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What you’ll be doing...The Associate Director of Strategy will be responsible for shaping and executing the strategic growth and partnership initiatives for Verizon’s AI Connect (AIC) portfolio. This leadership role, supporting the Senior Director of Business Development & Strategy, will oversee the strategic roadmap, manage relationships with key ecosystem players (including GPU and data center providers), and drive cross-play commercial strategy to ensure revenue and EBITDA growth.
Success in this position requires expertise in AI infrastructure and edge compute markets, alongside the ability to collaborate with internal and external cross-functional teams to align strategic initiatives with broader organizational goals. The leader will manage end-to-end partner relationships, establish commercial governance, and communicate the AIC vision to stakeholders at all levels.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead a team of 4 direct reports focused on Product Integration, Ecosystem Strategy, Market & Growth, and Strategy & Performance. Cultivate a culture of operational excellence, empowering members to take ownership of their initiatives.
- Define and execute the AIC growth strategy, strategic roadmap, and new market/adjacency opportunity pipeline.
- Identify, establish, and manage strategic partnerships with GPU providers, data center operators, and cloud infrastructure partners. Manage end-to-end partner relationships, program KPIs, and commercial contract negotiations.
- Drive cross-play commercial strategy and Space, Power & Cooling business development and GTM execution, ensuring initiatives are tracked against their underlying business case commitments.
- Maintain visibility into business case commitments against AIC strategic initiatives, flagging dependencies and delivery risks to leadership early.
- Collaborate across teams (Finance, Product & Segment Marketing, Tech Solutions, TPD, GTS, Legal) to facilitate product launch efforts, ensuring stakeholder alignment and
smooth execution. - Cultivate a culture of operational excellence and accountability within the team, empowering members to excel and take ownership of their initiatives.
This position can be located in other valid Verizon locations.
What we’re looking for...
You’ll need to have:
- Bachelor’s degree or four or more years of work experience.
- Eight or more years of relevant experience required, demonstrated through one or a combination of work and/or military experience, or specialized training.
- Eight or more years of work experience in product/platform, partnership, or technical experience in B2B companies.
- Six or more years of partner-facing experience.
Even better if you have one or more of the following:
- A Master’s degree – ideally an MBA.
- Analytical and critical thinking skills.
- Deep technical knowledge of the VBG portfolio.Experience in Business Development, Corporate Strategy, or specialized AI/Cloud BD roles.
- Exceptional communication skills; written, oral and presentation.
- Executive grade presentation skills with emphasis on storytelling and cross-functional
alignment. - Convey your ideas in compelling and persuasive ways to a variety of audiences.
- Proven ability to manage deadlines in a highly-complex, fast-paced environment.
- Experiencing leading teams, especially cross-functional teams, with the ability to execute
on multiple assignments independently and proactively. - Mentor team members, foster their growth, and identify areas for skill enhancement.
- Experience working in an evolving and collaborative environment and working
cross-functionally with all levels of management, both internally and externally. - Experience developing strong working relationships inside and outside of Verizon.
If Verizon and this role sound like a fit for you, we encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet every “even better” qualification listed above.
Verizon is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to veteran status, disability or other legally protected characteristics.
Benefits and CompensationOur benefits are designed to help you move forward in your career, and in areas of your life outside of Verizon. From health and wellness benefit options including: medical, dental, vision, short and long term disability, basic life insurance, supplemental life insurance, AD&D insurance, identity theft protection, pet insurance and group home & auto insurance. We also offer a matched 401(k) savings plan, up to 8 company paid holidays per year and up to 6 personal days per year, paid parental leave, adoption assistance and tuition assistance, plus other incentives, we’ve got you covered with our award-winning total rewards package. Depending on the role, employees have the opportunity to receive compensation in the form of premium pay such as overtime, shift differential, holiday pay, allowances, etc. Newly hired employees receive up to 15 days of vacation per year, which grows with additional service. For part-timers, your coverage will vary as you may be eligible for some of these benefits depending on your individual circumstances.
The salary will vary depending on your location and confirmed job-related skills and experience. This is an incentive based position with the potential to earn more. For part-time roles, your compensation will be adjusted to reflect your hours.The annual salary range for the location(s) listed on this job requisition based on a full-time schedule is: $138,500.00 - $265,000.00.The annual salary range for the Illinois location(s) listed on this job requisition based on a full-time schedule is: $152,500.00 - $265,000.00.The annual salary range for the Maryland location(s) listed on this job requisition based on a full-time schedule is: $152,500.00 - $265,000.00.The annual salary range for the New York location(s) listed on this job requisition based on a full-time schedule is: $152,500.00 - $265,000.00.Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree or four or more years of work experience
- Eight or more years of relevant experience through work, military experience, or specialized training
- Eight or more years of product/platform, partnership, or technical experience in B2B companies
- Six or more years of partner-facing experience
- Master's degree, ideally an MBA
- Analytical and critical thinking skills
- Deep technical knowledge of the Verizon Business Group portfolio
- Experience in business development, corporate strategy, or specialized AI/cloud business development roles
- Exceptional written, oral, and presentation communication skills
- Executive-grade presentation and storytelling skills
- Ability to manage deadlines in a complex, fast-paced environment
- Experience leading cross-functional teams and executing multiple assignments independently
- Experience mentoring team members and fostering professional growth
- Experience working cross-functionally with internal and external stakeholders at all management levels
- Experience developing strong internal and external working relationships
Verizon Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Verizon and has not been reviewed or approved by Verizon.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Fairness and competitiveness of pay are highlighted through statements such as “pay is good,” “pays very well,” and “the compensation at VZ is very competitive.” High earning potential is also described for certain roles, including base pay plus commissions and bonuses.
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Healthcare Strength — Healthcare coverage is portrayed as comprehensive, spanning medical, dental, and vision with before-tax contributions and preventive-care credits. Increased HSA contributions and multiple plan options further reinforce the perceived strength of health benefits.
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Retirement Support — Retirement offerings are positioned as robust, including a strong 401(k) match, pension eligibility for some groups, and additional financial protections like life and long-term disability coverage. Union contract updates also point to pension increases and retirement security improvements.
Verizon Insights
What We Do
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Why Work With Us
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