As the Head of Automotive SaaS Sales for an UP.Labs portfolio company that is engaged in developing an ML-based, EV smart charging product for automotive OEMs and their customers, you will lead sales and business development and be responsible for the full sales lifecycle of our product into both legacy and EV-native automotive OEMs in the EU, US, Japan and Korea. You will be responsible for identifying new business opportunities, nurturing existing relationships, building new ones and delivering on an ambitious sales roadmap.
You have exceptional sales acumen, a can-do attitude, deep industry knowledge, and a strong demonstrable history of selling software into the buying/procurement departments of automotive OEMs. You will be instrumental in setting and achieving our growth targets and establishing this portfolio company as a preferred solutions provider in the sector.
In this role you will:
- Develop and implement a comprehensive business development strategy focused on expanding a particular UP.Labs portfolio company’s footprint in the EU, US, and Asia OEM markets.
- Identify new market segments, potential clients, and strategic partnerships to drive revenue growth.
- Analyze market trends, competitor activities, and customer needs to refine sales strategies and product offerings.
- Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders at OEMs across the world, with special focus on the VW group of companies in phase one.
- Direct the sales cycle from lead generation to deal closure, demonstrating a hands-on approach when necessary.
- Negotiate complex agreements with enterprise OEMs, including pricing, terms, and service level agreements.
- Ability to present and articulate sales data and set KPI’s with both portfolio company and UP.Labs leadership.
- Collaborate with product and engineering teams to provide valuable customer insights for continuous product improvement.
- Represent the company at events, trade shows, and conferences to enhance our visibility.
You should have:
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Engineering, or related field. MBA or equivalent preferred
- Fluency in English; working proficiency in German a strong plus but not required
- Proven, progressively-senior track record of at least 10+ years in business development, sales, or related roles specifically within the Automotive industry.
- Extensive experience working directly with EU and US automotive OEMs, with a deep understanding of their procurement processes. Experience with Asia-based OEMs a plus.
- Prior familiarity with the electric vehicle (EV) space
- Strong background in selling SaaS products; familiarity with automotive technology solutions is a must.
- Exceptional communication, negotiation, and presentation skills.
- Strong analytical mindset with the ability to leverage data-driven insights to guide decisions.
- Willingness to travel as required to meet with clients and attend industry events.
UP.Labs Summary:
We build high-growth technology startups that enable faster, cleaner, and safer movement of people and goods. Our vision is to transform the moving world by pairing leading corporations and entrepreneurs with a proven methodology for launching and scaling software and hardware companies.
Our platform is unique in three ways:
- Risk: We reward our entire team and ecosystem of partners with meaningful equity
- Technology: We build and launch scalable technology products that form the basis for each venture
- Industry Focus: We stay focused on the underlying fabric of society mobility and transportation
We work with corporate investors over a multi-year period to launch a portfolio of mobility-focused ventures. Our team is dedicated to the first year of a new venture’s life cycle: from ideation to minimum viable product build (and beyond) to recruiting and hiring the full-time team who will scale the business. We rapidly ideate concepts from scratch and vet them for early indicators of product-market fit.
Opportunity Spaces:
While we focus on mobility holistically, there are several opportunity spaces that we believe will have a particularly transformative impact on our world. Below are some of the spaces that excite us the most.
- Sustainability
- Smart Cities
- Urban Air Mobility
- Supply Chain Management
- Automotive Software
- Retail
Location: Remote in the EU or on the East Coast of North America, with a preference for Germany