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Salary: USD 150,000 - 175,000 / annual
Plug is an automotive fintech startup building a marketplace exclusively for used electric vehicles. The company connects consumers, dealers, and commercial partners to trade, sell, and auction used EVs through a data-driven platform. Consumers receive instant cash offers backed by battery state-of-health analysis, with end-to-end handling of pickup, payment, and title transfer. Dealers bid in real time on inventory sourced from consumers and commercial partners. Founded in 2023 by former Tesla executives, Plug has facilitated $100M in EV sales and is backed by a $20M Series A from Lightspeed Venture Partners.
As Senior Strategic Partnerships Manager, you will own a major portfolio of strategic partnerships end-to-end, reporting to the Head of Partnerships. This is not a support function—you will set the plan for your accounts, drive execution across Operations, Sales, Product, and Finance, and own the results.
Key Responsibilities:
- Own a defined portfolio of strategic partnerships (consumer marketplaces, dealer groups, fleets, rental companies, OEMs, and high-volume consignors) with direct accountability for the numbers they produce.
- Grow existing programs by identifying expansion opportunities (new lanes, vehicle types, commercial structures) and building the analytical case for growth.
- Lead cross-functionally without direct authority, aligning Operations, Sales, Product, Engineering, and Finance on partner needs and timelines through influence and credibility.
- Manage the full relationship lifecycle: onboarding, implementation, ongoing operating cadence, commitment tracking, issue resolution, and early risk surfacing.
- Serve as both partner advocate and Plug's filter—translate partner needs into clear internal priorities and push back internally or externally when appropriate.
- Build and document the partnership playbook so the approach scales beyond your tenure.
- Apply AI-native solutions to your workflow and processes, not just executing existing methods but rebuilding them.
Success Metrics (12 months):
- Measurable growth in vehicle supply from your partnerships.
- Program revenue from your portfolio growing against plan.
- At least one existing program materially expanded in scope or commercial value.
- Partner commitments and milestones consistently met with early risk flagging.
- Cross-functional teams moving on your priorities without escalation.
- Trusted reporting and forecasts on your portfolio.
- Documented partnership playbook ready for new hires.
The role offers real ownership, high autonomy, and direct exposure to how a two-sided EV marketplace scales, with a clear path to broader commercial leadership as the company grows.
REQUIREMENTS:
- 5+ years of relevant experience in partnerships, business development, account management, or commercial roles with real ownership of outcomes (not support functions).
- Track record of growing existing relationships into larger programs with quantifiable results.
- Proven ability to lead cross-functional work without direct authority and drive decisions.
- Strong executive presence and clear written communication with partners and internal teams.
PREFERRED:
- Automotive, fleet, OEM, or marketplace experience.
- Experience in two-sided or supply-constrained businesses where partnerships drove liquidity.
- Experience structuring commercial terms alongside legal and finance.
- Current use of AI tools in daily workflow.
