Senior Associate of Strategic Partnerships & Business Development

Embark; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible vacation policy

Paid parental leave

Every other Friday off

Job summary

Embark is seeking a Sr Associate, Strategic Partnerships & Business Development contractor to identify, build, and grow commercial relationships across the animal health & pet care industry.

You’ll own the partner lifecycle end-to-end—from prospecting and onboarding to day-to-day relationship management, renewal, and expansion—ensuring alignment with internal teams and partner strategies.

Based in Boston or near, with remote options and travel up to ~10–15% as needed.

Qualifications

• 5 years of experience in business development, partnerships, account management, or a related commercial role.

Responsibilities

• Identify, build and grow commercial relationships across Embark’s animal health and pet care ecosystem.
• Own the partner lifecycle end-to-end: prospecting, onboarding, day-to-day relationship management, renewal and expansion.
• Coordinate with cross-functional teams to align partner strategies with Embark's goals.
• Develop and pitch cross-sell and co-marketing opportunities with leading brands.

Skills

Business development

Partnerships

Account management

Job description

• This is a contract role with the potential to convert to a full-time position, based on business needs and performance
• Embark is looking for a Sr Associate, Strategic Partnerships & Business Development contractor to identify, build, and grow commercial relationships that extend Embark’s reach across the animal health & pet care industry
• You’ll sit at the intersection of prospecting, deal execution, and account management – spotting where Embark can strategically align with leading brands’ commercial strategies
• In this role you will manage partnerships from pitch through renewal, while keeping cross-functional stakeholders aligned along the way. This role is ideal for someone who’s comfortable building processes from the ground up and adapting their approach across external partners and internal teams to ensure partnership success
• Embark is on a mission to bring joy to dog lovers by offering the world’s best products and services to strengthen their bonds with the dogs in their lives. Our canine DNA test — named the best by The New York Times — enables us to make scientific advances in personalized pet care
• Designed by world leaders in dog genetics (in partnership with Cornell University), the Embark Dog DNA Test provides information on genetic health risks and breed make-up, allowing dog owners, breeders, and veterinarians to drive personalized care plans based on a dog’s unique genetic profile
• Monitor the pet care landscape to identify emerging brands, market shifts, and partnership opportunities relevant to Embark’s strategy
• Develop and pitch cross-sell and co-marketing opportunities, including ways other brands can incorporate Embark into their own commercial or subscription offerings
• Own the partner lifecycle end-to-end: prospecting, onboarding, day-to-day relationship management, renewal, and expansion
• Serve as the primary point of contact for partners, representing Embark’s brand and goals consistently across the relationship
• Track partnership pipeline, milestones, and contracting progress; keep internal stakeholders informed and unblocked
• Represent partnership priorities internally, translating partner needs into a clear internal voice across teams
• Bring structure and reporting discipline to a process that spans multiple teams and timelines
• Assess gaps in Embark’s partner portfolio against the broader roadmap and proactively recommend where to focus

Benefits

• A flexible vacation policy so you can take off the time you need when you need it
• Paid maternal and paternal leave (plus paw-ternity leave for new pets)
• Every other Friday off each summer
• Dog-friendly office near South Station, Boston (when we get back to the office), with some flexibility (eg work from home at least 2 days a week, flexibility around child care needs, etc)
• Perks tailored for dog lovers including subsidized pet insurance and dog-walking services
• Startup perks with big-company benefits (401k match, a generous bonus structure, commuter benefits, top-of-the-line healthcare, HSA/FSA)
• Fully-stocked office snack bar and regular office events
• New iMacs and MacBook Pros, or laptops running Linux
• Continuing education, including attending conferences and company-provided resources to help with individual growth and development
• Equity participation — every employee gets stock options

You’ll be a great fit if you are a curious problem solver who enjoys learning the ins and outs of a partner’s business, can bring creative thinking to deal structuring, and is self-motivated enough to dig where others haven’t, turning overlooked opportunities into meaningful partnerships

Willingness to travel ~10-15%

Familiarity with the pet care category, or demonstrated ability to quickly build category fluency is preferred

Experience managing external partner relationships as well as internal stakeholder relationships — and adapting communication style between the two

Based in or near Boston preferred; open to remote candidates

Demonstrated ability to operate with ambiguity and build process from scratch

Strong organizational skills; comfortable owning tracking, reporting, and follow-through across multiple concurrent partnerships

5 years of experience in business development, partnerships, account management, or a related commercial role