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Wayve is building an AI platform for autonomous driving using end-to-end learning approaches. This Technical Business Development Manager role focuses on scaling strategic OEM partnerships across Europe, operating at the intersection of automotive technology and complex commercial partnerships.
You will lead early-stage OEM engagements from initial conversations through RFQ/RFI, bid development, and pre-nomination phases. Your responsibilities include owning RFQ/RFI and bid responses end-to-end, clarifying requirements, coordinating inputs, managing timelines, and delivering high-quality submissions. You'll partner closely with Product, Engineering, and technical leads to develop customer narratives, proposals, and supporting materials including decks, business cases, and go-to-market content.
You'll present confidently to both working-level engineering teams and executive/C-level stakeholders, adapting technical and commercial messaging appropriately. Operating effectively within a matrix organization, you'll align internal stakeholders on positioning, feasibility, and priorities to move opportunities forward. You'll translate product and engineering realities into clear customer commitments while supporting opportunities from early discovery through proof-of-concept planning toward nomination. Acting as a force multiplier, you'll bring together the right stakeholders, align priorities, build conviction around outcomes, and accelerate execution against critical goals.
The role requires flexibility to travel and attend onsite meetings and events as business needs require. You'll work in a hybrid model combining in-person collaboration at the Leonberg office with focused remote work time.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Automotive and/or automotive software background
- Strong understanding of OEM processes and commercial motions, including RFQ/RFI, Tier 1/OEM dynamics, bidding, and pre-nomination workflows
- Ability to understand, translate, and credibly present technical materials to both technical and non-technical audiences
- Demonstrated experience driving cross-functional execution in a matrix organization, aligning Product, Engineering, and Commercial stakeholders
- Comfort operating at the intersection of deep automotive autonomy technology and complex commercial partnering
- Plus: Experience working directly with European OEMs and navigating complex enterprise procurement and decision-making environments
- Plus: Adjacent role experience such as solutions architecture, technical sales, or consulting, combined with willingness to operate hands-on at a detailed level
- Plus: Exposure to autonomy/ADAS, software-defined vehicles, or related domains (helpful but not required)
- Flexibility to travel and attend onsite meetings and events as business needs require
