Strategic Partnerships Director - Southeast

Job description

The Partnerships team expands access to high-quality psychiatric care by building strategic relationships with health systems across the country. We partner with executive, clinical and operational leaders to create seamless referral pathways, improve patient access, and deliver measurable value for both patients and partner organizations. We are seeking a Strategic Partnership Director (individual contributor) to lead new health system partnerships within an assigned territory (Southeast). This is a true hunter role for someone who is energized by opening doors, developing executive relationships, and building partnerships from the ground up (not managing an existing book of business). The ideal candidate is a relationship-driven business development leader with an established network of health system executives and physician leaders. They love the challenge of developing partnerships, are energized by prospecting and relationship building, and have a track record of independently driving opportunities from initial outreach through successful launch. They understand the unique challenges facing health systems, speak credibly about clinical operations and referral workflows, and build trust through insight, persistence, and high emotional intelligence - not high-pressure sales tactics. Success in this role means quickly leveraging your network to build executive relationships, creating a robust pipeline of qualified health system opportunities, securing meaningful referral partnerships, and establishing Talkiatry as a trusted behavioral health partner across your territory. TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS ROLE, YOU MUST LIVE IN ONE OF THESE STATES: Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, West Virginia ABOUT TALKIATRY: Talkiatry is transforming mental health care by making high-quality psychiatry more accessible, human, and sustainable for both patients and clinicians. Co-founded by a patient and a triple-board-certified psychiatrist, we were built to solve one of healthcare’s most urgent challenges: millions of people struggle to access mental health care, while clinicians face growing administrative burden and burnout. Through our technology-powered, in-network platform, we’re changing that, creating a better experience for patients and empowering clinicians to focus on delivering exceptional care. Today, Talkiatry is the largest dedicated psychiatry practice in the U.S., with 750+ psychiatrists, 250+ therapists, and more than two million patient visits delivered nationwide. At our scale, every innovation has real impact. Every workflow we improve, every technology solution we build, and every patient experience we redesign helps thousands of clinicians provide better care to hundreds of thousands of patients. We’re not just growing quickly — we’re redefining how behavioral healthcare is delivered in America. Joining Talkiatry means joining a mission-driven team that is solving complex problems at scale, driving meaningful change in healthcare, and building the future of mental health care with compassion, innovation, and purpose. YOU WILL: - Develop and execute a territory strategy to identify, prioritize, and secure new health system partnerships, leveraging existing executive relationships while building new ones with key clinical and operational leaders. - Own the full partnership lifecycle - from prospecting and relationship development through discovery, executive presentations, negotiation, and successful launch - with accountability for delivering partnership and growth goals. - Leverage existing relationships while building new executive connections with physician leaders, behavioral health executives, referral management teams, population health leaders, and C-suite stakeholders to create long-term strategic partnerships. - Navigate complex health system organizations by building consensus across multiple stakeholders, understanding organizational dynamics, and aligning Talkiatry's value with each system's clinical and strategic priorities. - Maintain deep knowledge of the health system landscape within your territory, including executive movement, strategic priorities, competitive dynamics, and emerging partnership opportunities, using those insights to shape your territory strategy. - Develop and execute a systematic approach to territory planning, prospecting, account prioritization, and pipeline management that consistently creates new partnership opportunities. - Represent Talkiatry as a behavioral health thought partner by articulating industry trends, healthcare economics, referral workflows, and Talkiatry's value in improving access, quality, and patient outcomes. - Partner cross-functionally with Clinical, Operations, Legal, Product, and Executive Leadership to design, structure, and launch successful partnerships while independently driving opportunities forward and removing obstacles to execution. - Represent Talkiatry at industry conferences, executive forums, and professional networks to strengthen market presence, expand strategic relationships, and generate new partnership opportunities. YOU ARE: - A relationship-driven business development leader with an established network and the credibility to quickly build trust with health system executives, physician leaders, and other key stakeholders. - Someone who is energized by prospecting, opening doors, and creating new partnership opportunities (not simply managing existing accounts or relationships). - An EQ-driven business developer who builds momentum through trust, persistence, and thoughtful problem-solving rather than pressure, urgency tactics, or transactional sales approaches. - A proven track record of independently owning complex partnership opportunities from initial outreach through successful launch, with a strong bias toward action and accountability. - The ability to navigate the complexity and politics of large health systems, building consensus across physician