Partnerships Manager – Startup and VC Ecosystem, DACH

About This Opportunity

Our talent team is representing a confidential fintech client seeking a Partnerships Manager - Startup and VC Ecosystem, DACH based in Berlin, Germany. This is an office-based role requiring three days per week on-site, with no remote contract option available.

You will build and scale the venture capital and startup ecosystem motion across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, with initial focus on Germany as the priority growth market. This is a hands-on role for an operator who can connect ecosystem relationships with pipeline generation and commercial execution.

Responsibilities

• Build and execute the DACH VC and startup ecosystem strategy, focusing on accelerating pipeline and revenue growth in Germany
• Own planning and execution of regional ecosystem programmes across venture capital partnerships, accelerators, founder communities, portfolio activation, and local market development initiatives
• Lead end-to-end development of VC and startup partnerships in DACH, including sourcing, relationship-building, onboarding, joint planning, and activation with clear commercial goals
• Develop and strengthen relationships with key local ecosystems, including investors, platform teams, accelerators, incubators, founder communities, and strategic networks
• Drive joint go-to-market initiatives with VC partners and ecosystem stakeholders, creating co-branded programmes, events, and referral plays that generate awareness and opportunities
• Partner with regional sales and business leaders to translate commercial priorities into focused ecosystem plans and market-level growth plays for startup and scale-up audiences
• Work closely with Marketing, Strategy, and broader GTM teams to adapt and localise ecosystem programmes for DACH audiences
• Lead creation and localisation of German-language and region-specific ecosystem content, including partner messaging, founder-facing materials, and event narratives
• Own the regional ecosystem lead journey from referral through handoff, ensuring tight coordination with sales and strong follow-up processes
• Track, analyse, and communicate performance across partner and ecosystem channels, turning insights into clear recommendations
• Act as the voice of the DACH startup and VC ecosystem within the organisation, bringing local partner, founder, and competitive insight into planning

What We're Looking For

Required qualifications:

• Significant experience in partnerships, ecosystem development, business development, startup programmes, or related commercial roles in high-growth technology, fintech, SaaS, or adjacent sectors
• Direct experience working in or closely with the startup ecosystem (at a startup, scale-up, venture capital firm, accelerator, incubator, founder platform, or ecosystem-led organisation)
• Demonstrated success building and executing partnership or ecosystem plans that drive pipeline and commercial outcomes, particularly across venture capital, startup, or community-led motions
• Strong experience developing relationships and programmes that create measurable commercial outcomes, not just brand visibility
• Proven ability to work closely with sales and commercial teams to develop joint plans, align on targets, and deliver shared outcomes
• Strong analytical skills with ability to interpret channel and funnel performance, build clear narratives from data, and make data-driven decisions
• Excellent project ownership and execution skills; ability to operate as a self-starter in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English; German language capability is a strong advantage for market-facing work in DACH
• Ability to work from Berlin office three days per week

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience building or scaling a regional ecosystem, partnerships, or startup motion, or serving as an early in-market hire in a new or rapidly growing region
• Prior experience working at a venture capital firm, in a VC platform or portfolio support role, or in a venture-backed startup or scale-up environment
• Experience in payments, financial services, SaaS, or other complex B2B categories with multi-product value propositions
• Strong understanding of the DACH startup, VC, founder, finance, and technology landscape, including relevant local ecosystems and networks
• Hands-on experience across partner development, ecosystem events, portfolio engagement, and founder or investor community-building
• Existing networks across DACH venture capital funds, accelerators, incubators, founder communities, or startup operators
• Familiarity with modern GTM tools and workflows, including CRM, reporting, attribution, analytics, and partner or referral management platforms
• Demonstrated ability to influence across a matrixed organisation, collaborating effectively with regional and global stakeholders

How We Work With You

When you apply through Get A Job.ai, our recruiters will review your profile and conduct an initial screening to understand your experience and fit for this role. If there's a strong match, we'll submit your profile to our client for consideration. Throughout the process, we'll keep you informed and provide guidance.

Important: Please do not attempt to contact the client directly. All applications and communications must go through Get A Job.ai to ensure proper consideration of your candidacy.

Pay

Compensation details will be discussed during the screening process based on experience and qualifications.

Equal Opportunity: Get A Job.ai is committed to equal employment opportunity. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.