Head of Partnerships, Kodiak Robotics
+ Equity and annual bonuses
More information about location
Self-driving technology for long-haul trucks
Be an early applicant
Self-driving technology for long-haul trucks
201-500 employees
Be an early applicant
+ Equity and annual bonuses
More information about location
201-500 employees
Company mission
To carry freight forward - so people, partners, and the planet thrive.
Role
Who you are
- 15+ years of experience in partnerships, business development, or strategic alliances, ideally within the automotive, trucking, mobility, or deep technology sectors
- Proven track record managing complex, multi-stakeholder commercial relationships with OEMs, Tier 1s, or industrial suppliers from qualification through ongoing management
- Strong dealmaker with direct experience structuring and negotiating B2B agreements with significant commercial value
- Commercially sharp with the ability to identify value drivers, design win-win commercial structures, and hold firm on terms that matter
- Exceptional relationship builder — comfortable operating at the executive level with large industry players and equally effective working through the details with mid-level commercial teams
- Highly organized with the ability to manage a large, complex portfolio of partnerships across different stages simultaneously
- Ability to work effectively in a cross-functional environment, partnering with technical, legal, finance, and operations teams without needing to own or direct their work
- Entrepreneurial mindset — comfortable with ambiguity, able to build structure from scratch, and motivated by the opportunity to shape a new industry
- Willingness to travel regularly to engage with partners, attend industry events, etc. - up to 40% of the time
What the job involves
- As Kodiak scales its commercial operations and deepens its footprint in the autonomous trucking ecosystem, we are seeking a Head of Partnerships to build and manage the strategic relationships that power our growth
- This is a high-impact role responsible for defining how Kodiak approaches partnerships — setting the overall strategy, building the frameworks and playbooks that govern how we engage, and owning the full lifecycle from identifying and qualifying the right partners to negotiating agreements, onboarding them successfully, and driving ongoing relationship value and impact
- The Head of Partnerships will work closely internally and externally with OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, technology vendors, and key ecosystem players, serving as the primary commercial owner of these relationships
- Own Kodiak's overall partnership strategy and the frameworks that govern how we identify, prioritize, and engage partners across Truck OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, component vendors, and ecosystem players
- Build and maintain a pipeline of partnership opportunities; qualify partners based on strategic fit, commercial viability, and alignment with Kodiak's deployment goals
- Lead end-to-end deal structuring and negotiation — from defining commercial terms and governance structures to closing agreements in close collaboration with legal and finance
- Own the commercial onboarding process for new partners, establishing clear milestones and success metrics from day one
- Serve as the primary commercial point of contact for key partners; maintain executive-level relationships, identify expansion opportunities, and drive resolution when issues arise
- Work closely with Kodiak's internal teams — including engineering, operations, and product — to ensure the company delivers on commitments made to partners, and partner closely with the leadership team to align partnership priorities with Kodiak's broader strategic direction
- Define and track KPIs for partnership performance, and synthesize market intelligence from partner relationships to inform Kodiak's broader strategic priorities
- Build, manage, and mentor a growing partnerships team, fostering a culture of accountability, commercial rigor, and continuous improvement
Our take
Global supply chains rely on frictionless long-haul trucking freight networks, but the repetitive and stationary nature of the job has resulted in a lack of willing drivers. Whilst this has been partially resolved through the introduction of self-driving trucks, such systems are notoriously difficult to maintain which ultimately leads to significant downtime.
Kodiak Robotics develops self-driving technology for long-haul trucks, providing wing mirrors built with sensors called Kodiak SensorPods. These sensors provide the technology necessary for the trucks to be driven safely and autonomously and have been designed to be replaced or serviced rapidly to minimize downtime.
odiak Robotics has taken a unique approach by recognizing the high-maintenance nature of existing self-driving systems, innovating upon this through its easily replaceable SensorPods. Through this approach and several successful rounds of funding, the company aims to fill empty truck driving positions with safer AI drivers.
Steph
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
21% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Funding (last 2 of 3 rounds)
Sep 2023
$75m
CONVERTIBLE
Nov 2021
$125m
SERIES B
Total funding: $240m
Company benefits
- Remote-friendly work environment
- 401k
- Generous PTO policy
- Life insurance
- Assortment of medical (PPO/HMO/HDHP), dental, vision, and FSA plans
- Family-friendly company events
- Dog-friendly office
- Employee-driven fitness classes
- Beautiful, renovated facilities in Mountain View, CA and Lancaster, TX
- Free EV charging
- Trivia and board game nights
Company HQ
Mountain View, CA
Leadership
Don Burnette
(CEO & Founder)Experience as Co-founder of Otto. Software Technical Lead at Uber from 2016 to 2018.
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