leaders, operational stakeholders, and executive decision-makers. - The confidence and resourcefulness to independently drive opportunities forward while effectively leveraging cross-functional partners when they add value (not relying on large sales support organizations to create momentum). - Deep knowledge of health system operations, referral patterns, and the challenges healthcare organizations face in expanding access to behavioral health services. - Executive presence with exceptional communication and presentation skills, and the ability to influence C-suite leaders through compelling business cases and strategic insights. - An entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to build and execute a territory strategy, develop systematic approaches to pipeline generation, and consistently create new partnership opportunities. - A collaborative approach that brings together Clinical, Operations, Legal, Product, and Executive Leadership to launch successful partnerships while maintaining ownership and accountability for outcomes. - Passion for Talkiatry's mission and a commitment to expanding access to high-quality behavioral health care through long-term, mutually beneficial health system partnerships. YOU HAVE: - 7+ years of experience developing and closing enterprise partnerships with health systems, integrated delivery networks (IDNs), academic medical centers, physician organizations, or other complex healthcare providers. - Proven track record of independently sourcing, developing, and closing new business opportunities in a quota-carrying or commercially accountable role. - Demonstrated experience developing executive relationships across health system executives, physician leaders, and clinical stakeholders, with a demonstrated ability to leverage those relationships to develop new strategic partnerships. - Demonstrated success navigating complex, multi-stakeholder sales cycles involving clinical, operational, legal, finance, and executive decision-makers. - Deep understanding of health system operations, physician referral patterns, behavioral health access challenges, and the priorities of clinical leadership. - Strong executive presence with exceptional written, verbal, and presentation skills, including experience presenting business cases and partnership proposals to senior healthcare leaders. - Experience developing territory strategies, building and managing a healthy pipeline, and accurately forecasting opportunities using CRM platforms such as HubSpot, Salesforce, or similar tools. - Ability to operate independently with a high degree of ownership, urgency, and accountability while collaborating effectively with Clinical, Operations, Legal, Product, Finance, and Executive Leadership. - Willingness to travel up to 30% within the assigned territory for executive meetings, partner engagement, and industry conferences. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS - Experience building referral partnerships or physician services relationships within behavioral health, psychiatry, telehealth, or specialty care. - Experience selling healthcare services or provider solutions to health systems, rather than primarily selling technology, benefits, or HR solutions. - Experience partnering with physician groups or specialty care providers to build referral-based growth strategies. - MBA, MHA, MPH, or an equivalent combination of healthcare and business leadership experience. WHAT WE OFFER - Competitive compensation with a performance-based incentive plan tied to partnership growth and business impact. - A remote-first role with the flexibility to work from anywhere within your assigned territory, with travel to partner sites and industry events. - The opportunity to lead strategic partnerships with some of the nation's leading health systems and healthcare organizations. - A high-impact role with direct exposure to executive leadership and the ability to influence Talkiatry's enterprise growth strategy. - The autonomy to build new relationships, shape market expansion, and help define how Talkiatry partners with health systems nationwide. - A collaborative, mission-driven culture where Clinical, Operations, Product, and Commercial teams work together to improve access to high-quality psychiatric care. - The chance to make a meaningful difference by helping health systems expand access to behavioral healthcare for the patients and communities they serve. - Opportunities for professional growth and leadership development within one of the fastest-growing organizations in behavioral healthcare. - The ability to make a lasting impact by helping transform how health systems deliver and expand access to psychiatric care. WHY TALKIATRY: - Top-notch team: we're a diverse, experienced group motivated to make a difference in mental health care - Collaborative environment: be part of building something from the ground up at a fast-paced startup - Excellent benefits: medical, dental, vision, effective day 1 of employment, 401K with match, generous PTO plus paid holidays, paid parental leave, and more! - Grow your career with us: hone your skills and build new ones with our Learning team as Talkiatry expands - It all comes back to care: we’re a mental health company, and we put our team’s well-being first Talkiatry participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. only after a job offer is accepted and Form I-9 is completed. 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At Talkiatry, we are an equal opportunity employer committed to a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace and candidate experience. We strive to create an environment where everyone has a sense of belonging and purpose, and where we learn from the unique experiences of those around us. We encourage all qualified candidates to apply regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital or family status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, pregnancy or caregiver status, veteran status, or any other legally protected status.