Director, Strategic Growth & New Partnerships

Director, Business Development & New Partnerships Job Category : Community Impact & Business Development Requisition Number : DIREC004315 Posted : July 29, 2026 Full-Time Locations Showing 1 location Description 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 strategic growth 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,identifyand cultivate new partnership opportunities, lead expansion into targeted growth markets, and create innovative partnership strategies aligned with UFCU’s business priorities. This roleis responsible fordeveloping 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,monitoringmarket and competitive trends, andidentifyingopportunities to advance UFCU’s overall business strategy and vision. The Directorposition is an exempt role,reports totheVice President &Chief Lending Officerandleadsthenew Business Developmentteam. 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 toour purpose of empoweringourMembersto 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 ourMembers’needs and preferences, what brighter futuresmeansto them, and the obstacles in their way. We act in ourMembers’best interests, foreverseekingto 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 impact Lead expansion into targeted growth markets, with emphasis on higher education, the Houston Medical District, healthcare ecosystems, employer groups, and other priority community or institutional segments Develop and execute market-specific growth strategies to increase UFCU’s visibility, relevance, and partnership opportunities within assigned markets Build, manage, andmaintaina robust pipeline of prospective strategic partnerships using defined qualification criteria, relationship stages, opportunity tracking, and forecasting practices Research,identify, and prioritize prospective partners based on strategic fit, growth potential, member opportunity, community impact, and alignment with UFCU’s mission and values Develop relationships with executive leaders, decision-makers, centers of influence, and key stakeholders within prospective partner organizations Create innovative partnership strategies, value propositions, and engagement models that align prospective partner needs with UFCU’s products, services, capabilities, and community impact priorities Lead discovery conversations, needs assessments, business case development, proposal strategy, presentations, and negotiation support for prospective strategic partnerships Represent UFCU at industry events, market engagements, higher education forums, healthcare ecosystem events, community convenings, networking opportunities, and prospective partner meetings Provide market intelligence, competitive insights, and partner feedback to inform UFCU’s business development strategy, product positioning, community engagement, and growth priorities Partner with the Director, Partnership Success & Strategic Engagement to ensure a smooth transition from new partnership development to ongoing relationship stewardship and partner success Establish and monitor success measures related to new partnership development, market expansion, pipeline growth, strategic initiative execution, and partnership conversion outcomes TeamLeadershipand Development Lead, inspire, motivate, and develop team members by providing guidance and training toattaindepartmentaland individual developmentgoals and support organizational needs Serve as a role model in transparent communication, two-way dialogue, and proactive communication to the team Build a successful team tooperateaccording to UFCU guiding principles, providing guidance andresourcesand removing obstaclesas needed Provideteam leadershipbased on servant leadership principles, caring for the whole person Plan,monitor, and appraise job results with an emphasis on coaching and developing employees to achieve desired performance results Help teams achievetheir career goals. Ensureteam members understand how to have an impact and are aware of that impact whenthey'vemade it Strategic Business Partner Cultivate positive, strong, lasting, and meaningful relationships and connections with leaders, peers, prospective partners, and community stakeholders Collaborate 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 execution Facilitate joint brainstorming and team collaboration to create market growth strategies, prospective partner solutions, and cross-functional execution plans Collaborate with business partners todeterminefuture needs, operational readiness, and supportrequiredto successfully launch and scale new partnerships Serve 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 activelyparticipatein UFCU's strategic planning process Develop strategic growth and new partnership strategies in partnership with executive leadership to drive achievement of Credit Union and department goals Translate UFCU’s growth priorities into actionable market-entry plans, partner prospecting strategies, relationship development plans, and measurable execution milestones Monitor and evaluate progress toward new partnership development, pipeline growth, market expansion, and strategic initiative goals,making adjustmentsas needed based on business and market needs Develop tools, processes, reporting mechanisms, and decision frameworks to support consistent partnership evaluation, pipeline management, and executive visibility Facilitate procurement or implementation of tools and resources necessary to support market development, prospect tracking, partnership analytics, and strategic growth initiatives Budgetary Oversight/Expense Management Establish and manage the annual budget for strategic growth and new partnership development activities, including market development, prospect engagement, conferences, events, sponsorships, travel, tools, and related initiatives Ensure effective control of results andtake action to achievedepartmentalobjectiveswithin designated budgets Monitor expenseson a monthly basis, evaluate performance against budget, andmake adjustmentsbased on organizational and department priorities Collaborate with senior leaders on development of the organizational annual budget in alignment with