Strategic Partnerships Lead

Company: Adaptive Insurance

Reports to: Head of Growth & Business Development

Location: Austin (Bee Cave), TX

Job Type: Full time

About the Role

Adaptive is looking for a Partner Manager who is energized by building relationships, driving results through others, and serving as a connective bridge between our external partners and our internal team. This is a new role that is highly visible, externally-facing and sits at the heart of our growth strategy.

You will own the success of Adaptive's most important partner relationships - defining joint goals, ensuring partners have what they need to succeed, and holding both sides accountable to outcomes. Equally important, you will bring the partner's perspective inside the building: their feedback, their needs, and their market insights should shape what we build and how we grow. If you love cultivating relationships, working across teams, and turning partnerships into tangible business results, this role is for you.

Key Responsibilities

Partner Relationship Management
• Serve as the primary point of contact for Adaptive's key partners, building deep, trust-based relationships that drive long-term mutual success
• Define joint goals and success metrics with each partner, and hold regular business reviews to track progress and address challenges
• Proactively identify opportunities to deepen partnerships - expanding scope, volume, or co-marketing efforts - and work cross-functionally to bring them to life
• Resolve partner issues and escalations quickly and effectively, maintaining a high bar for the partner experience

Voice of the Partner
• Serve as the internal champion for our partners, bringing their outside-in perspectives into product, operations, marketing, and leadership conversations
• Synthesize partner feedback into clear, actionable insights that inform what we build, why we build it, and how we go to market
• Identify patterns and signals across the partner base that surface strategic opportunities or risks for the business

Go-to-Market & Partner Acquisition
• Support the design and execution of go-to-market initiatives in partnership with the Head of Growth & Business Development
• Identify and qualify prospective new partners, supporting outreach and early-stage relationship development to expand Adaptive's partner network
• Collaborate with marketing and distribution to develop partner-facing materials, messaging, and enablement resources

Events & Industry Presence
• Represent Adaptive at key industry conferences, trade events, and partner meetings throughout the year, requiring occasional travel
• Prepare thoughtfully for external engagements, acting as a credible and enthusiastic ambassador for Adaptive's mission and products
• Capture and share learnings from the field to inform our market positioning and competitive awareness

What We're Looking For
• 4+ years of experience in partner management, business development, account management, or a related externally-facing role
• Relationship-first mentality: you build trust quickly, communicate with clarity, and know how to manage partners through both growth and adversity
• Strong commercial instincts: you understand what makes a partnership valuable for both sides and know how to structure engagements for mutual success
• Excellent communication skills: you're equally comfortable in a one-on-one partner conversation, an internal stakeholder meeting, or presenting at an industry event
• Organized and accountable: you track commitments, follow through consistently, and don't let things fall through the cracks
• Curious and insight-driven: you listen deeply to partners and translate what you hear into meaningful input for the business
• Comfortable with ambiguity: you thrive in an early-stage environment where processes are still being built and priorities can shift

Bonus Qualifications
• Experience in insurtech, fintech, or climate
• Background working with insurance distribution partners, agents, brokers, or wholesalers
• Exposure to go-to-market or product strategy in a high-growth environment
• MBA or equivalent advanced degree
• Prior experience at an early-stage startup

You'll Excel in This Role Because...
• You're energized by people: building and maintaining relationships is something you do naturally and love
• You think like an owner: you care about outcomes, not just activity, and hold yourself accountable to results
• You're a connector: you see how partner insights should connect to product decisions, marketing, and strategy - and you make that happen
• You're scrappy and resourceful: you get things done with the resources available and don't wait for perfect conditions
• You represent us well: you show up prepared, professional, and genuinely enthusiastic about what Adaptive is building

What We Offer
• Competitive salary and equity: you'll have a real stake in what we're building
• Direct impact: your relationships and the insights you bring in will directly shape our products and our growth
• Learning and growth: exposure to all aspects of building a business, from distribution strategy to product development
• Autonomy and ownership: we hire smart people and trust them to do great work
• Additional benefits: 401(k), company-paid health benefits, and PTO