Director, OEM & Strategic Partnerships

The role

You will develop and run automotive and partnership strategy for Waabi, and act as the main business contact with OEM partners, leading negotiations. You will work across engineering, product, finance and legal to close new deals and manage existing contracts.

What you will do

• Develop and execute a detailed automotive and partnership strategy aligned with Waabi's goals
• Be the key business interface between Waabi and OEM partners and drive negotiations
• Work cross-functionally with engineering, product, finance and legal teams to negotiate new deals and execute existing contracts
• Build, manage and evolve strong partnerships to support Waabi's business objectives
• Structure and negotiate partnership agreements with win-win incentives and balanced terms
• Evaluate and maintain partner engagement by building trusted relationships and understanding partner priorities and challenges
• Convey business and product requirements with technical stakeholders, in line with Waabi's overall strategy

Required qualifications

• MS/MBA or Bachelor's degree in management, technical or engineering field
• Minimum 10+ years of work experience in business development, strategic partnerships or a similar partner-facing role in automotive or related fields
• Automotive experience and expertise leading and/or partnering with OEMs to bring new products to market
• Solid understanding of business processes and best practices in product strategy and positioning
• Experience developing new product strategy and managing multiple products end to end
• Proven track record developing strategic partnerships and negotiating agreement terms through closing and partner management
• Excellent verbal and writing skills
• Ability to communicate directly with senior executives in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment
• Strong interpersonal skills to collaborate, influence and build trust
• Experience with financial models, negotiations and creating strategic partnerships
• Strong analytical skills to break down complex technical, contractual and financial issues
• Open-minded and collaborative team player

Benefits

• Competitive compensation and equity awards
• Medical, dental and vision coverage (full-time employees only)
• Unlimited vacation
• Flexible hours and work-from-home support
• Daily drinks, snacks and catered meals when in office
• Regular team building activities and social events on-site, off-site and virtually

Before you apply

• Waabi is an equal opportunity employer; accommodations are available for qualified individuals with disabilities on request

About the company

Waabi, founded by Raquel Urtasun, builds Physical AI technology for commercial autonomous trucks and robotaxis. It is backed by and partners with leaders in AI, automotive, logistics and deep tech.