Head of Affiliates & Agents

Job description

**This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Head of Affiliates & Agents based in Canada.** This is a senior commercial leadership role responsible for driving partner acquisition across affiliate and agent channels. The position owns both programs end to end, from strategy and market selection through recruitment, deal structures, performance management, and portfolio growth. The goal is to establish affiliates as one of the largest sources of new players while determining where agent networks provide the strongest route to market. Success is measured through sustainable commercial performance, with a strong focus on net rake, cohort retention, and partner economics. The role combines strategic decision-making with hands-on commercial execution across multiple markets. It also provides the opportunity to build and develop high-performing teams in a rapidly evolving online gaming and blockchain environment. ### Accountabilities - Own the partner acquisition strategy and P&L across affiliate and agent programs, determining the right model for each market and reallocating resources as priorities evolve. - Lead the agent program end to end, including market selection, recruitment, vetting, tiering, commission structures, downline visibility, settlements, dispute resolution, performance management, and agent removal where standards are not met. - Identify and open new markets by diagnosing barriers to affiliate penetration and building agent networks or blended acquisition models where appropriate. - Own the affiliate program from partner recruitment and commercial negotiation through activation, account management, and portfolio expansion, while continuously testing new sources, geographies, and deal structures. - Define commercial terms across both programs, including CPA, revenue share, hybrid, and tenancy models, establishing structures that protect downside while allowing flexibility for high-value partners. - Build, lead, and develop affiliate and agent teams by establishing clear structures, targets, performance standards, and hiring plans aligned with market opportunities. - Manage partner portfolios based on player quality and risk, focusing on net rake and cohort retention, reducing revenue concentration, and collaborating with payments, fraud, and VIP teams to manage credit exposure and partner risk. - Establish reporting frameworks for both programs and translate performance data into decisions around partners, deals, markets, and resource allocation. - Report to senior leadership on channel revenue, cost per net rake dollar, market penetration, and the contribution of partner acquisition to broader commercial objectives. ### Requirements: - Demonstrated hands-on experience with agent networks, including commission structures, downline tracking, settlements, and dispute management. - Strong commercial judgment to determine when agent networks are the appropriate acquisition model based on underlying barriers such as payments, liquidity, or market reach rather than competitor activity. - Knowledge of grassroots acquisition channels and established player networks, including social and private poker communities, local card rooms, private game organizers, and trusted local networks. - Deep affiliate experience within poker or casino, with a proven record of scaling programs through SEO and content sites, comparison and review platforms, streamers and creators, and communities such as Discord, Telegram, and private groups. - Strong analytical and commercial discipline, with the ability to evaluate partners through net rake and cohort retention, model deal profitability before signing, and define the reporting required to support decisions. - Proven experience building and leading commercial teams, setting ambitious targets, maintaining accountability, and developing managers as well as individual contributors. - Strong poker literacy, ideally gained in an environment where affiliate and agent models operated alongside one another, with a practical understanding of rake, liquidity, and the drivers of player value. - Advanced knowledge of tracking and attribution, including postbacks, deduplication, and reconciliation between partner-reported and platform-recorded activity. - Strong awareness of partner-side risk and abusive traffic patterns, including bonus abuse, incentivized signups, and inflated agent downlines, with the confidence to challenge unusual performance and act decisively on poor-quality traffic. ### Benefits: - Competitive salary and performance-based bonuses. - The opportunity to work with cutting-edge technology across the blockchain and online gaming industries. - Flexible working hours with the ability to work fully remotely. - A collaborative and inclusive team culture. - Professional development opportunities and career growth within a rapidly evolving environment.