Director, Business Development & New Partnerships (Houston - Remote)

Job Summary The Director, Business Development & New Partnerships is a collaborative partner that seeks opportunities to learn and engage across the organization. The Director directs and oversees UFCU’s business development and new partnership development function, including market expansion, new partnership strategy, pipeline development, prospect cultivation, executive relationship development, strategic initiative execution, and cross-functional coordination in support of UFCU’s long-term growth priorities. The Director works closely with senior leaders to outline and execute organizational goals, identify and cultivate new partnership opportunities, lead expansion into targeted growth markets, and create innovative partnership strategies aligned with UFCU’s business priorities. This role is responsible for developing relationships within priority markets, including higher education and the Houston Medical District, while building a robust pipeline of future strategic partnerships that advance UFCU’s mission, market presence, member growth, and community impact. The Director develops and drives a proactive, collaborative partnership between Business Development and the business, understanding market opportunities, creating engaging conversations with prospective partners, monitoring market and competitive trends, and identifying opportunities to advance UFCU’s overall business strategy and vision. The Director position is an exempt role, reports to the Vice President & Chief Lending Officer and leads the Business Development team. About UFCU Our Credit Union was founded in 1936 and has grown to serve members throughout Texas and beyond. At UFCU, we are more than just a financial institution, and our people are more than just employees. We are dedicated to our purpose of empowering our Members to achieve financial success and build brighter futures. In Pursuit Of Our Aspiration That UFCU Is Loved By Millions Of Members And Built To Thrive For Generations, We Are Guided By Our Values Purposefully Member-Obsessed: We are driven by a profound sense of empathy to deeply understand our Members’ needs and preferences, what brighter futures means to them, and the obstacles in their way. We act in our Members’ best interests, forever seeking to empower their financial success.Possibilities Reimagined: We are inspired to courageously experiment, learn, and iterate in pursuit of positive impact for our Members, UFCU, and coworkers. We challenge assumptions, embrace diverse perspectives, and make use of data and insights.Performance Excellence Rooted in Unwavering Integrity: We do the right thing, always. We champion teamwork, accountability, continuous improvement, and celebrate successful outcomes of others, fostering an inclusive environment of excellence and collaboration. Essential Functions Strategic Partnership Leadership, Growth, & Success Identify, cultivate, and advance new strategic partnership opportunities that support UFCU’s long-term growth priorities, member expansion, and community impactLead expansion into targeted growth markets, with emphasis on higher education, the Houston Medical District, healthcare ecosystems, employer groups, and other priority community or institutional segmentsDevelop and execute market-specific growth strategies to increase UFCU’s visibility, relevance, and partnership opportunities within assigned marketsBuild, manage, and maintain a robust pipeline of prospective strategic partnerships using defined qualification criteria, relationship stages, opportunity tracking, and forecasting practicesResearch, identify, and prioritize prospective partners based on strategic fit, growth potential, member opportunity, community impact, and alignment with UFCU’s mission and valuesDevelop relationships with executive leaders, decision-makers, centers of influence, and key stakeholders within prospective partner organizationsCreate innovative partnership strategies, value propositions, and engagement models that align prospective partner needs with UFCU’s products, services, capabilities, and community impact prioritiesLead discovery conversations, needs assessments, business case development, proposal strategy, presentations, and negotiation support for prospective strategic partnershipsRepresent UFCU at industry events, market engagements, higher education forums, healthcare ecosystem events, community convenings, networking opportunities, and prospective partner meetingsProvide market intelligence, competitive insights, and partner feedback to inform UFCU’s business development strategy, product positioning, community engagement, and growth prioritiesPartner with the Director, Partnership Success & Strategic Engagement to ensure a smooth transition from new partnership development to ongoing relationship stewardship and partner successEstablish and monitor success measures related to new partnership development, market expansion, pipeline growth, strategic initiative execution, and partnership conversion outcomes Team Leadership and Development Lead, inspire, motivate, and develop team members by providing guidance and training to attain departmental and individual development goals and support organizational needsServe as a role model in transparent communication, two-way dialogue, and proactive communication to the teamBuild a successful team to operate according to UFCU guiding principles, providing guidance and resources and removing obstacles as neededProvide team leadership based on servant leadership principles, caring for the whole personPlan, monitor, and appraise job results with an emphasis on coaching and developing employees to achieve desired performance resultsHelp teams achieve their career goals. Ensure team members understand how to have an impact and are aware of that impact when they've made it Strategic Business Partner Cultivate positive, strong, lasting, and meaningful relationships and connections with leaders, peers, prospective partners, and community stakeholdersCollaborate with departments across the business, including Retail, Marketing, Lending, Wealth Management, Commercial Services, Operations, Legal, Compliance, Risk, and Finance, to support new partnership evaluation and executionFacilitate joint brainstorming and team collaboration to create market growth strategies, prospective partner solutions, and cross-functional execution plansCollaborate with business partners to determine future needs, operational readiness, and support required to successfully launch and scale new partnershipsServe as a strategic connector between external market opportunities and internal business capabilities to ensure new partnership strategies are both market-responsive and operationally executable Strategy Development/Strategic Planning Collaborate with senior leaders and actively participate in UFCU's strategic planning processDevelop business development and new partnership strategies in partnership with executive leadership to drive achievement of Credit Union and department goalsTranslate UFCU’s growth priorities into actionable market-entry plans, partner prospecting strategies, relationship development plans, and measurable execution milestonesMonitor and evaluate progress toward new partnership development, pipeline growth, market expansion, and strategic initiative goals, making adjustments as needed based on business and market needsDevelop tools, processes, reporting mechanisms, and decision frameworks to support consistent partnership evaluation, pipeline