC.

It's just getting fun

• We have developed powerful solutions, secured significant partnerships, and are growing rapidly.
• The global opportunity is still massive, and YouLend is a raw organisation where we are only just getting started.

Lots of upsides

• High-growth (>100% growth during 2022 and 2023), so clear outlook to compensation (bonus or share option appreciation) and career growth (through growth with the business).
• Well-capitalised with supportive private equity backing.
• Part of Banking Circle Group with a fully licensed Luxembourg bank, which can provide a balance sheet and support European expansion in otherwise complex regulated markets.

Motivating work environment

• A high-quality team that pushes each other to succeed through direct feedback and aligned incentives.
• Strong, transparent team culture: we have each other's backs.
• Independent work environment where results matter.
• Data-driven culture and emphasis on speed (anti-red tape).

We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Private Medical Insurance (via Vitality)
• EAP with Health Assured
• Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Leave
• Great office space (including a gym!) in Central London
• Subsidised lunch (via Feedr)
• Deliveroo allowance if working late in the office
• Monthly in-office masseuse
• Team and Company socials
• Sports clubs

At YouLend, we champion diversity and embrace equal opportunity employment practices. Our hiring, transfer, and promotion decisions are exclusively based on qualifications, merit, and business requirements, free from any discrimination based on race, gender, age, disability, religion, nationality, or any other protected basis under applicable law.