VP, Strategic Partnerships & Business Development

Shutterfly•Fort Mill, SC

About The Position

Shutterfly is evolving from a photo products company into a platform that supports the full memory ecosystem, including capture, curation, creation, storage, and sharing. Partnerships are a key growth engine and one of the company’s most capital-efficient customer acquisition channels. The VP, Strategic Partnerships & Business Development is a senior leadership and general management role responsible for building, leading, and scaling Shutterfly’s partnerships function. The role owns partnership strategy from opportunity identification through execution and long-term growth, including originating and closing high-impact deals, managing the existing portfolio, and developing a high-performing team. The leader will define the partnership roadmap, prioritize opportunities, and work across functions to deliver results for customers and partners. The position focuses on advancing Shutterfly’s growth priorities through partnerships across digital, retail, brand, technology, manufacturing, and business channels. It includes evaluating opportunities and business cases, structuring creative partnership models, planning launches and integrations, and ensuring partnerships are operationally sound and perform effectively over time. The role also supports relevant relationship development and partner-sourced commercial opportunities with Shutterfly Business Solutions. The successful candidate will assess the current portfolio, team, and pipeline; develop priorities and initiate partner discussions; advance new opportunities; and establish a team development plan. Within the first 90 days, the role is expected to close or reach late-stage negotiations on at least one meaningful new partnership and demonstrate contribution to growth initiatives. The position is based in Fort Mill, South Carolina. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

Requirements

15 or more years of experience in partnerships, business development, or strategic alliances.
Meaningful experience in general management or P&L ownership.
Proven track record originating and closing high-impact partnerships and managing and growing partner relationships over time.
Strong executive presence and experience building trusted relationships with senior leaders internally and externally.
Demonstrated ability to lead a team as a player/coach, setting vision and strategy while personally driving key deals and initiatives.
Excellent cross-functional leadership skills and ability to lead through influence without direct authority.
Demonstrated ability to identify opportunities, structure creative deals, and navigate complex negotiations.
Strong commercial instincts and ability to evaluate partnerships through both P&L and strategic lenses.
Analytical and strategic thinking, including ability to build business cases, define success frameworks, and manage portfolio-level performance.
Entrepreneurial mindset; ability to operate amid ambiguity, move quickly, build teams, and drive results.
Bachelor’s degree required.

Nice To Haves

Experience in consumer, digital platform, or commerce environments.
Experience working across or with platform businesses, ecosystems, or large-scale consumer networks.
Experience in brand partnerships, sponsorships, or commercial partnerships.
Experience in consumer, ecommerce, retail, digital marketplace, or technology-driven businesses.
Exposure to strategic integrations, joint business planning, or broader corporate development work.
MBA or another advanced degree.

Responsibilities

Develop and lead the strategic partnerships and business development roadmap in support of Shutterfly’s growth priorities.
Identify, evaluate, and prioritize new partnership opportunities across digital, retail, brand, technology, manufacturing, and business channels.
Own the full partnership lifecycle, from sourcing and diligence through negotiation, launch, governance, and ongoing performance management.
Oversee the health and performance of the existing partnership portfolio and ensure partnerships deliver their potential.
Evaluate portfolio partnership opportunities, including those connected to the broader Apollo ecosystem, and recommend paths to implementation.
Strengthen and expand existing strategic partnerships to grow customer value, brand relevance, and revenue contribution.
Expand Shutterfly’s presence upstream in the customer journey by embedding it in high-frequency consumer experiences.
Structure partnerships using creative models such as co-marketing, barter, and value exchange to maximize impact without relying on large cash investments.
Partner with Shutterfly Business Solutions on relationship development and relevant partner-sourced commercial opportunities.
Build business cases for opportunities, covering strategic fit, customer impact, financial upside, operational requirements, and implementation complexity.
Lead cross-functional launch and integration planning, including milestones, operating model decisions, budget considerations, and executive updates.
Work with Manufacturing, Operations, Customer Support, and internal business leads to ensure partnerships are operationally sound and positioned for long-term success.
Assess the existing partnership portfolio, team capabilities, and pipeline health; build internal stakeholder relationships and identify strategic priorities and gaps.
Advance new partnership opportunities into deal development, build an outbound pipeline, and shape the team structure and capability plan.
Close or advance a meaningful new partnership to late-stage negotiation, demonstrate contribution to growth initiatives, and establish team roles and accountability.