Business Development Director, Financial Services (Contractor)

Project Overview:

Known is building the accountability infrastructure for autonomous AI. As AI agents increasingly operate across organizations, platforms, and jurisdictions, Known is advancing DNSid as an open, neutral DNS-based identity standard designed to make accountability interoperable at Internet scale.

Known is an independent company spun out of Identity Digital. While you may see both company names during the hiring process, this position is with Known.

https://knownsystems.ai/

We're looking for a founding commercial leader to build our Financial Services practice. This role combines strategic enterprise selling with category creation to help define how banks, fintechs and payment platforms adopt trusted AI agent identity.

Approximately 80% of the role is focused on building and closing new business within the fintech ecosystem. You will identify target accounts, shape account strategy, develop executive relationships, lead complex enterprise sales cycles and close design partnerships and enterprise agreements. You'll work alongside Product Marketing, Commercial Operations and Solutions Architects to bring customers from initial education through production deployment.

The remaining 20% focuses on long-term category development within traditional banking. You'll work with executive leadership, our Advisory Council and strategic partners to establish DNSid as the trusted identity layer for autonomous financial services, ensuring that when banks begin deploying cross-boundary AI agents, Identity Digital is their first strategic partner.

This role reports to the General Manager with a close partnership with the Commercial Lead of Known.

Scope of Services

FinTech Business Development (80%)

• Develop and execute the commercial strategy for DNSid across the fintech ecosystem
• Identify, prioritize and pursue target accounts including fintech platforms, payments providers, digital banking providers, infrastructure vendors and AI-native financial technology companies
• Own the complete enterprise sales lifecycle from prospecting and executive engagement through discovery, solution development, commercial negotiation and contract execution
• Recruit and close strategic design partners that become long-term commercial customers and industry references
• Partner closely with Product Marketing to tailor messaging, use cases and value propositions for financial services buyers
• Collaborate with Solutions Engineering to guide customers through technical validation, architecture workshops and deployment planning
• Build repeatable sales playbooks and account strategies that can scale across the broader financial services market
• Maintain accurate pipeline forecasting, account plans and executive reporting

Banking Category Development (20%)

• Build executive relationships across major banks, payment networks and financial infrastructure providers
• Partner with the Known Advisory Council and executive leadership to define the future of trusted AI agent identity in financial services
• Represent Known at industry conferences, executive roundtables and customer advisory sessions
• Help develop industry thought leadership, reference architectures and market education that establish DNSid as the persistent accountability layer for AI agents
• Leverage fintech customer success to create awareness, urgency and adoption among large financial institutions
• Serve as a trusted advisor to banking executives evaluating AI governance, security and cross-enterprise autonomous agents

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Partner closely with Product, Engineering, Marketing and Commercial Operations to continuously improve product positioning, customer experience and commercial execution
• Capture customer feedback and market intelligence to influence product roadmap, packaging and go-to-market strategy
• Operate as a founding member of the commercial team, helping build repeatable processes and playbooks that scale with the business
• Leverage AI throughout the commercial lifecycle, including account research, opportunity planning, meeting preparation, proposal development, follow-up, forecasting and pipeline management, to maximize productivity and customer engagement

Success Expectations

• Established executive relationships across the priority fintech ecosystem, with active relationships in the company's target account list
• Closed multiple strategic design partnerships and commercial agreements that validate DNSid's value proposition within financial services
• Built a repeatable financial services sales motion, including account strategies, sales playbooks and executive engagement models
• Positioned DNSid as a recognized thought leader in AI agent identity through conference participation, executive relationships and industry collaboration
• Developed meaningful relationships with major banking institutions and established Identity Digital as a trusted advisor for AI governance and cross-boundary agent identity
• Contributed measurable customer and market insights that influenced product direction, pricing, messaging and commercial strategy

Who You Are / What You Bring

• 7+ years of experience in enterprise software sales, strategic business development or complex technology partnerships within financial services
• Demonstrated success selling emerging B2B technology solutions into fintech organizations, financial infrastructure providers or enterprise software buyers
• Proven track record taking new technologies from 0 - 1, building markets, creating executive relationships and closing strategic enterprise agreements
• Strong understanding of the financial services ecosystem, including fintech, banking, payments, identity, fraud, cybersecurity or AI platforms
• Experience managing complex enterprise sales cycles involving executive, technical, security and procurement stakeholders
• Outstanding executive communication, storytelling and relationship-building skills
• Comfortable operating independently with minimal direction while collaborating effectively across Product, Engineering, Marketing and executive leadership
• Strategic thinker who can balance immediate commercial opportunities with long-term category development
• AI-native operator who uses AI to improve pipeline and category development, planning and execution
• Builder mentality with a bias toward action and comfort operating in a fast-moving startup environment
• Ability to travel as needed for conferences, partner meetings and executive events

Compliance & Authorization

• Legal: The Contractor must be legally authorized to work in the US and have all permits, licenses, and authorizations necessary to function as a contractor
• Ethics: Services must be performed in alignment with all applicable anti-discrimination and equal opportunity laws, as well as Identity Digital’s Equal Opportunity and non-discrimination policies and training

Location:

• Remote within the US (preference for the following states: AZ, CA, CO, DE, MD, MA, MO, NJ, NV, NY, NC, OR, OK, PA, SC, TX, UT, VA, and WA)

Compensation:

• This role is intended to begin as an independent contractor engagement, compensated through an agreed-upon monthly retainer, with the potential to convert to full-time employment after an initial engagement period. The anticipated annual base salary range upon conversion is $130,000–$150,000 plus a sales incentive plan.

A few things to know about us

Identity Digital is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or any other category prohibited by local, state or federal law. This policy applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, placement, promotion, transfer, demotion, compensation, benefits, social and recreational activities, and termination.