VP, Affiliate Delivery

VP, Affiliate Delivery LOCATION: The VP, Affiliate Delivery position is a remote, work-from-home role, as are all positions at Acceleration Partners (a structure central to our culture and vision to change the work/life paradigm). Some travel is required for client meetings, internal meetings, conferences, and other events. Candidates should be based in the U.S., with a preference for the Central or Eastern time zones. The Role VP, Affiliate Delivery The VP, Affiliate Delivery at Acceleration Partners owns both the vision for and the outcomes of our affiliate client services organization. This role is responsible for a) defining how affiliate program delivery is structured, resourced, and executed at AP, and b) driving the commercial and operational performance of the department. This is both an internally and externally focused role; as the VP, Affiliate Delivery will own the P&L for the affiliate delivery organization, they will be expected to drive success across both top and bottom line metrics. This is a build role as much as a run role: the VP is expected to help refine and build the affiliate team structure of the future, not simply operate the structure already in place. Top 5 Job Responsibilities Lead, Manage, and Hold Your Team Accountable: Owns the performance and culture of a large, globally dispersed affiliate client services organization. Sets and models the standard for leadership at every level, developing a deep bench of managers who coach, retain, and elevate their teams. Drives succession planning with intentionality, proactively identifying and developing the next tier of leaders. Addresses underperformance directly and early, holding the wider leadership team accountable for doing the same. Gives direct, respectful feedback instead of letting issues sit, and holds every manager in the org to that same standard. Builds an environment aligned to AP's values where team NPS scores are strong and high-performers choose to stay and grow. Resource Allocation, Management, and Profitability: Serves as final decision-maker on department headcount, hiring, promotions, and compensation. Owns department margin by working closely with Finance, Operations, and People to manage utilization, staffing plans, and scope-of-work pricing. Sets the expectation that capacity is maximized before new hires are approved. Continuously identifies structural efficiencies, new revenue opportunities, and ways to deliver better client outcomes without adding cost. Ensures target margin percentages are met consistently. Says no to work that would strain margin or team capacity without a clear strategic payoff, treating not all revenue as equally worth taking on. Superior Client Satisfaction: Deeply invested in client happiness as a direct reflection of delivery quality. Works closely with Account Directors and cross-functional partners to ensure the delivery team is executing at a standard that earns client trust and confidence. Skilled at identifying potential risks early and coaches the team to do the same. Acts as a point of escalation to support fast and effective issue resolution. While formal retention and expansion accountability sits with the Account Directors, this role understands that exceptional day-to-day delivery is what makes those outcomes possible, and holds the team to that standard. Premium Program Execution: Ensures the affiliate delivery organization is consistently performing at a highly professional standard. Operates with extreme ownership in identifying and closing execution gaps, whether at the account level or across the department. Uses feedback mechanisms and trust-but-verify practices to maintain quality at scale. Removes barriers for teams and champions the adoption of new tools and processes, while leading the team toward new ways of working instead of defending how things have always been done. Leads the delivery AI transformation with genuine passion and a clear point of view, identifying and driving adoption of AI tools and workflows that improve delivery quality, increase team capacity, and produce better outcomes for clients. Sets the expectation across the organization that embracing AI and testing new operating models is a professional standard, not an option, and builds a culture where teams are continuously experimenting, learning, and raising the bar on what is possible. Internal Accountability and Organizational Stewardship: Operates with confidence in a matrixed environment, balancing flexibility with clear decision-making. Establishes single-threaded ownership for key decisions across the delivery organization rather than defaulting to consensus, so it is always clear who owns the call. Disseminates information with the business perspective in mind, ensuring teams have what they need to act with context. Proactively surfaces and escalates business risks to the right people at the right time. Serves as a senior internal voice for the affiliate delivery function across the agency, contributing to cross-functional strategy and organizational decisions. Internal Responsibilities Partner closely with Executive Leadership to shape the long-term vision and operating model for affiliate delivery at Acceleration Partners Collaborate with Account Directors / Client Retention and Expansion team to ensure delivery quality supports strong client outcomes Ensure that gross margin requirements are met across affiliate delivery Serve as Affiliate subject matter expert and ensure that our playbook stays ahead of market trends and opportunities Partner with Sales on new business strategy, RFPs, and affiliate-led pitches Partner with Marketing to develop AP's affiliate delivery point of view and go-to-market positioning Work cross-functionally with Operations, Finance, and People to scale the affiliate delivery practice sustainably Lead the definition and rollout of the affiliate team structure of the future, evolving processes, operating rhythms, and best practices as the organization scales Drive AI adoption across the delivery organization in partnership with AP's broader technology and operations teams Pilot new team structures, workflows, and delivery models, and scale what works across the wider organization Identify and proactively mitigate risks related to clients, talent, margins, and delivery quality Serve as a senior internal advocate for affiliate delivery across the agency Name a single owner for key delivery decisions instead of routing them through consensus, and hold that standard across the department What Success Looks Like By 6 Months... The VP, Affiliate Delivery has fully assumed ownership of the affiliate delivery organization, including P&L accountability. A clear operational vision, has been articulated internally and externally. Leadership expectations, team structure, and operating norms are well-defined, and early progress is visible in team effectiveness, client satisfaction, and delivery quality. The affiliate team structure of the future is defined and fully in motion. By 1 Year... The affiliate delivery practice is operating at scale with strong financial performance, high team engagement, and consistent client satisfaction. AI tools and workflows are embedded in how the team works, with measurable impact on efficiency and output quality. The team structure of the future has become the new normal, with new ways of working embedded across the organization. Teams are delivering forward-looking program strategies, margin targets are met or exceeded, and the organization has a clear reputation as a high-performing, AI-enabled delivery function. Qualities of the Ideal Candidate Executive-level leader with a strong sense of ownership and accountability Proven ability to set vision and translate it into consistent operational execution Commercially minded with deep understanding of agency economics and P&L management Willing to challenge how things have always been done and build the team structure and ways of working affiliate delivery needs next, not just run the ones already in place Trusted senior partner to clients and internal teams, with strong executive presence Exceptional people leader who develops, motivates, and retains high-performing teams Comfortable managing through ambiguity, change, and organizational complexity Genuinely passionate about AI and how it can transform the way teams deliver work; already using it and building teams that do the same Strong written and verbal communicator who can represent AP with confidence at any level Thrives in a fast-paced, remote-first environment Demonstrates clear alignment with AP's core values: Own It, Embrace Relationships, and Excel & Improve Minimum Qualifications & Skills 10+ years of combined affiliate marketing and client services or agency experience Proven track record owning and scaling a business line, practice area, or large client portfolio Experience leading Managers and cross-regional teams across multiple geographies Deep expertise in affiliate program strategy, execution, and performance measurement Strong understanding of how affiliate integrates with influencer, retail media, and broader partnership marketing Demonstrated experience leading AI adoption or transformation initiatives within a team or organization Financial acumen, including forecasting, margin management, and P&L ownership Bachelor's degree required Ability to travel up to 30%, including internationally WHY ACCELERATION PARTNERS? Acceleration Partners is the world’s largest and first-to-market Partnership Marketing Agency creating and nurturing partnerships that drive exceptional measurable outcomes for their clients. Managing clients in 40+ countries, AP’s global team of 300+ focuses on data-driven strategies that connect brands to the right consumers through affiliate and influencer All of our work is supported by APVision, our proprietary technology suite which leverages the largest dataset of any agency in the Partnership Marketing agency ecosystem. Serving over 200 brands—including household names like Amazon, Apple, Target, Google, Marriott, Coinbase, and Burberry—AP’s diversified team is creating what’s next in the industry by building high-performing partnership marketing programs. As the only truly integrated global partnerships agency, AP prides itself on being at the cutting edge of industry developments and leveraging proven expertise to deliver unique solutions for brands seeking sustainable growth. AP PERKS & BENEFITS - WHAT WE OFFER 100% remote work for everyone Group medical, dental, and vision coverage insurance (with opt-out benefits) 401K with matching Open Paid Time Off Summer & Holiday Wellness Breaks in July and December Volunteer and Birthday Time Off Focus Fridays Paid Parental Leave Benefits Wellness, Technology & Education Allowances Paid sabbatical leaves, donation matching, and more!! Target Salary is $175,000 - $225,000 + bonus depending on location and experience. Benefits may vary based on employment status or country location. Acceleration Partners is committed to a diverse workforce and we are an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate applicants regardless of an individual’s age, race, color, gender, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status. #LI-REMOTE *GLSDR #LI-MG1