Director, Strategic Partnerships - Health Plans & Direct Payers

Valenz • Phoenix, AZ

2d • Remote

About The Position

As the Director, Strategic Partnership – Health Plans & Direct Payers, you’ll lead the development of strategic partnerships that expand Valenz Health’s market reach, capabilities, and revenue opportunities across health plans, payer organizations, and other risk-bearing entities. You’ll identify high-value opportunities, develop partnership models that create mutual strategic and commercial value, and lead opportunities from initial exploration through negotiation and launch. You’ll collaborate across Commercial, Product, Operations, Finance, Legal, Marketing, and Client Success to bring partnerships to market, transitioning established relationships to Strategic Account Management for ongoing ownership and growth.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in healthcare business development, strategic partnerships, payer strategy, health plan sales, healthcare consulting, or a related commercial role.
• Strong knowledge of the U.S. payer ecosystem, including health plans, payer organizations, risk-bearing entities, healthcare technology organizations, and related service providers.
• Demonstrated success identifying, structuring, negotiating, and launching complex strategic partnerships that drive commercial growth.
• Strong understanding of healthcare economics, payer operating models, commercial structures, and strategic partnership models.
• Experience developing business cases, evaluating partnership economics, and negotiating complex commercial agreements.
• Strong executive presence with the ability to establish credibility and develop relationships with senior internal and external stakeholders.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives, influence without direct authority, and balance strategic thinking with disciplined execution.

Nice To Haves

• Experience developing partnerships within health plans, payer organizations, payment integrity, healthcare technology, or related markets.
• Established relationships across health plans, payer organizations, healthcare technology companies, or other risk-bearing healthcare entities.
• Experience structuring integrated solutions, embedded solutions, distribution arrangements, or strategic alliances.
• Experience working within a private equity-backed, high-growth, or rapidly evolving healthcare organization.
• MBA or other relevant advanced degree.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute strategic partnership plans that expand Valenz Health’s reach, capabilities, and revenue opportunities across health plans, direct payers, and other payer organizations.
• Identify, evaluate, and prioritize prospective partners based on strategic fit, market opportunity, access to covered lives, revenue potential, scalability, and long-term growth opportunities.
• Build and maintain a qualified pipeline of partnership opportunities across health plans, payer organizations, healthcare technology companies, service providers, platforms, and other strategic partners.
• Develop senior-level relationships with prospective partners, understanding their strategic priorities, operating models, capabilities, economics, and market position.
• Design partnership models and value propositions that create mutual commercial and strategic value, including integrated offerings, embedded solutions, distribution arrangements, and strategic alliances.
• Develop business cases and executive recommendations evaluating market opportunity, revenue potential, partnership economics, investment requirements, risks, and strategic value.
• Lead complex partnership opportunities from initial exploration through due diligence, internal approval, commercial agreement, and launch.
• Develop and negotiate partnership economics, pricing, revenue-sharing arrangements, incentives, performance expectations, and other commercial terms in partnership with Legal, Finance, and Commercial leadership.
• Lead cross-functional collaboration across Commercial, Product, Technology, Operations, Client Success, Finance, Legal, and Marketing to evaluate opportunities, align resources, and advance partnership initiatives.
• Oversee partnership commercialization and launch, establishing clear objectives, success measures, governance, operating expectations, and implementation requirements to support successful market adoption.
• Establish executive relationships and long-term partnership roadmaps that support sustained performance, expansion, and strategic value.
• Transition established partnerships to the designated Strategic Account Manager within Client Success for ongoing relationship management, while supporting significant expansion opportunities, renegotiations, or structural changes as needed.

Benefits

• Generously subsidized company-sponsored Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance, with access to services through our own products, Healthcare Blue Book and KISx Card.
• Spending account options: HSA, FSA, and DCFSA
• 401K with company match and immediate vesting
• Flexible working environment
• Generous Paid Time Off to include vacation, sick leave, and paid holidays
• Employee Assistance Program that includes professional counseling, referrals, and additional services
• Paid maternity and paternity leave
• Pet insurance
• Employee discounts on phone plans, car rentals and computers
• Community giveback opportunities, including paid time off for philanthropic endeavors

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director