Head of Ecosystem & Partnerships

The Opportunity We're seeking our first Head of Ecosystem & Partnerships to join our founding team. This isn't just a job. It's a chance to make Shepherd the default legal partner inside the startup ecosystem and to build the channel that will drive our next stage of growth. Founders choose their lawyers at two moments: when they incorporate and when they raise.

Both moments run through venture funds, studios, accelerators, and founder communities. You'll work directly with our CEO and Chief Legal Officer to build relationships, programs, and partnerships that put Shepherd in front of founders at exactly those moments. As our first hire in this function, you'll own the strategy, budget, relationships, and pipeline for a channel we expect to become our largest source of new customers.

You'll have a clear path to building and leading a team as it scales. This is a rare opportunity to help define a new category: AI-native legal services for startups.

What You'll Do

Build and manage relationships with Heads of Platform, talent and community leads, and partners at pre-seed, seed, and Series A funds, starting in SF and the Bay Area Secure placement in portfolio perk programs, preferred-vendor lists, and platform resource libraries, and create fund-specific offerings such as portfolio pricing, fundraise-readiness reviews, and diligence prep Partner with venture studios, accelerators, fellowships, and university programs through cohort offers, incorporation packages, legal office hours, and curriculum workshops on formation, equity, SAFEs, and fundraising Build co-selling and referral partnerships with companies that serve the same founders, including startup banks, payroll and HR platforms, cap-table tools, insurance, and recruiting platforms Design and launch a recurring Shepherd founder event series in SF, and co-host programming with partner funds, ecosystem partners, and founder communities Build Shepherd's own founder community into an asset partners want access to, including owned formats such as founder office hours and a Shepherd founder circle Own field marketing, including conference strategy, sponsorships, demo days, and ecosystem activations, with clear ROI tracking Work with Shepherd's attorneys to produce founder-facing content, such as term-sheet explainers, fundraising checklists, and legal playbooks, that partners distribute to their networks Serve as a visible voice for Shepherd on LinkedIn, at events, and on panels Design partner structures, perks, and co-marketing terms with our CLO to ensure compliance with legal-industry referral and advertising rules Own the partnership CRM and reporting, covering partner-sourced pipeline, conversion, CAC, and revenue contribution, and report monthly to the CEO Bring founder and investor feedback back to shape product, pricing, and service packaging Within 90 days, sign 5+ partnerships across funds, accelerators or studios, and ecosystem or community partners, and launch Shepherd's first SF founder event.

Within 12 months, make partnerships a top-two acquisition channel.

What We're Looking For

Required 7+ years of professional experience across venture, startups, or the startup ecosystem 3+ years as Head of Community, Head of Partnerships, Head of Platform, or equivalent, with ownership of strategy, budget, and outcomes 2+ years in venture capital or VC-facing roles, whether as an investor (including corporate VC), on a platform or community team, or running venture partnerships at a startup that sells through the VC ecosystem Experience selling a service to startups through the VC and accelerator ecosystem, ideally at a company whose customers are founders Proven track record of turning community and partnerships into measurable pipeline, customers, and revenue Proven event, field marketing, and experiential leadership, with attendance, retention, and outcomes to show for it An established network across seed and Series A investors, platform teams, accelerators, and founders, with depth in SF Fluency in startup finance and fundraising, including SAFEs, priced rounds, cap tables, and diligence Based in San Francisco or willing to relocate before starting Preferred A track record of growing from individual contributor to head of a partnerships or community function at a startup-services company Investing experience at a corporate VC or multi-stage fund, especially in AI, fintech, or B2B software Platform or community leadership at a well-regarded seed fund or top accelerator Head of Community or Partnerships experience at an AI-native company A background in finance, such as investment banking, VC, or fintech Experience launching community spaces or programs from zero, such as a founder lounge, residency, cohort, or recurring series Mentoring or advising roles with fellowships, accelerators, or university programs An engaged personal audience among founders and investors Essential Qualities Relationship builder: You treat relationships as long-term assets and give value before you ask for it Entrepreneurial mindset: You thrive in ambiguity and enjoy building a function from zero Ownership mentality: You take full responsibility for partner-sourced pipeline and revenue outcomes Operator mindset: You're as comfortable building a pipeline dashboard as hosting a founder dinner Sound public judgment: You'll be a visible face of a law firm, and your presence reflects the trust founders place in Shepherd High urgency: You move quickly and follow through relentlessly What We Offer Competitive compensation: $140,000 – $160,000 base salary + variable tied to partner-sourced revenue Meaningful equity: Early-stage ownership with significant upside Direct impact: Build and own Shepherd's largest growth channel Category creation: Shape how startups discover and buy legal services Professional growth: Opportunity to build and lead a community and partnerships team or move into a Chief of Staff role as the company scales Budget to build: Dedicated resources for events, travel, and ecosystem sponsorships, plus relocation support for candidates moving to SF Mission-driven work: Help democratize access to high-quality legal services for startups Our Core Values Be Bold & Take Intelligent Risks We believe ambitious outcomes are possible.

We explore unconventional ideas, test them rigorously, and act on the data, learning fast without distraction or comparison. Demand Excellence Mediocrity has consequences. We set the highest standard in our execution, judgment, and how we show up every day, because excellence compounds. Execute Relentlessly Speed and urgency are habits that, when modeled consistently and scaled through automation, become contagious across the team, the product, and our customers.

Earn Trust Through Action Legal work runs on trust, not features. We earn trust by being responsive, transparent, and accountable to our customers, particularly when it's uncomfortable. Be a Good Person We pair high standards with empathy and ambition with humanity. Respect and integrity are not separate from winning.

They are how we win. We are an equal opportunity employer and are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic.