Director, Strategic Partnerships - Health Plans & Direct Payers

Valenz Group; Phoenix (AZ); Remote; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision insurance

401K with company match

Flexible remote work environment

Generous Paid Time Off

Employee assistance program

Paid parental leave

Pet insurance

Job summary

Valenz Group seeks a Director of Strategic Partnerships for Health Plans & Direct Payers to drive high-value collaborations that expand market reach, capabilities, and revenue across payer ecosystems.

You will lead complex negotiations, design commercial models, and coordinate cross-functional teams to move partnerships from exploration through launch. Remote work with US-based eligibility is required.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in healthcare business development, strategic partnerships, payer strategy, health plan sales, healthcare consulting, or related commercial role.
• Strong knowledge of the U.S. payer ecosystem, including health plans, payer organizations, risk-bearing entities, healthcare technology organizations, and related service providers.
• Demonstrated success identifying, structuring, negotiating, and launching complex strategic partnerships that drive commercial growth.
• Strong understanding of healthcare economics, payer operating models, commercial structures, and strategic partnership models.
• Experience developing business cases, evaluating partnership economics, and negotiating complex commercial agreements.
• Strong executive presence with the ability to establish credibility and develop relationships with senior internal and external stakeholders.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives, influence without direct authority, and balance strategic thinking with disciplined execution.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute strategic partnership plans that expand Valenz Health’s reach, capabilities, and revenue opportunities across health plans, direct payers, and other payer organizations.
• Identify and pursue high-value strategic partnership opportunities with organizations that can expand Valenz Health's market reach, capabilities, and long-term revenue potential across the payer market.
• Build and advance a targeted portfolio of strategic partnership opportunities with health plans, payer organizations, healthcare technology companies, and other organizations capable of creating meaningful market access, integrated solutions, or commercial growth opportunities.
• Establish and influence executive-level relationships with prospective partners, aligning organizational priorities and identifying opportunities for mutually beneficial strategic partnerships.
• Design partnership models and value propositions that create mutual commercial and strategic value, including integrated offerings, embedded solutions, distribution arrangements, and strategic alliances.
• Develop business cases and executive recommendations evaluating market opportunity, revenue potential, partnership economics, investment requirements, risks, and strategic value.
• Lead complex partnership opportunities from initial exploration through due diligence, internal approval, commercial agreement, and launch.
• Develop and negotiate partnership economics, pricing, revenue-sharing arrangements, incentives, performance expectations, and other commercial terms in partnership with Legal, Finance, and Commercial leadership.
• Lead cross-functional collaboration across Commercial, Product, Technology, Operations, Client Success, Finance, Legal, and Marketing to evaluate opportunities, align resources, and advance partnership initiatives.
• Oversee partnership commercialization and launch, establishing clear objectives, success measures, governance, operating expectations, and implementation requirements to support successful market adoption.
• Establish executive relationships and long-term partnership roadmaps that support sustained performance, expansion, and strategic value.
• Transition established partnerships to the designated Strategic Account Manager within Client Success for ongoing relationship management, while supporting significant expansion opportunities, renegotiations, or structural changes as needed.

Skills

Strategic partnerships

Healthcare business development

Payer strategy

Executive relationship management

Cross-functional leadership

Negotiation

Education

MBA or related advanced degree

Bachelor's degree (related field)

Job description

Vālenz Health® is the destination for employers, brokers, payers, and providers to reduce costs, improve quality, and elevate the healthcare experience. Through advanced technology and clinical expertise, Valenz creates a distinctly different approach to a complex healthcare system. With our solutions, we execute across the entire healthcare journey — from member experience to payment integrity, provider quality, and plan performance. With one of America’s largest cost, quality and utilization datasets, we create greater transparency, flexibility, and cost containment — empowering members and employers with the information they need to make smarter, more cost-effective decisions.

About This Opportunity:

As the Director, Strategic Partnership – Health Plans & Direct Payers, you’ll lead the development of strategic partnerships that expand Valenz Health’s market reach, capabilities, and revenue opportunities across health plans, payer organizations, and other risk-bearing entities.

You’ll identify high-value opportunities, develop partnership models that create mutual strategic and commercial value, and lead opportunities from initial exploration through negotiation and launch. You’ll collaborate across Commercial, Product, Operations, Finance, Legal, Marketing, and Client Success to bring partnerships to market, transitioning established relationships to Strategic Account Management for ongoing ownership and growth.

