Partnerships Manager - Startup and VC Ecosystem, DACH

About Airwallex Airwallex is the AI-native financial operating system for a real-time, intelligent economy. More than 676,000 businesses, including McLaren Racing, Qantas, SHEIN, and TikTok, use us, directly or through our platform partners, to run their financial operations or build and monetize financial products of their own. We started in Melbourne in 2015 to build the infrastructure global commerce runs on. We're the regulated backbone behind global payments: not by accident, but by design. A decade plus, 85+ licenses, and a financial infrastructure spanning North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. We're co-headquartered in San Francisco and Singapore, with more than 2,300 people across 27 offices. We hire builders with founder-level energy, people who move fast with good judgment, dig in with real curiosity, and make calls from first principles rather than waiting to be told what to do. Read our operating principles to see it in full. About the team The GTM Partnerships team at Airwallex helps build and activate the partner ecosystem that expands our reach, strengthens our market credibility, and generates high-quality commercial opportunities across priority segments. We work closely with regional commercial teams and cross-functional partners across Marketing, Strategy, and Operations to identify where partnerships can accelerate growth, unlock new audiences, and create repeatable go-to-market advantage. We move quickly, test new ideas, and hold a high bar for commercial impact, relationship quality, and execution excellence so our work delivers measurable outcomes over time. What you’ll do We are looking for a Startup and VC Ecosystem Partnerships Manager, DACH to build and scale Airwallex’s venture capital and startup ecosystem motion across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, with an initial focus on Germany as our priority growth market in the region. Based in Berlin, you will lead the local VC and startup ecosystem strategy across partnership development, portfolio activation, founder community engagement, and market-facing programmes, acting as the in-market owner who connects ecosystem relationships with pipeline generation and commercial execution. You will work closely with DACH sales leadership, the CPM Director, and cross-functional GTM teams to turn our startup and VC go-to-market priorities into measurable pipeline and revenue outcomes. This is a highly cross-functional role for a hands-on operator who can build from the ground up. You will own high-impact regional initiatives such as VC partnership development, founder and portfolio programmes, community events, ecosystem campaigns, and market-facing engagement, while ensuring strong alignment with sales and clear commercial follow-through. This role is based in our Berlin office, with a requirement to work from the office three days per week. We do not offer remote contracts for this position. Responsibilities Build and execute the DACH VC and startup ecosystem strategy, with a particular focus on accelerating pipeline and revenue growth in Germany. Own the planning and execution of regional ecosystem programmes across venture capital partnerships, accelerators, founder communities, portfolio activation, and local market development initiatives. Lead the end-to-end development of VC and startup partnerships in DACH, including sourcing, relationship-building, onboarding, joint planning, and activation, ensuring clear commercial goals and measurable pipeline impact. Develop and strengthen relationships with key local ecosystems, including investors, platform teams, accelerators, incubators, founder communities, and strategic networks that matter in the DACH market. Drive joint go-to-market initiatives with VC partners and ecosystem stakeholders, creating co-branded programmes, events, and referral plays that generate awareness, credibility, and opportunities. Partner with regional sales and business leaders to translate commercial prioritie