VP, Strategic Partnerships & Business Development

Shutterfly•San Jose, CA

About The Position

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 the full partnership strategy and lifecycle, from identifying opportunities and originating deals to negotiation, launch, governance, and long-term portfolio growth. The VP will define the partnership roadmap, evaluate and prioritize opportunities, manage existing partnerships, and build and develop a high-performing team. This is a player/coach position that combines hands-on dealmaking with strategic leadership and cross-functional influence. Partnerships are a key, capital-efficient customer acquisition channel as Shutterfly evolves from a photo products company into a platform for the broader memory ecosystem. The VP will expand partnerships to reach new audiences and create new pathways to customer engagement, while finding opportunities to increase customer value, brand relevance, and revenue. The role will work with internal business leads and teams including Manufacturing, Operations, Customer Support, and Shutterfly Business Solutions to ensure partnerships are commercially valuable, operationally sound, and positioned for long-term success. The position is based in San Jose, California. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis until the role is filled.

Requirements

15+ years of experience in partnerships, business development, or strategic alliances.
Meaningful experience in general management or P&L ownership.
Proven track record of originating and closing high-impact partnerships and managing and growing partner relationships over time.
Strong executive presence and experience building trusted senior-level relationships internally and externally.
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, including the ability to lead through influence without direct authority and drive action across teams.
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 the ability to build business cases, define success frameworks, and manage portfolio-level performance.
Entrepreneurial mindset; ability to thrive in ambiguity, operate with speed, 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 other advanced degree.

Responsibilities

Develop and lead the strategic partnerships and business development roadmap in support of Shutterfly’s growth priorities.
Identify, evaluate, and prioritize partnership opportunities across digital, retail, brand, technology, manufacturing, and business channels.
Own the 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 identify ways to strengthen and grow partnerships.
Evaluate portfolio partnership opportunities, including those connected to the broader Apollo ecosystem, and recommend implementation paths.
Expand Shutterfly’s presence upstream in the customer journey by embedding it into 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 partner-sourced commercial opportunities where relevant.
Build business cases that assess 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.
Partner with Manufacturing, Operations, Customer Support, and internal business leads to ensure partnerships are operationally sound and positioned for long-term success.
Build and develop a high-performing partnerships team, including a team structure and capability plan, roles, and accountability.
Assess the current partnership portfolio, team capabilities, and pipeline; develop partnership priorities; and initiate conversations with high-priority targets.
Advance new partnership opportunities into deal development, build an outbound pipeline, and close or reach late-stage negotiation on meaningful partnerships.