Partnership Program Manager
Job Description:
We're seeking a talented Partnership Program Manager who embodies our values of resilience, execution focus, and mission-driven innovation. The ideal candidate isn't just a program manager they're a strategic builder who sees beyond traditional partnership operations to create scalable systems that drive business impact.
About Us
Waterlily uses AI to help families prepare for the largest financial and medical event in their lives, long-term care (LTC). Through comprehensive care planning and optimization, Waterlily is bending America's multi-trillion dollar LTC cost curve.
Our Team & Culture
We've built a high-performance team culture based on three core principles:
Mission-Driven Excellence
We're deeply committed to transforming how families prepare for long-term care
Every team member genuinely believes in our mission and understands its importance
We prioritize work that drives meaningful impact for our customers and company
Be a Potato: Growth & Resilience
We embrace challenges and adapt quickly - like potatoes that grow under any circumstances
We make decisions swiftly while remaining thoughtful and open to iteration
We focus on execution and results rather than just effort, recognizing that input doesn't necessarily equal output
We value team members who show unlimited potential for growth and understanding
Radical Transparency & Support
We practice direct, honest communication while maintaining empathy and respect
Feedback flows freely in all directions - from intern to leadership and back
We begin meetings with brief check-ins to understand each other's context
We create safe spaces for vulnerability and authentic collaboration
We maintain high standards while supporting each other's growth and wellbeing
Our team comprises some of the brightest, most ambitious, playful, and friendly people you'll meet. You'll be working closely with our founding Waterlily team, including Lily, Evan, Job, and Tim, and have direct access to a support team in the Philippines.
️Lily Vittayarukskul, our CEO, is a patented inventor who started college at 14, attending UC Berkeley, was working at NASA when she was 16, and lead product and engineering at IoT medical device startups for years before founding Waterlily.️
Evan Ehrenberg, our COO, is a member of Forbes 30 Under 30, started college at 11, also attending UC Berkeley, and then continued on to his Ph.D. in computational neuroscience at MIT at 16 before dropping out at 21 to found Clara Health, a clinical trials SaaS platform and B2B2C marketplace, which he sold 7 years later before joining Waterlily.
Tim Chung, our founding engineer and data scientist, holds a Masters of Computer Science from UPenn and is midway through a Data Science Masters at Georgia Tech. Tim excels in a trio of roles: data scientist, machine learning engineer, and full-stack software engineer. At his previous companies, he led teams to launch pioneering machine learning models.
Job Lawrence, our head of operations, holds a Masters from Harvard and MBA from the University of Michigan, worked directly alongside the founders at early Google for over 10 years where he led strategy and operations, and has run finance, strategy, and ops for startups ranging from the earliest founding stages through Series D funding and beyond.
How We Work
We optimize for remote-first collaboration while maintaining high productivity
We emphasize contextual decision-making and practical solutions
We prioritize deep work and focused execution over unnecessary meetings
We consistently validate that we're working on the highest-impact initiatives
We maintain a healthy, growth-oriented mindset while pushing for exceptional results
We're looking for teammates who share our values of integrity, empathy, and intelligent hard work - people who can see beyond their immediate role to understand both company needs and customer impact.
About You ⭐
Growth Mindset & Adaptability
You're a "potato" able to grow and thrive under any circumstances
You have a track record of building and optimizing complex operational systems
You proactively dive deep into process improvements, leveraging tools like LLMs to accelerate efficiency
You're comfortable with ambiguity and can navigate complex partnership programs with confidence
Innovation & Execution
You have a history of developing partnership frameworks that challenge traditional approaches
You can point to specific examples where you've used automation or AI to scale operations
You focus on creating repeatable processes while maintaining quality
You have experience using technology to standardize and scale partnership programs
Operations & Process Leadership
You give and receive direct feedback with grace and professionalism
You can design and implement comprehensive partnership programs
You're equally comfortable creating high-level strategy and detailed operational playbooks
You naturally build trust through consistent execution and systematic approach
Mission Alignment
You're drawn to meaningful work that impacts families' lives
You understand that sustained high performance requires maintaining personal wellbeing
You're excited about becoming a thought leader in the long-term care industry
You're genuinely passionate about transforming how families prepare for long-term care
The Ideal Background
While we value potential over experience, you likely have:
Demonstrated success in designing and implementing partnership programs
5-7+ years of partnership, operations, or program management experience
Experience creating scalable processes for complex enterprise deployments
Track record of improving operational efficiency through process innovation and automation
Strong technical background with ability to implement automation solutions
Experience balancing program strategy with operational execution
We're not looking for someone who's done it all before we're looking for someone who has the systematic mindset and drive to help us pioneer new approaches to partnership operations. If you're excited about building scalable systems, pushing boundaries, learning rapidly, and making a real difference in people's lives, we want to talk to you.
About The Role
You will be responsible for designing, implementing, and scaling partnership programs for Fortune 100 insurance carriers, major financial advisory firms, insurance distributors, and long-term care providers. The goal will be to push beyond traditional partnership management by creating innovative, repeatable systems that enable rapid scaling while maintaining quality.
