Sr. Director of Strategic Partnerships

About the Company: Octave is a modern behavioral health practice creating a new standard for care delivery that’s both high-quality and accessible. With in-person and virtual clinics in multiple states, the company offers evidence-based individual, couples, and family therapy, while pioneering relationships with payers to make care more affordable through insurance. By raising the bar on how care is delivered and how providers are supported, we are building a sustainable system that values equity, affordability, and effectiveness. Job Summary:   The Sr. Director, Strategic Partnerships is a relationship-first leader responsible for managing and growing one of the company’s most strategic external partnerships. This role will own the day-to-day partnership with Evernorth, ensuring strong alignment, effective communication, and delivery against shared contractual and business goals. This individual will focus on building trust, navigating complexity, and driving execution across internal and external stakeholders. Success in this role requires strong account management instincts, the ability to influence without authority, and comfort operating in a fast-paced, evolving environment. Management Responsibilities:   Develops, coordinates, and implements  systems, policies, procedures, and productivity standards. Provide leadership and guidance to the team, ensuring the achievement of goals and objectives. Foster a positive and collaborative work environment. Oversee the planning, execution, and completion of projects and initiatives within the team. Establish and monitor operational processes and workflows to enhance efficiency and productivity. Streamline operational processes, enhance efficiency, and improve overall organizational performance.  Implement best practices, monitor key performance indicators (KPIs), and develop strategies to achieve operational excellence. Ensures a safe, secure, and compliant work environment. Accomplishes staff results by communicating job expectations; planning, monitoring, and appraising job results. Build and manage a high-performing team, including hiring, training, and development. Provide leadership to the team, including setting goals, providing guidance, and ensuring the team's overall success. Set performance expectations and goals for team members. Conduct regular performance evaluations, provide feedback, and address performance issues.  Identify skill gaps within the team and develop strategies for filling those gaps. Support employee development through training, mentoring, and coaching. Identify high-potential employees and create succession plans. Duties & Responsibilities: Serve as the primary owner of the relationship with Evernorth, acting as the central point of contact and accountability. Build and maintain strong, trust-based relationships with external stakeholders, proactively managing communication, expectations, and issue resolution. Translate partner needs into clear internal priorities, driving alignment and coordination across cross-functional teams (operations, product, engineering, and finance). Ensure successful execution of partnership initiatives by removing blockers, resolving friction, and maintaining momentum across stakeholders. Monitor and report on key partnership metrics and outcomes, partnering with internal teams to interpret performance and identify areas for improvement. Partner with finance and analytics teams on performance insights, contributing to data-driven decision-making across the partnership. Continuously refine partnership processes, communication rhythms, and ways of working to strengthen long-term collaboration and scalability. Identify opportunities to deepen and expand the partnership over time, in alignment with company priorities. Leverage AI tools as a core part of daily work (drafting, research, iteration) to improve efficiency, quality, and decision-making. Required Skills: Strong account management and relationship-building experience, particularly with complex, enterprise-level partners. Excellent communication skills, with the ability to navigate and align diverse stakeholders across internal and external teams. Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in a matrixed environment and influence without direct authority. Strong operational mindset with a focus on execution, follow-through, and driving outcomes. Comfort working with data and business metrics, with the ability to partner effectively with finance and analytics teams. Experience working in high-growth or evolving environments with shifting priorities. Ability to manage ambiguity, resolve conflict, and maintain forward progress in complex situations. Strong organizational and prioritization skills. Comfort using AI tools in day-to-day workflows, with a willingness to continuously rethink and improve how work gets done. Curiosity and openness to experimenting with new tools and approaches; prior experience with AI tools is a plus. Education & Experience: 8–12 years of relevant experience in account management, strategic partnerships, or related roles; healthcare or health tech required. Experience managing large, complex external partnerships or enterprise accounts. Prior experience working cross-functionally with product, operations, and engineering teams. Experience supporting business performance through metrics and data, in partnership with finance or analytics teams. People management experience a plus but not required. Octave's Company Values: The below values drive our day-to-day operations. We’re human beings first. We