VC/Accelerator Partnerships

Job description

ABOUT THE COMPANY Most companies don't end in acquisition — they end in closure. Yet shutdown has never been given the same rigor, clarity, or professionalism as the moments that came before it. Nearly 4 million companies shut down every year, creating a massive, overlooked market. SimpleClosure is building the infrastructure to change that. Having raised over $20M from leading VCs and trusted by more than 7,000 companies to date, we streamline the entire business dissolution process — from legal and tax to operational and administrative — as one coordinated effort instead of a patchwork of disconnected steps. We take it a step further by connecting founders with buyers for their remaining assets, so they can realize value that would otherwise be lost. Joining SimpleClosure means helping define an entirely new category, solving complex, high-impact problems, and building the products and processes that support founders through one of the most important moments in a company's journey. JOB OVERVIEW This isn't a sales role. It's a relationships role — built on genuine trust inside one of the world's most connected startup ecosystems. You will own SimpleClosure's presence inside the SF VC and accelerator community: the platform teams, the program managers, the partners who quietly shepherd portfolio companies through hard transitions. You'll be an integral part of our Partnerships team, supporting the SF market end-to-end: sourcing new partners, deepening existing ones, co-designing events, and building the kind of earned credibility that no outbound sequence can manufacture. *Candidates MUST be located in the San Francisco Metro Area. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES - Partnerships & Pipeline - Own a portfolio of VC fund and accelerator relationships from first outreach through activation and long-term engagement - Map the SF VC landscape: identify funds with the most portfolio distress exposure, surface platform leads and program managers, and prioritize by referral potential - Build and maintain referral pipelines with VC fund stakeholders, platform teams, accelerator program managers, startup attorneys, and ecosystem connectors - Track all relationship activity, referral volume, and pipeline contribution in HubSpot — this is a real pipeline, and it needs to look like one - Own the handoff loop: when a partner sends us a company, they should hear back fast and feel good about it - Ecosystem Presence - Attend 3–5 Bay Area startup events per week — demo days, VC-hosted dinners, founder meetups, tech week gatherings, legal and accounting firm events - Build genuine relationships with: VC GPs/partners, finance and legal teams, and platform leads (especially those managing portfolio companies navigating wind-downs), accelerator program managers (YC, a16z, Soma Capital, First Round, etc.) and directly with founders. - Become the recognized SimpleClosure face in SF — the name that surfaces when the words "shutdown" or "wind-down" come up in conversation - Events & Programming - Support and co-own SimpleClosure's SF event programming alongside our Community team: founder dinners, VC roundtables, informal "what to do when it's over" conversations - Identify co-hosting and co-branding opportunities with ecosystem partners that extend reach without requiring a full production lift - Bring back intel from every room you're in: what are founders worried about, what are VCs telling their portfolio, what language resonates DESIRED SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS - Already embedded in the SF VC ecosystem — you have existing relationships at VC platform teams, accelerator programs, or startup law firms - 3–5+ years in partnerships, BD, ecosystem, platform or community roles at a startup, financial services or VC - Organized enough to run a real pipeline in CRM; not so transactional that you lose the trust that makes this work - Genuine social energy — you are energized by events and people, not depleted by them. This is a personality fit, not a hustle requirement. - Strong communicator: warm in person, crisp in writing, responsive in Slack - Comfortable with ambiguity and self-directed; you don't need a playbook to get moving Nice to have but not required: - Personal experience founding or shutting down a company — you know what this moment feels like from the inside - Existing relationships at top SF-based funds and accelerator programs - Background in fintech, legaltech, or professional services - Experience running or co-hosting branded ecosystem events WHAT WE OFFER - Compensation: $120,000 – $180,000, depending on experience level - Competitive equity package - Comprehensive health benefits, including medical, dental, and vision - Life insurance - Unlimited paid time off - Fully remote in San Francisco Bay area (with expectations of being in person for events) - Two company-wide offsites each year - 401(k) with Traditional and Roth options, with immediate eligibility SIMPLECLOSURE IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER We are committed to providing a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at SimpleClosure — including recruiting, hiring, promotion, compensation, and termination — are based on qualifications, merit, and business need, without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. We're committed to building a diverse and inclusive team, and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds. If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process, please let us know. APPLICATION PROCESS Thanks for applying! If your experience is a strong match for what we're looking for, our hiring team will reach out to schedule an initial screening call and walk you through the rest of our interview process. We do our best to respond to every applicant, but given the volume of applications we receive, we may not be able to provide individual updates if we decide not to move forward.