Senior Director, Strategic Partnerships

Symcor Inc.; Mississauga; Hybrid; CAD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Symcor Inc. in Mississauga seeks a Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships to shape a high-impact partner ecosystem, identify opportunities, and guide end-to-end negotiations with external partners.

You will drive cross-functional alignment with product, legal, risk, and delivery teams, design scalable partnership models, and push Horizon 2 & 3 initiatives to deliver measurable business outcomes in financial services.

Hybrid role with flexible onsite expectations, typically 2 days per week.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Strategy, Finance, or related field preferred.
• MBA or equivalent asset, esp. with focus on strategy, innovation, or business development.

Responsibilities

• Identify and structure strategic partnerships aligned to business priorities.
• Lead end-to-end partnership lifecycle: sourcing, negotiating, closing, and managing.
• Design governance models, operating models, and performance frameworks for partnerships.
• Drive cross-functional alignment with product, legal, risk, and delivery teams.

Skills

Strategic partnerships

Negotiation

Cross-functional leadership

Executive communication

Innovation mindset

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration or related field

MBA or equivalent (asset)

Job description

The Opportunity:

The Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships is responsible for identifying, structuring, and managing strategic relationships that accelerate innovation, expand Symcor’s market reach, and support Horizon 2 & 3 initiatives. This role is focused on building a high-impact partner ecosystem that complements Symcor’s capabilities, unlocks new business models, and delivers measurable business outcomes.

This is a highly strategic and externally focused role, leading partnership initiatives end-to-end from opportunity identification through to negotiation, execution, and ongoing relationship management.

This is a hybrid role with flexible onsite expectations, typically 2 days per week.

About The Role:

• Developing and executing a comprehensive partnership strategy aligned to Symcor’s business priorities across current products and future growth areas.
• Building and maintaining a strong pipeline of high-value external partnerships that drive innovation and revenue opportunities.
• Leading end-to-end partnership lifecycle activities including sourcing, structuring, negotiating, and closing strategic agreements.
• Engaging and influencing external partners to drive shared outcomes and long-term value creation.
• Designing and implementing partnership frameworks, governance models, and processes to enable scalable and repeatable success.
• Driving cross-functional alignment with internal stakeholders across product, legal, risk, and delivery teams to ensure seamless execution.
• Strengthening Symcor’s position within the broader financial services and fintech ecosystem.

What You Need to Succeed:

Education:

• Bachelor’s degreein Business Administration, Strategy, Finance, or a related field is preferred.
• MBA or equivalent is an asset, particularly with a focus on strategy, innovation, or business developmen

Experience:

• 8-10 years in strategic partnerships, corporate development, or business strategy.

• Progressive experience in strategic partnerships, corporate development, or business strategy, ideally within financial services or a highly regulated environment
• Demonstrated success in leading complex partnership negotiations and successfully closing commercial agreements
• Experience working with or within Tier 1 and/or fintech ecosystems, including engaging with both established institutions and emerging partners
• Experience building or scaling partnership programs, including establishing operating models, governance, and performance frameworks
• Background operating at a senior leadership level (Director or Senior Director equivalent) with accountability for external relationships and business outcomes

Skill requirements

Strategic & Commercial Acumen:

• Strong understanding of business models, market dynamics, and strategic growth levers.
• Ability to assess partnership opportunities for strategic fit, financial impact, and long-term value.

Partnership Development & Deal Execution:

• Expertise in identifying, negotiating, and managing strategic relationships across diverse ecosystems.
• Skilled in building governance models, joint planning frameworks, and performance metrics.

Cross-Functional Leadership:

• Ability to influence and align internal stakeholders across product, legal, finance, and delivery teams.
• Strong facilitation and collaboration skills to drive execution across departments.

Communication & Relationship Building:

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including executive-level presentations and external representation.
• Skilled in building trust-based relationships with partners, vendors, and industry leaders.

Innovation Mindset:

• Familiarity with emerging technologies, innovation ecosystems, and Horizon 3 thinking.
• Ability to support transformational initiatives through external collaboration.