About the role
Shutterfly is redefining its role in consumers' lives, evolving from a photo products company into the platform that powers the full memory ecosystem: from capture and curation to creation, storage, and sharing.
Partnerships are a critical growth engine in that transformation. Today, partnerships represent one of Shutterfly's most capital-efficient customer acquisition channels, and the opportunity ahead is to expand that impact by unlocking new sources of growth, new audiences, and new pathways to engagement.
The VP, Strategic Partnerships & Business Development is a senior leadership role responsible for building, leading, and scaling Shutterfly's partnerships function - owning the full-cycle partnership strategy from identification through execution and long-term growth.
This is a general management role with a strong business development orientation. The ideal candidate is a strategic, operationally excellent leader who can define the partnership roadmap, originate and close high-impact deals, and manage and grow a portfolio of existing partnerships - all while building and developing a high-performing team. They are a player/coach: equally comfortable in the room closing a deal as they are setting the vision, prioritizing the portfolio, and leading through influence across cross-functional teams to deliver results for customers and partners.
What you'll do
- 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 Shutterfly's existing partnership portfolio, ensuring each partnership delivers against its potential
- Lead the evaluation of portfolio partnership opportunities, including those connected to the broader Apollo ecosystem, and recommend the right path to implementation.
- Strengthen and expand existing strategic partnerships by identifying new ways to grow customer value, brand relevance, and revenue contribution.
- Expand Shutterfly's presence upstream in the customer journey by embedding into high-frequency consumer experiences
- S tructure partnerships through creative models (co-marketing, barter, value exchange), maximizing impact without reliance on large cash investments
- Partner with Shutterfly Business Solutions to support relationship development and partner-sourced commercial opportunities where relevant.
- Build business cases for new opportunities, including strategic fit, customer impact, financial upside, operational requirements, and implementation complexity.
- Lead cross-functional planning for launches and integrations, 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.
What success looks like
- A clear partnership strategy tied to Shutterfly's growth priorities and long-term brand relevance.
- A strong pipeline of well-qualified partnership opportunities supported by thoughtful prioritization and disciplined evaluation.
- Existing strategic partnerships that are growing, delivering value, and operating effectively across the business.
- Smoother launches and integrations driven by strong cross-functional planning and clear accountability.
- A scalable business development function that helps the company move faster and make better decisions on where to place its bets.
This is a high-impact, fast-moving role with an expectation of early momentum.
First 30 Days - Assess the current partnership portfolio, team capabilities, and pipeline health
- Build relationships across internal stakeholders and understand cross-functional dynamics
- Develop a clear point of view on partnership priorities and strategic gaps
- Initiate conversations with high-priority partnership targets
First 60 Days - Advance multiple new partnership opportunities into active deal development
- Establish a strong outbound pipeline across key verticals
- Begin shaping the team structure and capability plan to support the full partnership mission
First 90 Days - Close or be in late-stage negotiation on at least one meaningful new partnership
- Demonstrate measurable contribution to growth initiatives across both new and existing partnerships
- Build a credible forward-looking pipeline that provides visibility into sustained partnership momentum
- Have a clear team development plan in place, with defined roles and accountability across the function
What you'll bring
- 15+ years of experience in partnerships, business development, or strategic alliances - with meaningful experience in general management or P&L ownership - ideally within consumer, digital platform, or commerce environments
- Proven track record of both originating/closing high-impact partnerships and managing and growing existing partner relationships over time
- Strong executive presence with experience building trusted relationships at the senior leadership level, both externally and internally
- 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; able to lead through influence without direct authority and drive action across multiple teams
- Demonstrated ability to identify opportunity, structure creative deals, and navigate complex negotiations
- Experience working across or with platform businesses, ecosystems, or large-scale consumer networks is a strong plus
- Experience in brand partnerships, sponsorships, or commercial partnerships is preferred
- Strong commercial instincts, with the ability to evaluate partnerships through both a P&L and strategic lens
- Analytical and strategic thinker, comfortable building business cases, defining success frameworks, and managing portfolio-level performance
- Entrepreneurial mindset - thrives in ambiguity, operates with speed, builds teams, and drives results
Preferred qualifications
- Experience in consumer, ecommerce, retail, digital marketplace, or technology-driven businesses.
- Exposure to strategic integrations, joint business planning, or broader corporate development work.
- Bachelor's degree required; MBA or other advanced degree preferred.
This position will accept applications on an ongoing basis until filled.