Things You’ll Do Here:

• Develop and execute strategic partnership plans that expand Valenz Health’s reach, capabilities, and revenue opportunities across health plans, direct payers, and other payer organizations.
• Identify and pursue high-value strategic partnership opportunities with organizations that can expand Valenz Health's market reach, capabilities, and long-term revenue potential across the payer market.
• Build and advance a targeted portfolio of strategic partnership opportunities with health plans, payer organizations, healthcare technology companies, and other organizations capable of creating meaningful market access, integrated solutions, or commercial growth opportunities.
• Establish and influence executive-level relationships with prospective partners, aligning organizational priorities and identifying opportunities for mutually beneficial strategic partnerships.
• Design partnership models and value propositions that create mutual commercial and strategic value, including integrated offerings, embedded solutions, distribution arrangements, and strategic alliances.
• Develop business cases and executive recommendations evaluating market opportunity, revenue potential, partnership economics, investment requirements, risks, and strategic value.
• Lead complex partnership opportunities from initial exploration through due diligence, internal approval, commercial agreement, and launch.
• Develop and negotiate partnership economics, pricing, revenue-sharing arrangements, incentives, performance expectations, and other commercial terms in partnership with Legal, Finance, and Commercial leadership.
• Lead cross-functional collaboration across Commercial, Product, Technology, Operations, Client Success, Finance, Legal, and Marketing to evaluate opportunities, align resources, and advance partnership initiatives.
• Oversee partnership commercialization and launch, establishing clear objectives, success measures, governance, operating expectations, and implementation requirements to support successful market adoption.
• Establish executive relationships and long-term partnership roadmaps that support sustained performance, expansion, and strategic value.
• Transition established partnerships to the designated Strategic Account Manager within Client Success for ongoing relationship management, while supporting significant expansion opportunities, renegotiations, or structural changes as needed.

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential duties.

What You’ll Bring to the Team:

• 10+ years of experience in healthcare business development, strategic partnerships, payer strategy, health plan sales, healthcare consulting, or a related commercial role.
• Strong knowledge of the U.S. payer ecosystem, including health plans, payer organizations, risk-bearing entities, healthcare technology organizations, and related service providers.
• Demonstrated success identifying, structuring, negotiating, and launching complex strategic partnerships that drive commercial growth.
• Strong understanding of healthcare economics, payer operating models, commercial structures, and strategic partnership models.
• Experience developing business cases, evaluating partnership economics, and negotiating complex commercial agreements.
• Strong executive presence with the ability to establish credibility and develop relationships with senior internal and external stakeholders.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives, influence without direct authority, and balance strategic thinking with disciplined execution.

A plus if you have…

• Experience developing partnerships within health plans, payer organizations, payment integrity, healthcare technology, or related markets.
• Established relationships across health plans, payer organizations, healthcare technology companies, or other risk-bearing healthcare entities.
• Experience structuring integrated solutions, embedded solutions, distribution arrangements, or strategic alliances.
• Experience working within a private equity-backed, high-growth, or rapidly evolving healthcare organization.
• MBA or other relevant advanced degree.

Where You’ll Work:

This is a fully remote position, and we’ll provide all the necessary equipment!

• Work Environment: You’ll need a quiet workspace that is free from distractions.
• Technology: Reliable internet connection—if you can use streaming services, you’re good to go!
• Security: Adherence to company security protocols, including the use of VPNs, secure passwords, and company-approved devices/software.
• Location: You must be US based, in a location where you can work effectively and comply with company policies such as HIPAA.
• Travel: Up to 50%

Why You'll Love Working Here

Our mission is to advance healthcare through technology and expertise to optimize cost, quality, access, and utilization for all. We bring that mission to life through our commitment to Collaboration, Performance, Transparency, and Trust—the core values that guide how we work with our members, our customers, and each other.

Benefits

• Generously subsidized company-sponsored Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance, with access to services through our own products, Healthcare Blue Book and KISx Card.
• Spending account options: HSA, FSA, and DCFSA
• 401K with company match and immediate vesting
• Flexible working environment
• Generous Paid Time Off to include vacation, sick leave, and paid holidays
• Employee Assistance Program that includes professional counseling, referrals, and additional services
• Paid maternity and paternity leave
• Pet insurance
• Employee discounts on phone plans, car rentals and computers
• Community giveback opportunities, including paid time off for philanthropic endeavors

At Valenz, we celebrate, support, and thrive on inclusion, for the benefit of our associates, our partners, and our products. Valenz is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all associates and to providing associates with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at Valenz are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social, or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, physical, mental or sensory disability, HIV Status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, past or present military service, family medical history or genetic information, family or parental status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. We will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics.