Senior Associate of Strategic Partnerships & Business Development, Embark
DNA testing for dogs
Be an early applicant
DNA testing for dogs
21-100 employees
Be an early applicant
21-100 employees
Company mission
To end preventable disease in dogs by providing DNA testing to dog owners, breeders, and veterinarians.
Role
Who you are
- You’ll be a great fit if you are a curious problem solver who enjoys learning the ins and outs of a partner's business, can bring creative thinking to deal structuring, and is self-motivated enough to dig where others haven't, turning overlooked opportunities into meaningful partnerships
- 5 years of experience in business development, partnerships, account management, or a related commercial role
- Familiarity with the pet care category, or demonstrated ability to quickly build category fluency is preferred
- Experience managing external partner relationships as well as internal stakeholder relationships — and adapting communication style between the two
- Strong organizational skills; comfortable owning tracking, reporting, and follow-through across multiple concurrent partnerships
- Demonstrated ability to operate with ambiguity and build process from scratch
- Based in or near Boston preferred; open to remote candidates
- Willingness to travel ~10-15%
What the job involves
- This is a contract role with the potential to convert to a full-time position, based on business needs and performance
- Embark is looking for a Sr Associate, Strategic Partnerships & Business Development contractor to identify, build, and grow commercial relationships that extend Embark's reach across the animal health & pet care industry
- You'll sit at the intersection of prospecting, deal execution, and account management – spotting where Embark can strategically align with leading brands' commercial strategies
- In this role you will manage partnerships from pitch through renewal, while keeping cross-functional stakeholders aligned along the way. This role is ideal for someone who's comfortable building processes from the ground up and adapting their approach across external partners and internal teams to ensure partnership success
- Embark is on a mission to bring joy to dog lovers by offering the world’s best products and services to strengthen their bonds with the dogs in their lives. Our canine DNA test — named the best by The New York Times — enables us to make scientific advances in personalized pet care
- Designed by world leaders in dog genetics (in partnership with Cornell University), the Embark Dog DNA Test provides information on genetic health risks and breed make-up, allowing dog owners, breeders, and veterinarians to drive personalized care plans based on a dog's unique genetic profile
- Monitor the pet care landscape to identify emerging brands, market shifts, and partnership opportunities relevant to Embark's strategy
- Develop and pitch cross-sell and co-marketing opportunities, including ways other brands can incorporate Embark into their own commercial or subscription offerings
- Own the partner lifecycle end-to-end: prospecting, onboarding, day-to-day relationship management, renewal, and expansion
- Serve as the primary point of contact for partners, representing Embark's brand and goals consistently across the relationship
- Track partnership pipeline, milestones, and contracting progress; keep internal stakeholders informed and unblocked
- Represent partnership priorities internally, translating partner needs into a clear internal voice across teams
- Bring structure and reporting discipline to a process that spans multiple teams and timelines
- Assess gaps in Embark's partner portfolio against the broader roadmap and proactively recommend where to focus
Our take
Embark provides DNA testing for dogs, offering test kits to dog owners, breeders, and veterinarians to help them understand the specific health needs of each dog. The company also provides health kits that facilitate screening for over 215 potential conditions, with any findings being sent directly to the dog's vet.
Whilst the company will face competition from other dog DNA test providers, Embark shows potential to compete in the market with its broad focus on discovering breeds, screening dogs for health issues, and helping customers locate their dog's relatives. There is a huge opportunity in the market, with the US spending on pets reaching $123.6 billion in 2021.
The company has seen huge growth in the last few years and attracted considerable investment. Setting out to be the standard care for dog owners and vets, Embark will be focusing on expanding its database and team.
Kirsty
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
-35% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Funding (last 2 of 4 rounds)
Jul 2021
$75m
SERIES B
Apr 2019
$10m
SERIES A
Total funding: $91.3m
Company benefits
- A flexible vacation policy so you can take off the time you need when you need it
- Paid maternal and paternal leave (plus paw-ternity leave for new pets)
- Every other Friday off each summer
- Dog-friendly office near South Station, Boston (when we get back to the office), with some flexibility (eg work from home at least 2 days a week, flexibility around child care needs, etc)
- Perks tailored for dog lovers including subsidized pet insurance and dog-walking services
- Startup perks with big-company benefits (401k match, a generous bonus structure, commuter benefits, top-of-the-line healthcare, HSA/FSA)
- Equity participation — every employee gets stock options
- Fully-stocked office snack bar and regular office events
- New iMacs and MacBook Pros, or laptops running Linux
- Continuing education, including attending conferences and company-provided resources to help with individual growth and development
Company HQ
Leather District, Boston, MA
Leadership
Ryan Boyko
(Co-Founder & Board Member)Experience as an Independent Researcher for Cornell University's Cornell Village Dog Diversity Project from 2007 to 2012. Studied Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases at Yale University.
Matt Salzberg
(Co-Founder & Board Member)Experience as Founder, CEO, and Chairman of Blue Apron from 2011 to 2021. Managing Partner of Material since 2018.
Amish Desai
(CEO)Joined the company as CFO in 2022, becoming CEO in 2023. Is a Founding Member of The F Suite. Prior experience includes SVP of Finance at Rue Gilt Groupe, Head of Strategic Planning and Business Analytics at J Jill and VP of Finance at Limitedbrands.
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