strategicobjectives, market expansion priorities, and partnership development needs Other Performother duties as assigned Adhereto all organizational policies, procedures, and business ethics codes Completerequired regulatory training as assigned Maintainstrict 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 retention Strong and demonstrable leadership skills with the ability to inspire and motivate others Proven ability to builda team of diverse talents that complement one another Proven ability to holdthemselves to the highest standard of integrity and personal behavior Building Relationships and Using Influence Exceptionalinterpersonal skills with the proven ability to influence senior level management and key stakeholders Strong ability to recognizenuances in others and leverage this understanding for a more influential impacton thetea Demonstrated ability to build credibility quickly with external executives, centers of influence, institutional leaders, and internal senior leaders Effective communicator, listener, and presenter, with the ability to work with various levels of the organization Adept atmaintainingeffective relationships with internal departments,externalbusiness and community partners,and others key stakeholders Executing for Results Proven deliverytrack recordand exceptional service orientation Demonstrated ability toidentify, qualify, pursue, and advance new business or partnership opportunities through a structured pipeline Adept at translating UFCU’s mission and strategic priorities into actionable, quantitative growth plans Possesseshigh levelsof energy, persistence, initiative, and ownership in developing new markets and strategic relationships Rigorously holds self and others accountable for achievinghigh levelsof individual, departmental, and organizational performance Strong 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 principles Strong understanding of financial services, credit union business models, member growth strategies, and community-based partnership opportunities Ability to evaluate decisions in terms of business impact, member value, market opportunity, operational feasibility, risk, and long-term strategic alignment Strong analytical capability with the ability to use market intelligence, CRM data, pipeline reporting, and performance metrics to inform decisions and communicate progress Combination of technical knowledge, business acumen, organizational leadership, and relationship-building skills Combination of business acumen, relationshipexpertise, and organizational leadership skills Core Competencies Delivering Member Obsession Seeksto understand customers Identifiescustomer service issues Drives member-focused practices Delivering Performance Excellence Maintains focus Measures progress and outcome Ensures accountability Challenges current thinking Advances ideas to the next stage Delivering Empowered Leadership Identifiesopportunities to share responsibility Informs the team Supports the team Experience Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Communications, Finance, Public Administration, Organizational Leadership, or a related field; Experience considered in lieu of degree Minimum of ten (10) years of related experience in business development, strategic partnerships,market development,relationship management, community engagement, financial services, or a related discipline Minimum of seven (7) years of management and supervisory leadership experience developing and leading teams with direct reporting relationships Demonstrated experienceidentifying, cultivating, and advancing new business, community, institutional, or strategic partnership opportunities Demonstrated experience building pipeline, managing prospects, developing market-entry strategies, and executing strategic growth initiatives Experience developing executive-level relationships andrepresentingan organization with senior external stakeholders, community leaders, or institutional decision-makers Must be bondable Preferred Requirements Master's degree in Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, Marketing, Finance, Public Administration, or related field Minimum of five (5) years ofdemonstratedstrategic leadership experience Experience working in a credit union or financial services organization Experiencedeveloping partnerships withhigher education, healthcare, employer groups,nonprofit organizations, public sectorentitiesor community-basedinstitutions Experience developing relationships within the higher education ecosystem or healthcare/medical district environments Experience 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 bemetby an employee to successfully perform the essential functions ofthis job.Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilitiestoperform the essential functions. Frequent While performing the duties of this job, the employeeis regularly required tosit; use hands to finger, handle or feel;reach withhands 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. Employeewill make extensive use of the telephoneand virtual communicationsrequiringthe ability to explain complex information effectively and accurately. Frequent travel toprospectivepartner locations, community events,business meetings, conferences,and UFCU facilities may berequired. The work environment characteristics described are representative of thoseanemployee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. This position isrequiredtofrequentlywork at UFCU Plaza in Austin, Texas, as well as UFCU facilities, prospectivepartner locations, community events, and market-facing engagementsthroughout UFCU’s service areas. This position may involve periodic stressfulconditions. May occasionally require an adjusted work schedule, overtime, andevening/weekendhoursto support events,market development activities, andprospectivepartner engagements. Willfrequentlyinvolve public contact, requiringappropriate professionalappearanceand executive-level communication. Frequent computeruseat a workstationfor multiplehours at atime. The noise level in the work environment isusually moderate. Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor. #J-18808-Ljbffr UFCU Financial Services, LLC