Head of Partnerships

About Yuzu At Yuzu, we’re building the next-generation health insurance company. We are NOT building a digital brokerage or an AI wrapper - we are going deeper to build the foundational infrastructure required to power tomorrow’s health plans. We believe that software can unlock the ability to build health plans that are affordable, adaptable, and scalable. Yuzu’s platform will be core to this future. So how does this actually work? Over 70% of employer-sponsored health plans are self-funded, meaning the employer acts as the insurer and directly covers employees' healthcare costs. This allows companies to customize benefits, gain flexibility, and save money. Self-funded employers partner with a Third-Party Administrator (TPA) to handle the behind-the-scenes plan administration, like processing claims and managing benefits. The TPA industry is a $500bn sleeper industry that has historically been seen as a services business, bogged down by manual processes and legacy systems. Yuzu is different. We are a vertically integrated & tech-enabled TPA, currently servicing thousands of companies. We differentiate by helping innovative health plans come to life by facilitating new ways to pay for and access healthcare covered by insurance. Yuzu’s goal is to make it as easy for any business to create and manage a custom health plan as it is to create a storefront on Shopify. The Opportunity The Head of Partnerships will own and grow our network of preferred vendor partners. You'll deepen existing relationships, audit our partnership mix for gaps, and proactively recruit new high-quality partners that expand our reach and strengthen our offering. This is a cross-functional, high-visibility role that directly impacts our growth strategy. What You'll Do: Manage and strengthen relationships with our current preferred vendor partners Conduct a systematic audit of our partnership mix to identify underrepresentation (quantity or quality) Develop a prioritized roadmap for new partnership development based on strategic gaps Source, evaluate, and negotiate agreements with prospective partners Serve as the primary relationship owner for a portfolio of partners, ensuring engagement, activation, and mutual value Coordinate with sales, marketing, and product to integrate partners effectively into our GTM motion Track and report on partnership-driven pipeline, revenue, and engagement metrics The Skillset 5-10 years of experience in partnerships, business development, or channel sales Proven track record of building and managing strategic vendor or partner relationships Strong analytical skills: comfortable identifying gaps and building structured plans to address them Experience in benefits, HR tech, health insurance, or adjacent industries preferred Excellent negotiation, communication, and relationship management skills Be available for 5–10% travel 90 Days at Yuzu The First 30 Days Learn the current vendor ecosystem Review the ~50 existing partner relationships Meet internal stakeholders to understand current pain points and gaps Build an initial assessment of where partner coverage is working vs missing The First 60 Days Start improving communication / operating rhythm with key vendors Create recommendations for: how to strengthen existing partnerships where new partners are needed Begin outreach / evaluation for high-priority partner gaps 90 Days & Beyond Put a clear partner strategy in place Strengthen the highest-value existing partnerships Bring forward a concrete gap-fill plan for new partners Establish a repeatable way to evaluate partner health and vendor fit Interview Process Initial Recruiter Interview: 30 min Hiring Manager interview: 45 minutes Take home assignment: ~2 hours Onsite: 2 hours Salary & Equity In this role, you’ll receive an $200,000 - $220,000 salary, bonus, early equity, and full benefits Location 5 days a week in our West Village, New York office The Perks 🌴 Flexible PTO : Unlimited ⚕️ Paid health benefits 100%: Medical, vision, and dental 🏦 401k Provider and match 📚Productivity Stipend: $3000/annually 🏠Home Office Stipend: for remote employees 🎉 Team Outings and Offsites: We just went to a mets game! 🥪 Daily in-office Lunch 🧢 Company Swag