Director of Strategic Alliances

The Director of Strategic Alliances is responsible for identifying, building, and scaling high impact referral and distribution partnerships that drive new client growth for the firm. This leader will develop a repeatable partnership strategy and turnkey relationships into consistent meeting flow, qualified opportunities, and long-term brand credibility.

This role sits at the intersection of business development, and marketing. The Director will own the firm’s partnership pipeline, go to market motions with external partners, and overall partner performance.

ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES

Partnership Strategy and Growth

• Build and execute the firm’s strategic partnerships roadmap to support client acquisition and expansion goals
• Identify new partner categories and prioritize based on fit, scale potential, and revenue impact
• Create a structured approach to partner recruitment, onboarding, enablement, and ongoing relationship management
• Establish partner tiers and clear definitions of what “success” looks like across each partnership type

Business Development and Relationship Management

• Source and develop relationships with centers of influence and strategic partners, including:
• CPAs and tax firms
• Estate planning attorneys and trust companies
• Small businesses and business brokers
• Corporate benefits teams and retirement plan providers
• Insurance firms and P&C advisors
• Private equity and M&A advisors
• Bank referral partners and mortgage professionals
• Executive networks and affinity groups
• Develop and own a partner pipeline with consistent activity targets and reporting
• Lead partner meetings, joint planning sessions, and growth reviews

Partner Activation and Execution

• Design and run co-branded campaigns and referral programs with marketing and sales leadership
• Coordinate partner education sessions, client events, webinars, and shared content initiatives
• Build “partner kits” including messaging, intros, talking points, service overview, and client fit profiles
• Ensure partners understand how the firm delivers value, who the ideal client is, and how to refer effectively

Metrics, Tracking, and Accountability

• Track performance across key partnership metrics including:
• Referrals received and converted
• Meetings booked through partners
• Close rate and assets gathered
• Time to conversion and partner engagement trends
• New and Reoccurring revenue
• Monitor ROI by partner channel and reallocate time toward the highest producing relationships
• Maintain clean CRM workflows and report on all partner activity

Cross Functional Leadership

• Partner with leadership to align strategic partnerships with firm priorities, capacity, and value add to client experience
• Collaborate with client service, operations, and compliance to ensure partnership activities align with firm standards
• Work closely with advisors to develop partner coverage plans and improve referral conversion

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE

• 10 years of experience in strategic partnerships, business development, or functional growth roles
• Experience in wealth management, RIA, financial services, or adjacent industries preferred
• Strong working knowledge of referral driven growth models (COIs, professional networks, corporate partnerships)
• Familiarity with CRM systems, pipeline management, and performance reporting
• Bachelor’s degree required (MBA a plus)

role information

• Location: Chicago
• Role Classification: Full-time exempt