Promise · 1 day ago
Head of Public Sector Partnerships and Business Development
Oakland, CA
Full-time
Hybrid
Director/Executive
8+ years expPromise is a company that modernizes how government agencies and utilities support people in financial difficulty. The Head of Public Sector Partnerships & Business Development will build and manage a focused network of partnerships that drive growth and expansion across the US, working closely with government entities to generate high-quality opportunities and outcomes.
Debt CollectionsFinancial ServicesFinTechGovernmentMobile Payments
No H1B
U.S. Citizen Only
Responsibilities
Build and actively manage a small number of high-leverage partnerships across state, local, and federal government ecosystems, with clear, measurable outcomes
Identify, evaluate, contract with, and manage business development relationships with partners focused on specific public-sector markets, with targeted outcomes (for example: 3 to 5 qualified sales opportunities per BD relationship per year)
Generate qualified, partner-sourced opportunities that align with Promise’s product, pricing, and delivery model
Partner closely with Account Executives to advance complex, long-cycle deals, focusing effort on the opportunities that are truly worth pursuing
Identify, vet, and build a small number of strategic partnerships (including consulting service providers and software providers) that materially improve Promise’s ability to win and deliver larger, more complex solutions
Own the identification, qualification, response strategy, and tracking for relevant RFIs and RFPs, including deciding when not to pursue them
Navigate procurement, legal, pricing, and executive review processes with discipline and clarity, keeping momentum without over-escalation
Engage credibly with senior public-sector leaders, including commissioners, CIOs, deputies, and agency executives, in politically sensitive environments
Protect Promise’s credibility and leadership attention by applying judgment, setting clear guardrails, and escalating only when it matters
Translate market signals, objections, and cross-jurisdiction patterns into actionable insight for sales, product, and leadership
Help define what 'good' looks like as Promise builds a repeatable, scalable public-sector partnerships and BD system
Qualification
Required
8+ years of experience selling into or partnering within state, local, and/or federal government environments, with direct exposure to complex, multi-stakeholder deals
Demonstrated ability to build and manage partnerships that produce real pipeline and outcomes, not just logos or announcements
Experience working closely with sellers or carrying quota yourself, with a strong understanding of pipeline quality, deal stages, and seller capacity
Proven judgment in deciding which opportunities, partnerships, RFIs, and RFPs are worth pursuing, including comfort walking away
Deep familiarity with public-sector procurement, political dynamics, and budget constraints, and how they impact deal viability
Credibility with senior government leaders and the ability to earn trust through preparation, clarity, and follow-through
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to synthesize complexity and state clear next steps
Comfort operating in ambiguous, early-stage environments without a fully built partnership or BD machine
A disciplined operating style: prepared, responsive, accountable, and focused on outcomes
Alignment with Promise's mission and values, and respect for the communities we serve and the public institutions we partner with
Benefits
100 percent employer-paid health coverage
Generous PTO and sick leave
Lunch, snacks, and coffee provided
Company retreats
Hybrid work environment with three in-office days per week
Company
Promise
Promise streamlines government payments and benefits with secure technology.
51-200 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageTotal Funding
$48.12MKey Investors
The General PartnershipFirst Round CapitalY Combinator
2022-02-24Series B· $25M
2021-02-18Series A· $20M
2020-06-04Seed
Leadership Team
Diana Frappier
Co-Founder
Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins
Co-Founder
Recent News
Tech Funding News
2025-10-23
Company data provided by crunchbase