management, and executive visibilityFacilitate procurement or implementation of tools and resources necessary to support market development, prospect tracking, partnership analytics, and business development initiatives Budgetary Oversight/Expense Management Establish and manage the annual budget for business development and new partnership development activities, including market development, prospect engagement, conferences, events, sponsorships, travel, tools, and related initiativesEnsure effective control of results and take action to achieve departmental objectives within designated budgetsMonitor expenses on a monthly basis, evaluate performance against budget, and make adjustments based on organizational and department prioritiesCollaborate with senior leaders on development of the organizational annual budget in alignment with strategic objectives, market expansion priorities, and partnership development needs Other Perform other duties as assignedAdhere to all organizational policies, procedures, and business ethics codesComplete required regulatory training as assignedMaintain strict adherence and compliance to all laws, rules, regulations, policies, procedures, and internal controls specific to the role, including but not limited to the Bank Secrecy Act, Anti-Money Laundering, USA Patriot Act, OFAC, and Fair Lending regulations Knowledge/Skills/Abilities Team Building and Leadership Proven ability to create a high-performance climate through talent identification, recruitment, and retentionStrong and demonstrable leadership skills with the ability to inspire and motivate othersProven ability to build a team of diverse talents that complement one anotherProven ability to hold themselves to the highest standard of integrity and personal behavior Building Relationships and Using Influence Exceptional interpersonal skills with the proven ability to influence senior level management and key stakeholdersStrong ability to recognize nuances in others and leverage this understanding for a more influential impact on the teaDemonstrated ability to build credibility quickly with external executives, centers of influence, institutional leaders, and internal senior leadersEffective communicator, listener, and presenter, with the ability to work with various levels of the organizationAdept at maintaining effective relationships with internal departments, external business and community partners, and others key stakeholders Executing for Results Proven delivery track record and exceptional service orientationDemonstrated ability to identify, qualify, pursue, and advance new business or partnership opportunities through a structured pipelineAdept at translating UFCU’s mission and strategic priorities into actionable, quantitative growth plansPossesses high levels of energy, persistence, initiative, and ownership in developing new markets and strategic relationshipsRigorously holds self and others accountable for achieving high levels of individual, departmental, and organizational performanceStrong project management, opportunity management, negotiation support, and executive presentation skills Business Acumen Expert knowledge of business development, strategic partnerships, market expansion, relationship development, and community engagement principlesStrong understanding of financial services, credit union business models, member growth strategies, and community-based partnership opportunitiesAbility to evaluate decisions in terms of business impact, member value, market opportunity, operational feasibility, risk, and long-term strategic alignmentStrong analytical capability with the ability to use market intelligence, CRM data, pipeline reporting, and performance metrics to inform decisions and communicate progressCombination of technical knowledge, business acumen, organizational leadership, and relationship-building skillsCombination of business acumen, relationship expertise, and organizational leadership skills Core Competencies Delivering Member ObsessionSeeks to understand customersIdentifies customer service issuesDrives member-focused practicesAssures member satisfactionDelivering Performance ExcellenceMaintains focusMeasures progress and outcomeEnsures accountabilityDelivering InnovationInspires curiosityChallenges current thinkingSupports experimentationAdvances ideas to the next stageDelivering Empowered LeadershipDevelops directionBuilds team trustIdentifies opportunities to share responsibilityInforms the teamSupports the team Experience Minimum Requirements Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Communications, Finance, Public Administration, Organizational Leadership, or a related field; Experience considered in lieu of degreeMinimum of ten (10) years of related experience in business development, strategic partnerships, market development, relationship management, community engagement, financial services, or a related disciplineMinimum of seven (7) years of management and supervisory leadership experience developing and leading teams with direct reporting relationshipsDemonstrated experience identifying, cultivating, and advancing new business, community, institutional, or strategic partnership opportunitiesDemonstrated experience building pipeline, managing prospects, developing market-entry strategies, and executing business development initiativesExperience developing executive-level relationships and representing an organization with senior external stakeholders, community leaders, or institutional decision-makersMust be bondable Preferred Requirements Master's degree in Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, Marketing, Finance, Public Administration, or related fieldMinimum of five (5) years of demonstrated strategic leadership experienceExperience working in a credit union or financial services organizationExperience developing partnerships with higher education, healthcare, employer groups, nonprofit organizations, public sector entities or community-based institutionsExperience developing relationships within the higher education ecosystem or healthcare/medical district environmentsExperience with CRM platforms, pipeline management, market analytics, partnership performance reporting, proposal development, or strategic account planning Physical Demands The physical demands described are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Frequent While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, and ability to adjust focus. Employee will make extensive use of the telephone and virtual communications requiring the ability to explain complex information effectively and accurately. Frequent travel to prospective partner locations, community events, business meetings, conferences, and UFCU facilities may be required. Work Environment The work environment characteristics described are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. This position is required to frequently work at UFCU Plaza in Austin, Texas, as well as UFCU facilities, prospective partner locations, community events, and market-facing engagements throughout UFCU’s service areas.This position may involve periodic stressfulMay occasionally require an adjusted work schedule, overtime, and evening/weekend hours to support events, market development activities, and prospective partner engagements.Will frequently involve public contact, requiring appropriate professional appearance and executive-level communication.Frequent computer use at a workstation for multiple hours at aThe noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. #INDUFCU