You will develop the operational infrastructure and processes that enable successful partnerships, requiring a deep understanding of enterprise needs and implementation requirements. Success in this role requires both strategic program design and operational excellence from creating partnership frameworks to ensuring smooth deployment processes.
You will be expected to become deeply knowledgeable about enterprise software deployment and partnership operations through systematic research and documentation. This knowledge will enable you to create scalable programs that can be efficiently replicated across multiple partner types and segments.
You'll need to balance multiple priorities from high-level program design to detailed process implementation. We expect you to identify opportunities to use technology (including LLMs and automation tools) to scale our partnership operations, while maintaining the flexibility to adjust systems based on partner feedback and operational metrics. You will collaborate on new ideas and implement quickly to test and iterate. Many ideas will not work and will be thrown away. Many ideas will need to be imperfect so that we can implement them faster. Everything will be iterative, no challenge will be too ambitious.
You will be responsible for creating systems that produce meaningful results every week. It will likely take you more than 40 hours per week to drive industry-leading results. We do not think that 80 hour weeks are effective, and we expect you to limit yourself to 50-60 hour work-weeks. If you want to push harder we will urge you to reflect on ways to be more effective with your time so that you can dedicate your remaining time to benefit your mental and physical health.
We will be in the trenches with you, and together we will create one of the most impactful companies that will help families prepare for what has historically been one of the most devastating times in their lives so that they can face long-term care with confidence and calm.
Key Responsibilities
Partnership Program Design: Develop comprehensive partnership frameworks and playbooks. Create standardized processes for partnership launches, implementations, and ongoing operations.
Operational Excellence: Design and implement scalable systems for managing multiple complex partnerships simultaneously. Create efficient workflows that enable rapid deployment while maintaining quality.
Process Innovation: Build automated solutions and leverage technology to streamline partnership operations. Identify opportunities for operational improvements and implement systematic solutions.
Implementation Framework Development: Create and maintain detailed implementation playbooks, technical documentation, and operational guidelines for different partnership types.
Program Analytics & Optimization: Design comprehensive measurement systems for tracking partnership health and operational efficiency. Analyze metrics to drive continuous improvement.
Cross-functional Systems: Develop integrated workflows between partnerships, product, engineering, and customer success teams. Create scalable processes for coordination and delivery.
Quality Assurance: Implement systematic approaches to ensure consistent partnership delivery and success. Design and maintain quality control processes across all partnership operations.
Key Skills & Qualifications
Recommended Experience:
Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
5-7 years of partnership operations or program management experience
Track record of building and scaling enterprise partnership programs
Experience with enterprise software/SaaS implementations
Program Development & Leadership:
Proven ability to design and implement complex operational systems
Experience managing multiple concurrent partnership programs at scale
Strong program governance and oversight capabilities
Demonstrated success in cross-functional program coordination
History of leading operational transformation initiatives
Experience with program budget management and resource allocation
Technical & Operational Excellence:
Technical background with system integration experience
Proven ability to implement automation and operational tools
Experience leveraging AI and emerging technologies for operational efficiency
Track record of building scalable operational frameworks
Understanding of regulatory requirements in regulated industries
Process & Systems Management:
Strong process design and documentation skills
Experience creating and optimizing operational workflows
Ability to implement measurement frameworks and KPIs
Data-driven approach to continuous improvement
Experience managing partner onboarding and enablement programs
Communication & Documentation:
Outstanding written and verbal communication skills
Experience creating process documentation, training and enablement materials
Ability to translate complex systems into clear operational guidelines
Proven ability to influence without direct authority
Strategic & Business Acumen:
Understanding of enterprise partnership models and structures
Ability to balance program strategy with operational execution
Track record of delivering measurable operational improvements
Experience scaling programs across multiple business units
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
Demonstrated success in managing complex stakeholder relationships
Why Join Us?
Backed by top VCs: Our investors are renowned for backing innovative companies and helping them grow to become industry leaders.
Customers Love Us: Check out some of our latest success case studies and customer testimonials and see why our customers love us so much.
Industry Giants Onboard: After launching in early 2024 we've already closed 3 Fortune 100 customers, 4 insurance carriers, one of the largest LTC providers in the Midwest, and one of the largest insurance distributors in the US.
Direct Mentorship and Development from our Co-Founders: Receive guidance and resources to develop your skills and become a 10x operator.
Growth Opportunities: Learn to operate multiple functions and gain diverse experience that will propel your career forward.
Dynamic Environment: Work in a fast-paced, innovative startup culture that encourages creativity and out-of-the-box thinking.
Impact: Play a key role in shaping the future of our company and making a tangible difference for families across America and the world.
Required Skills:
Creativity Technical Documentation Output Program Management Operational Excellence Business Units Funding Balance Transparency Adaptability Budget Management Oversight Regulatory Requirements Distributors Structures Assurance Communication Skills Partnerships Onboarding Operational Efficiency Data Science Decision-Making Metrics History Machine Learning Continuous Improvement Quality Control Optimization Insurance Quality Assurance Analytics Infrastructure Automation Integration Strategy Computer Science Materials Research Documentation Software Finance Planning Design Engineering Business Leadership Science Training Communication Management