Head of Affiliate / VBET

The Head of Affiliate owns the end-to-end strategy and growth of the affiliate marketing channel: from strategy development and P&L management to building the partner network and leading the team. The primary goal of this role is to drive scalable revenue growth, acquire high-value players (NGR/LTV), and achieve target ROI/CPA metrics.

📍Location: Remote

🕒 Type: full-time

💼 Reports to: CMO

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategy & Commercial Management

• Strategy & P&L: Define and execute the affiliate marketing strategy aligned with business targets; hold full ownership of the channel P&L, controlling CPA, LTV, and ROI.
• Goal Setting: Establish clear targets by market and partner tier, cascading them into individual and team KPIs.
• Analytics & Reporting: Continuously monitor conversion and traffic quality metrics, deliver regular performance reporting to C-level stakeholders, and take swift corrective action on variances.

2. Partner Relations & Campaign Operations

• Portfolio Management: Oversee segmentation, tiering, and retention of key affiliates, networks, and media partners—prioritizing traffic quality and player value over raw volume.
• Negotiation & Deal Structuring: Negotiate contracts and commercial terms (CPA, RevShare, Hybrid), continuously reviewing deal performance to maximize profitability.
• Campaigns & Cross-Functional Alignment: Plan, launch, and optimize affiliate campaigns; collaborate closely with Brand, CRM, Product, and Regional Marketing teams.
• Representation: Handle escalations and senior-level dispute resolutions; represent the company at key industry conferences and networking events.

3. Team Leadership & Compliance

• Leadership & Team Building: Lead, mentor, and scale the affiliate team; foster an ownership mindset and a data-driven culture.
• Compliance & Legal: Ensure all partner activities adhere to regional licensing regulations, internal guidelines, and Responsible Gaming standards alongside Legal & Compliance.
• Market Intelligence: Track industry developments, competitor tactics, and new affiliate technology stacks to identify market expansion opportunities.

Requirements

• Experience: 4+ years of proven leadership experience (Head of Affiliate / Senior Lead) within the iGaming, Gambling, or Betting industry.
• Network: An existing, verified network of top-tier affiliates, networks, and media buying teams.
• Commercial Acumen: Strong experience managing channel P&L; expert-level understanding of deal models (CPA, CPL, RevShare, Hybrid) and unit economics (NGR, LTV, ROI).
• Analytical Mindset: Proficiency in working with data platforms, anti-fraud tools, and affiliate tracking software (e.g., Cellxpert, NetRefer, Income Access).
• People Management: Track record of building, scaling, and managing performance-driven teams (3+ direct reports).
• Language Skills: Fluent English and Russian proficiency (Upper-Intermediate / Advanced, both written and spoken).

Success Measures (First 12 Months)

• Revenue & Acquisition: Hit revenue (NGR) and First Time Depositor (FTD) growth targets from the affiliate channel.
• Unit Economics: Maintain CPA and ROI within agreed target budgets.
• Network Quality: Increase the portfolio share of active, high-value affiliate partners.
• Compliance: Achieve zero regulatory or compliance incidents across all affiliate activities.