Strategic Partnerships Director

📋 Description

• • Vanilla is revolutionizing the estate planning industry by developing an AI-powered advisory platform designed for advisors, planners, and attorneys. Our innovative technology streamlines the complex process of wealth transfer across generations by unifying scenario modeling, client visualization, and document creation into a single, intuitive digital experience. We are a dynamic startup with a clear vision and ambitious goals, fostering a culture of speed, autonomy, and impact. Our distributed team, spread across the U.S., embraces flexibility and collaboration, united by a passion for solving challenging problems and shaping the future of wealth advisory.
• • As the Strategic Partnerships Director, you will play a pivotal role in scaling our existing partnerships motion and driving significant growth. This individual contributor role offers substantial autonomy and requires a strong commercial mindset to expand our partner ecosystem across three critical tracks: revenue-generating distribution partnerships, strategic technology integrations, and professional firm channels.
• • In the realm of distribution partnerships, you will focus on forging alliances with Independent Broker-Dealers (IBDs), enterprise wealth platforms, and custodians. The objective here is to create new revenue streams and expand Vanilla's market reach through these key financial intermediaries.
• • For technology integrations, your responsibility will be to identify and cultivate partnerships that embed Vanilla's platform seamlessly into the existing workflows of financial advisors. This involves collaborating closely with our Product team to evaluate potential integrations, negotiate terms, and ensure successful launches that enhance user experience and operational efficiency.
• • The professional firm channels track involves building relationships with CPA firms, estate planning attorneys, and family office networks. These partnerships are crucial for establishing Vanilla as a trusted advisor and extending our reach within the professional advisory community.
• • You will be responsible for the entire lifecycle of these partnerships, from initial sourcing and negotiation to closing deals and ongoing relationship management. This includes navigating complex enterprise onboarding processes, which may involve security reviews, compliance checks, and procurement procedures.
• • A key aspect of this role will be to drive pipeline growth through the company's referral program and by actively participating in co-selling initiatives alongside the Sales team. Your efforts will directly contribute to generating qualified leads and closing new business opportunities.
• • You will work cross-functionally with internal teams, including Sales, Marketing, Customer Success, and Product, to ensure alignment and maximize the success of partnership initiatives. Regular collaboration and communication will be essential to achieve shared goals.
• • Reporting directly to the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), you will have significant exposure to executive leadership. You will be expected to regularly report on partnership performance, pipeline development, and key metrics. Furthermore, you will represent Vanilla at industry events, acting as a brand ambassador and identifying new partnership opportunities.
• • This role is ideal for a proactive and results-oriented individual who thrives in a fast-paced startup environment. You should be comfortable building and owning a partnerships program from the ground up, with a strong emphasis on measurable outcomes like pipeline generation and revenue impact, rather than just signed agreements. Your ability to engage effectively in C-suite pitches and technical integration discussions will be critical to your success. If you are a self-starter who can build the playbook as you go and excel without extensive structure, this is an exceptional opportunity to make a significant impact.