Strategic Initiatives & Partnerships Lead

Strategic Initiatives & Partnerships Lead

Location(s) Malvern, PA, US Work model Hybrid Date posted October 12, 2026 Job requisition 183114

Strategic Overview Drive enterprise strategy through inorganic growth. You will be part of the team tasked with guiding the organization through complex issues related to strategic partnerships, and you will play a role in the end-to-end deal process from sourcing to integration across multiple Vanguard business lines.

Job description The Strategic Initiatives & Partnerships Lead helps Vanguard identify, develop, and launch strategic partnerships that advance enterprise priorities and create value for clients. This role sits at the intersection of enterprise strategy, business development, and partnership execution and is responsible for helping Vanguard connect internal priorities with external capabilities and ecosystems. This role will lead partnership opportunities from early-stage opportunity development through launch and support the transition to long-term business ownership. The ideal candidate knows how to build and foster strong external relationships, work cross-functionally with internal teams, and support partnership negotiations and due diligence to execute inorganic transactions.

Responsibilities

• Translate enterprise aspirations, strategic priorities, and business needs into partnership opportunities delivering both quantitative and qualitative analyses, including financial models and scenario analysis, to estimate potential value.
• Lead Build / Buy / Partner assessments for strategic capability gaps and growth opportunities, including business-case development and scenario analysis.
• Conduct market, ecosystem, and competitive analysis to identify emerging opportunities and assess potential partners based on strategic fit and complementary capabilities.
• Support the design, structuring, and negotiation of strategic partnerships by developing commercial models, governance frameworks, operating structures, and key business terms.
• Support development of partnership frameworks, tools, and best practices that improve how Vanguard identifies, evaluates, and structures strategic partnerships
• Work independently with attention to detail and sensitivity to deadlines. Lead individual workstreams of a deal and contribute to larger deal team.
• Coach less experienced crew in financial methodologies, partnership frameworks and approaches, and inorganic growth best practices based on deep knowledge of emerging trends and industry standards.
• Strong conceptual thinking and time management, as well as analytical, problem solving, negotiation, and persuasion skills.
• Participate in special projects and perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 7 years related work experience. Two years' experience in strategic partnerships, corporate development, management consulting, investment banking, private equity, or similar field required. Prior experience with strategic partnerships required.

• Excellent judgment, communication, presentation, negotiation, persuasion, and stakeholder-management skills, including experience working directly with senior executives.

• Undergraduate degree required in Business, Economics, Finance, or similar concentration. Graduate degree preferred.

• Asset management or financial services experience a plus.

• Special Factors

• Sponsorship

• Vanguard is not offering visa sponsorship for this position.

• About Vanguard

• At Vanguard, we don't just have a mission—we're on a mission.

• How We Works

• Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for the majority of our crew members, designed to capture the benefits of enhanced flexibility while enabling in-person learning, collaboration, and connection. We believe our mission-driven and highly collaborative culture is a critical enabler to support long-term client outcomes and enrich the employee experience.

• Our commitment to equal employment opportunity

• Vanguard is an equal opportunity employer. Vanguard is committed to providing all crew members a working environment that is free from discrimination, prejudice and bias. Through this Equal Employment Opportunity policy, Vanguard reaffirms its commitment to equal employment opportunity for all applicants and crew members without regard to race, color, national origin or ancestry, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital status, veteran or military status. In addition, Vanguard prohibits discrimination based on genetic information, as well as any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.

• Applicants with disabilities may be entitled to reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act and certain state or local laws. Please inform us if you need assistance completing this application or to otherwise participate in the application process.