Vice President, Head of Business Development and Startup Partnerships
About New York Life Ventures (NYL Ventures):
Launched in 2012, New York Life Ventures (NYL Ventures) is a leading strategic Corporate Venture Capital unit focused on exploring new technologies, investing in, partnering with start-ups, and accelerating the pace of innovation at New York Life. The unit includes three highly interconnected functions: Venture Investments, Business Development, and Innovation Services. A central pillar of our work revolves around our trusted relationships and deep network. We have produced top investment performance since inception and industry-leading levels of proof of concept testing and start-up technology partnerships. Our team values curiosity, collaboration, shared responsibility, growth mindsets, empathy, generosity, focus, and living a balanced life.
Position Overview:
We are seeking a dynamic and strategic executive to lead our startup business development and technology co-development team within NYL Ventures. This role is critical in driving value at the intersection of technology and financial services, positioning New York Life at the forefront of industry transformation.
As the leader of this function, you will lead the team that is responsible for developing partnerships with startups to drive strategic value and ROI, while navigating the complexities of a large and growing enterprise. Success in this role requires seamless collaboration with your NYL Ventures colleagues, close partnership with key business and functional unit stakeholders across the Company, and building trusted relationships with the external startup and venture ecosystem.
The ideal candidate is visionary, entrepreneurial, and action-oriented, with a deep understanding of both the tech ecosystem and the financial services landscape. You not only see the art of the possible, but you can develop and execute practical strategies to accelerate progress. With a strong record of executing successful de novo partnerships, you excel at integrating and scaling initiatives within a corporate framework, aligning them with the Company's future vision.
Key Responsibilities:
- Develop and lead the strategy to source and execute impactful partnerships with startups and entrepreneurs
- Oversee the sourcing, evaluation, and management of a diverse portfolio of startup partnerships and technology co-developments initiatives
- Establish frameworks to track and measure financial and strategic ROI over multiple horizons
- Provide data-driven recommendations on the viability and scalability of tested solutions
- Align with the Company's long-term goals and aspirations
- Develop, lead, and build a high-performing, entrepreneurial team, fostering growth-mindedness and psychological safety
- Build relationships with startups, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists to scale impact of the NYLV platform for our stakeholders
- Nurture and grow relationships with internal business leaders, inclusive of a strong feedback loop to align on goals and long-term objectives
- Synthesize partnership experiences into future-oriented insights to inform thematic focus areas and support the Company's innovation agenda
- Work with key functions (e.g., IT, legal, risk) to ensure governance while seeking new ways to increase speed to insights
- Support NYL Ventures' investment team by sourcing opportunities and providing insights on commercial viability of startup technologies
- Represent NYL Ventures as a visible leader in internal and external innovation forums, advocating for NYL's role in the innovation community through events, press/media, and industry engagements
Required Skillsets:
- Leadership & Vision:
- Proven ability to lead transformative projects within a corporate environment
- Experience building and managing high-performance teams, developing talent, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and aligning innovation strategies with corporate goals
- Ability to envision future trends and translate them into actionable strategies
- Portfolio Approach to Partnerships:
- Experience managing multiple, concurrent initiatives with a focus on delivering long-term strategic and financial value individually and in aggregate
- Strong decision-making skills to actively adjust the partnerships portfolio based on progress, risk, opportunity, and market trends
- Relationship Management and Negotiation:
- Strong network in the startup and financial services ecosystems, with experience sourcing and forming trusted strategic alliances
- Proven ability to negotiate and manage partnerships, joint ventures, and co-development agreements (e.g., contract terms, warrants, etc.)
- Executive Presence & Storytelling:
- Elite communication and presentation skills, with the ability to influence senior executives to accelerate strategic initiatives
- Ability to establish and implement OKR frameworks for tracking value/ROI and reporting on business impact across multiple horizons
- Industry Expertise:
- In-depth knowledge of the financial services industry and emerging technologies (e.g., AI, Fintech, RegTech, InsurTech, Enterprise Tech)
- Understanding of regulatory frameworks, compliance, and risk
Preferred Qualifications:
- 10+ years of leadership experience of relevant experience in the financial services, technology, entrepreneurial or corporate innovation roles, or a related sector, ideally brokering and leading startup partnerships
- High IQ and EQ, with a proven track record of leading teams and managing cross-functional initiatives
- Experience managing budgets, resource allocation, and operational processes to maximize team efficiency and project impact
- Knowledge of regulatory requirements in financial services and experience working with regulators
- MBA or advanced degree in business, finance, or a related field, preferred, but not required
Pay Transparency
Salary Range: Discretionary bonus eligible: Yes Actual base salary will be determined based on several factors but not limited to individual's experience, skills, qualifications, and job location. Additionally, employees are eligible for an annual discretionary bonus. In addition to base salary, employees may also be eligible to participate in an incentive program.
We provide a full package of benefits for employees – and have unique offerings for a modern workforce, including leave programs, adoption assistance, and student loan repayment programs. Based on feedback from our employees, we continue to refine and add benefits to our offering, so that you can flourish both inside and outside of work.
Our Diversity Promise
We believe in a diverse workforce because it is our mission to advocate for the financial security and success of people in every community. This is why diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are guiding principles that are embedded in our brand and our culture.
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