GradBridge Vice President, Marketing and Partnerships Newark, DE · Full time Company website

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GradBridge is an innovative fintech redefining access to higher education financing. Backed by $20 million in Series A funding led by Acorn Investment Partners, a portfolio company of funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, we’re building a first-of-its-kind platform that helps qualified students who fall just below traditional approval cutoffs secure the funding they need to finish their degrees. With national reach and plans to open our Delaware headquarters in 2026, we’re growing a mission-driven team to shape the future of student lending.

This role requires a rare combination of strategic thinking and execution. The right candidate will be equally comfortable shaping the company’s market narrative, building a scalable marketing engine, managing external relationships, and rolling up their sleeves to launch campaigns, support partnerships, and track results. The VP of Marketing and Partnerships will work cross-functionally with leadership across product, credit, compliance, operations, finance, and external partners to support growth in a highly regulated environment.

Key Responsibilities

Demand Generation and Performance Marketing

• Design and execute campaigns that drive awareness, lead generation, and conversion across owned, earned, paid, and partner channels
• Monitor funnel performance and key KPIs including traffic, inquiries, lead capture, application starts, conversion, cost per lead, cost per funded loan, and channel ROI
• Own optimization of customer acquisition cost and other unit economics to support efficient, scalable growth
• Manage the marketing budget with discipline, ensuring investment decisions align with performance goals and company cost targets
• Test, optimize, and scale marketing programs using a data-driven approach, including audience segmentation, campaign performance analysis, and testing
• Partner closely with analytics and operations teams to improve attribution, reporting, and decision-making

Partnership Development and Channel Growth

• Develop and manage strategic partnerships that can expand GradBridge’s reach and referral volume
• Lead relationship development with referral partners, affiliates, schools, industry associations, and other ecosystem participants
• Support partnership structuring, launch planning, joint go-to-market coordination, and ongoing performance management
• Serve as a senior external-facing representative of GradBridge with prospective and existing partners
• Develop partner enablement materials including presentations, one-pagers, FAQs, training materials, and launch communications

 

Marketing Strategy and Brand Leadership

• Develop and lead GradBridge’s integrated marketing strategy in support of company growth objectives
• Refine and strengthen GradBridge’s brand positioning, messaging, and value proposition across key audiences
• Build a thoughtful market presence that reinforces trust, credibility, and differentiation in the private student loan market
• Oversee content strategy, website messaging, thought leadership, PR support, social media, email marketing, and marketing collateral
• Help strengthen GradBridge’s visibility across emerging channels, including AI-driven search and discoverability environments

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Partner with Compliance and Legal to ensure marketing and partner activities align with regulatory expectations and internal standards
• Collaborate with Product, Credit, and Operations to align go-to-market plans with product capabilities, underwriting strategy, and customer experience goals
• Work with Finance and leadership to support growth planning, forecasting, and Board/investor reporting as needed
• Help build the infrastructure and processes needed to scale the marketing and partnerships function over time

 

Qualifications

We are seeking a strategic, highly motivated, and execution-oriented leader who thrives in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment. The ideal candidate brings both strong commercial instincts and the discipline needed to operate effectively in a regulated business.

• 10+ years of experience in marketing, business development, or growth leadership roles, preferably in private student lending, fintech, consumer lending, or other regulated financial services
• Proven success building and scaling go-to-market strategies, partnership channels, and demand generation programs
• Experience managing a marketing budget and delivering against customer acquisition, conversion, and unit cost targets
• Strong experience with partner development, relationship management, and external-facing leadership
• Deep understanding of the college-aged student demographic and the ability to translate audience insights into effective acquisition and engagement strategies
• Demonstrated ability to use data analytics and performance metrics to drive informed decision-making, including campaign optimization, funnel analysis, attribution, and ROI evaluation
• Familiarity with CRM platforms and lead management processes, including lead capture, segmentation, and nurture strategy
• Experience with AI discoverability tactics and evolving digital marketing practices
• Experience working cross-functionally in a highly collaborative environment with executive leadership and multiple stakeholders
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex concepts into compelling market-facing messaging
• Strong judgment, ownership mentality, and willingness to operate both strategically and tactically
• Bachelor’s degree required

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive compensation package.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision benefits.
• 401(k) with company match.
• Paid time off and hybrid work.