Business Development Executive - National

Established in 2021, Independence Pet Holdings is a corporate holding company that manages a diverse and broad portfolio of modern pet health brands and services, including insurance, pet education, lost recovery services, and more throughout North America.

We believe pet insurance is more than a financial product and build solutions to simplify the pet parenting journey and help improve the well-being of pets. As a leading authority in the pet category, we operate with a full stack of resources, capital, and services to support pet parents. Our multi-brand and omni-channel approach include our own insurance carrier, insurance brands and partner brands.

Job Summary:

PTZ Pet Insurance is seeking a driven Business Development Executive to identify, pursue, and close new distribution partnerships across the ecosystem — including agencies, brokers, MGAs/MGUs, affinity groups, embedded/Insur Tech platforms, and other channel partners. This individual will own a defined segment of the partnership pipeline end-to-end: prospecting, qualifying, structuring, negotiating, and closing. This role calls for a partnerships professional with 5–10 years of relevant experience who is ready to build and run a high-velocity pipeline independently.

Job Location:

Hybrid – New York City or Chicago

Main Responsibilities:

Build and manage a robust, multi-stage pipeline of prospective insurance distribution partners across target segments (agencies, brokers, MGAs, affinity/association channels, embedded insurance platforms).Proactively source and qualify new partnership opportunities through outbound prospecting, industry networking, conferences, and referrals.

Own deal cycles from first conversation through signed agreement — structuring commercial terms, coordinating internal stakeholders (legal, product, underwriting, operations), and driving deals to close.

Develop and maintain a deep understanding of the insurance distribution landscape, including competitive dynamics, partner economics, and emerging channel models.

Partner cross-functionally with Marketing, Product, and Operations to ensure new partnerships are set up for successful launch and long-term growth.

Track pipeline health, deal velocity, and conversion metrics; report regularly on progress against targets.

Represent the company at industry events and with prospective partners, serving as a credible, knowledgeable point of contact.

Basic Qualifications:

5–10 years of experience in business development, partnerships, or channel sales, ideally within insurance, insurtech, financial services, or a related distribution-driven industry.

Demonstrated success building a pipeline from scratch and independently driving deals from first touch to signed contract.

Working knowledge of insurance distribution models (agency, broker, MGA/MGU, affinity, embedded) and how partner economics work.

Strong commercial instincts — comfortable structuring deal terms and negotiating with a range of partner types and sizes.

Excellent relationship-building and communication skills, with the ability to influence both external partners and internal stakeholders.

Highly organized and self-directed, with the discipline to manage a multi-stage pipeline and prioritize across many concurrent opportunities.

Comfort working in a fast-paced, evolving environment where processes are still being built.

CRM proficiency (Salesforce, Hub Spot, or similar) and comfort with pipeline reporting and forecasting.

Preferred Qualifications:

Existing relationships within insurance distribution channels (agency networks, MGAs, affinity partners, or Insur Tech platforms).Experience at a PE-backed or high-growth company where scope and process evolved quickly.

Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience.

Compe…