operate with empathy and kindness – with our clients, with our collaborators, and with ourselves. People deserve better than status quo. We’re willing to tackle the intractable problems, no matter how big, because someone should. We ask big questions, we craft big solutions, and we challenge ourselves and others to make it happen. No bystanders. No stars. No tourists. Each person has been selected to be here, and with that comes a responsibility to bring your expertise, share your ideas, and help make this company better. Partnership paves the path ahead. We don’t operate in a silo, internally or externally. To transform the system, we believe in working with others to create something bigger, better, and stronger. Quality is crucial at scale. Quality is core to our business, and we refuse to sacrifice it as we grow. Progress is a process. In the pursuit of progress, we iterate, reflect, learn, adjust – and always leave things better than we found them. There are people behind every data point. We recognize that numbers tell only one part of the story, and we also do the work to understand impacts at the individual level. Physical Requirements: Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.  Must be able to frequently communicate with others through virtual meeting applications such as Zoom and Google Meet.  Must be able to observe and communicate information on company provided laptop.  Move up to 10 pounds on occasion.  Must be eligible to work in the United States without sponsorship now or in the future. Compensation, Equity & Incentives: Base Salary Range Octave is committed to pay equity and transparency. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location/ zone. Final pay within the posted range will be decided based on a combination of job-related factors, including education, training, experience, and market demands. Geo 1 (All other states & D.C.): $206,500 - $222,900 Geo 2 (CO, HI, MD, RI): $227,200 - $256,300 Geo 3 (AK, CA, CT, MA, NJ, NY, WA): $227,200 - $256,300 Variable Compensation & Equity Performance Bonus: This role is not currently eligible for bonus incentives. Equity Awards: This role is eligible to participate in Octave’s equity program via Stock Options, subject to the terms of the applicable Equity Incentive Plan. Remote Work Stipend: New full-time employees receive a $300 equipment reimbursement to support a home office setup. Internet & Phone Reimbursement: Full-time employees are eligible for a monthly reimbursement of up to $75 for internet and cell phone related expenses. Octave is committed to pay equity and transparency. Octave will not discharge or in any other manner coerce, intimidate, threaten, discriminate or retaliate against employees or applicants because they have: (i)  inquired about, discussed, compared, or disclosed their own wages, benefits, or other compensation, or the wages, benefits, or other compensation of another employee or applicant; (ii) asked Octave to provide a reason for the employee's wages or lack of opportunity for advancement; or (iii) aided or encouraged others in exercising their rights to discuss wages, compensation, or benefits, or to seek pay equity. However, except as otherwise provided by law, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) in compliance with the company's legal duty to furnish information under applicable law . Comprehensive Benefits: At Octave, we believe in supporting the "human being first". Here’s a snapshot of the benefits available to eligible employees: Health & Wellness: Choose what works best for you with one High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) and two PPO medical plan options, plus comprehensive Dental and Vision coverage. Medical Support: Enjoy access to a company-sponsored membership with One Medical for convenient, modern care. Retirement : Plan for your future with a 401(k) that offers both traditional and Roth options.  Paid Time Off: Time to recharge matters. Take advantage of a generous time off policy, up to 15 paid company holidays, and accrued sick time. Financial Protection: We’ve got you covered with company-paid Life, AD&D, and Disability insurance, plus optional extras like Pet, Legal, and Worksite plans (Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity, and Accident). Parental Leave (Bonding Time) : Growing your family? Full-time employees can take paid bonding leave after 6 months, whether it’s a new baby, adoption, or foster placement. Time off increases with tenure. Growth: Keep learning and leveling up with professional development reimbursement for role-related growth opportunities. How We Use Technology in Hiring: As part of our hiring process, we may use technology tools, including AI-supported systems, to assist with reviewing applications or documenting interviews. These tools are designed to support our team, not replace human judgment, and final hiring decisions are always made by our team. This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice. Application Instructions: Please complete the following application. Please note that the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment Information questions below are used for the purposes of EEOC reporting and are optional to complete. Octave is unable to change these questions and we acknowledge that many of the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment Information questions are not inclusive or affirming of all aspects of cultural identity. Octave is committed to an inclusive workplace environment, and this information will not inform how we approach hiring or employment.