VP of Business Development - Private Shares

This is a remote role for candidates located in San Francisco, CA.

Fidelity Private Shares is growing, and we’re seeking a VP, Private Market Business Development to play a critical role in driving new business growth within the startup ecosystem. This role is responsible for building and activating founder pipelines — turning ecosystem relationships into real sales opportunities for Fidelity Private Shares.

Our team supports the innovation economy through a modern equity administration platform, delivering solutions that serve companies, their employees, and partners throughout the corporate lifecycle. This role is central to expanding our presence in the private market by sourcing, cultivating, and converting early-stage companies into clients of Fidelity Private Shares.

The Role

This is not a traditional partnerships' role — it is a market-facing, deal-driving position. You will be responsible for encouraging and activating founder pipelines by embedding yourself in the startup community and building positive relationships with key ecosystem partners.

Success in this role requires being highly visible in your market and proactively creating opportunities for our sales team by:

• Generating deal flow by engaging directly with founders and startup operators to drive curiosity about Fidelity Private Shares
• Building deep, positive relationships with centers of influence (venture capital firms, law firms, accelerators, incubators, and other startup hubs)
• Partnering with local ecosystem leaders to coordinate and host events, roundtables, and curated founder experiences (e.g., dinners, lunches, panels) that build significant engagement with prospective clients
• Acting as a connector across your market — finding opportunities to bring founders, partners, and Fidelity together
• Activating partnerships into tangible pipeline by converting relationships and events into qualified sales opportunities
• Developing repeatable strategies to scale founder engagement and pipeline generation across your region
• Representing Fidelity as an inspiring leader in the startup and venture community
• Collaborating closely with Sales, Marketing, Customer Success, and Product teams to align on messaging and convert opportunities into clients

Key Responsibilities

• Own and grow your market by driving qualified pipeline and new client acquisition
• Build and implement a local ecosystem engagement strategy focused on founder acquisition
• Lead event strategy in your region, including both hosting and participating in high-impact community events (approximately 25% travel)
• Build and manage relationships with venture firms, law firms, accelerators, and innovation hubs that can consistently generate founder introductions
• Translate market insights and community feedback into actionable strategies for internal teams
• Partner with business development peers to scale standard processes across markets

Expertise and Skills

• Bachelors or equivalent with 15+ years of proven experience in Business Development, Partnerships, or Sales roles focused on ecosystem building, community engagement, or pipeline generation
• Proven track record to source and develop new business opportunities through relationships and community presence
• Strong networking, presentation, and communication skills — with the ability to engage founders and senior partners
• Experience hosting or organizing events that drive significant business outcomes
• Understanding of SaaS business models and the venture/startup ecosystem
• Track record of building new markets, expanding networks, and converting relationships into revenue opportunities
• Existing relationships within venture capital firms, law firms, or startup communities strongly preferred

The Team

We are Fidelity Labs, Fidelity Investments’ in-house FinTech incubator with a mission to build new businesses to drive growth for Fidelity. We seek to shape the future of our industry by building new products and services to improve the lives of the diverse set of customers, businesses and financial institutions we serve. 

Fidelity Labs is a dynamic workplace that combines the best parts of startup life—building from scratch, adapting quickly, and moon-shot ambition—with the scale and stability of an industry leader. We provide a safe space for startup teams to explore new business ideas, quickly test them with customers, and scale the most promising concepts within an existing business unit, or as a new venture. Learn more at labs.fidelity.com. 

Placement in the range will vary based on job responsibilities and scope, geographic location, candidate’s relevant experience, and other factors.

Base salary is only part of the total compensation package. Depending on the position and eligibility requirements, the offer package may also include bonus or other variable compensation.   

We offer a wide range of benefits to meet your evolving needs and help you live your best life at work and at home.  These benefits include comprehensive health care coverage and emotional well-being support, market-leading retirement, generous paid time off and parental leave, charitable giving employee match program, and educational assistance including student loan repayment, tuition reimbursement, and learning resources to develop your career.  Note, the application window closes when the position is filled or unposted.

Please be advised that Fidelity’s business is governed by the provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, the Investment Company Act of 1940, ERISA, numerous state laws governing securities, investment and retirement-related financial activities and the rules and regulations of numerous self-regulatory organizations, including FINRA, among others. Those laws and regulations may restrict Fidelity from hiring and/or associating with individuals with certain Criminal Histories.