Description:
onX is seeking a Senior Business Development & Partnerships Manager I to play a key role in accelerating how we build and scale strategic partnerships.
This role exists to increase the speed and quality of our partnership pipeline by owning early- to mid-stage partner development—identifying opportunities, initiating relationships, and driving conversations forward. The role will initially focus heavily on partnerships within the automotive ecosystem, while also supporting broader strategic partnership opportunities over time.
You will help create momentum across the partnerships function by proactively engaging external partners and bringing structured insights back into the business.
You’ll operate in a highly dynamic environment where problems are not fully defined, and success depends on initiative, judgment, and the ability to move work forward without heavy structure. This role reports to the Chief Strategy Officer.
What You'll Do Essential Job Duties & Functions Build and Drive Partnership Pipeline
- Identify, prioritize, and pursue high-impact partnership opportunities aligned with company priorities
- Build and actively manage a pipeline of prospective partners within the automotive ecosystem and other strategic partnership areas
- Translate broad goals into concrete outreach strategies and partnership opportunities
Lead Partner Engagement & Progression
- Proactively initiate and lead external conversations with prospective partners
- Own the progression of partnerships from initial outreach through mid-to-late stage discussions
- Independently lead meetings, relationship development, and small to medium partnership opportunities while partnering with senior leadership on larger or more complex deals
- Maintain momentum across multiple opportunities by driving next steps, aligning stakeholders, and navigating obstacles
- Partner with senior leadership to support final negotiation and closing
- Proactively identify obstacles, surface risks to senior leadership, and propose solutions to keep partnerships moving forward.
Generate Insights That Inform Direction
- Synthesize partner conversations, market signals, and internal context into clear insights and recommendations
- Use structured thinking and data to evaluate opportunities and inform decisions
- Identify patterns and opportunities that help shape partnership priorities over time
What Success Looks Like
- Within 3 months:
- Built a clear, prioritized pipeline of high-value partnership opportunities aligned to company priorities
- Proactively initiated and are actively leading multiple external conversations
- Demonstrating strong ownership by consistently driving next steps without relying on direction
- Bringing back structured insights that inform partnership direction and prioritization
- Within 6 months:
- Progressed multiple partnerships into advanced stages, with clear paths toward close
- Established a consistent track record of creating momentum across opportunities, even in ambiguous or complex situations
- Meaningfully reduced reliance on senior leadership for day-to-day partnership execution
- Independently owning smaller partnership opportunities while effectively contributing to larger strategic deals
- Impact on the business:
- Contributed to measurable growth through partnerships, such as:
- new customer acquisition channels
- distribution expansion
- product integrations
- revenue contribution
- pipeline value
- strategic partner impact
- Helped identify and prioritize the highest-impact partnership opportunities for the business
- Improved the team’s ability to consistently source, evaluate, and advance partnerships