AAM Market Development Lead

Honda Research Institute USA, Inc.; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Honda Research Institute USA Inc. seeks an AAM Market Development Lead for North America to drive the market strategy for our next-generation eVTOL program in San Luis Obispo County.

You will build executive relationships with operators, regulators, and infrastructure providers, translate insights into concrete requirements, and align regional work with Honda's Japan-based strategy team to shape product roadmap and commercialization.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in aviation commercialization, business development, or strategic partnerships.
• Proven ability to build and activate executive-level relationships that convert into concrete commitments.
• Strong existing network across the North American aviation and mobility ecosystem.
• Experience designing and executing market validation initiatives, pilot programs, or POCs.
• Demonstrated ability to align market strategy with global leadership, including collaboration with Japan‑based teams.
• Onsite work in San Luis Obispo County.

Responsibilities

• Own the North America market strategy and execution aligned with Honda's global strategy.
• Develop go-to-market plans, target segments, entry sequencing, and competitive positioning.
• Define and track KPIs for market development progress, commercial readiness, and ecosystem health.
• Create structured opportunities with LOIs/MoUs and a prioritized partner pipeline, and lead POCs and regulatory engagement.

Skills

Executive presence

Relationship building

Strategic thinking

Cross-cultural fluency

Communication skills

Negotiation

Job description

At Honda Research Institute USA Inc., we are pioneering the future of mobility through the development of our next-generation eVTOL (electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing) aircraft. Honda's legacy spans motorcycles, automobiles, racing, and aircraft—all rooted in our challenging spirit and commitment to innovation. Our eVTOL project represents a bold step toward redefining freedom of mobility. While currently in the research and development phase, we are building the foundation for a transformative mobility ecosystem that will expand people's life potential. To bring this vision to life in North America, we are seeking a market-focused leader who can turn strategic vision into real customer and partner traction—translating validated market insights into concrete business outcomes that shape both our product roadmap and commercialization approach, while working in close partnership with Honda's Japan-based strategy team.

Location: San Luis Obispo, CA

As the AAM Market Development Lead for North America, you will own the full cycle from market strategy to validated execution—actively engaging customers and partners, running structured proof-of-concept initiatives, and feeding those results into operational and product decisions in close alignment with Honda Motor's business strategy team. You will define and execute a North America market strategy that evolves alongside Honda Motor's (HM) broader business strategy. You will move beyond ecosystem mapping to forge concrete, condition‑specific business relationships—LOIs with defined partner roles, responsibilities, and commercial triggers. You will test market hypotheses through real engagement and POCs, and translate what you learn into clear requirements the global team can act on. You will serve as Honda's primary commercial voice in North America—and as the critical feedback channel ensuring regional market realities shape global strategy.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the development and ongoing execution of Honda eVTOL's North America market strategy, ensuring it is continuously aligned with the evolving HM global business strategy—not developed in isolation.
  • Develop a go‑to‑market plan, including target segments, priority markets, entry sequencing, and competitive positioning.
  • Continuously refine the strategy as market conditions, regulatory developments, and HM's strategic priorities evolve—operating as both strategist and executor.
  • Define and track clear KPIs for market development progress, commercial readiness, and ecosystem health across the North American region.
  • Provide structured strategic input to Japan‑based leadership, ensuring regional market dynamics and customer feedback are embedded in commercialization decisions.
• Move beyond high‑level stakeholder mapping to create concrete, structured business opportunities with real commercial intent and defined conditions.
  • Develop executive‑level relationships with operators, infrastructure providers, fleet customers, mobility integrators, and regulators—with a clear focus on converting engagement into structured commitments.
  • Negotiate and execute Letters of Intent (LOIs) and strategic MoUs that clearly define partner roles, responsibilities, conditions, commercial triggers, and next steps—not just expressions of general interest.
  • Build a prioritized partner pipeline with defined stages, milestones, and accountability—distinguishing between near‑term commercial opportunities and longer‑horizon ecosystem relationships.
• Translate strategic hypotheses about use cases, routes, pricing, operations, and demand into structured proof‑of‑concept initiatives—and generate validated insights from real market engagement.
  • Define specific, testable market and operational hypotheses: which customer segments, what routes, which pricing structures, what regulatory frameworks, and what operational models are viable in North America.
  • Design and execute POCs with prospective customers and partners—including demand validation studies, route feasibility pilots, simulation‑based exercises, and structured partner trials—with clear success criteria and measurable KPIs.
  • Actively engage regulators (FAA), operators, and infrastructure providers during POCs to test not just commercial assumptions but operational and regulatory feasibility.
• Convert validated market findings and customer insights into clear, actionable requirements that the global product and operations teams can directly use—not just reports or data.
  • Translate POC learnings and stakeholder feedback into structured operational requirements: fleet configurations, service models, maintenance concepts, infrastructure needs, and integration requirements.
  • Develop concrete product requirements derived from customer and operator input: cabin specifications, performance parameters, user experience needs, and operational interface requirements.
  • Synthesize regional market intelligence into prioritized recommendations for product roadmap decisions, commercialization sequencing, and business model choices—with clear supporting evidence.

Key Competencies

• Executive presence and exceptional relationship‑building capability.
• Strategic thinking combined with disciplined execution.
• High emotional intelligence and cross‑cultural fluency.
• Ability to align diverse stakeholders toward a long‑term shared vision.
• Passion for advancing next‑generation mobility solutions aligned with Honda's challenging spirit.

Minimum Qualifications

• 10+ years in aviation commercialization, business development, or strategic partnerships—with a demonstrated track record of closing structured agreements (LOIs, MoUs, partnership frameworks).
• Proven ability to build and activate executive‑level relationships that convert into concrete business commitments, not just pipeline activity.
• Strong existing network across the North American aviation and mobility ecosystem—operators, fleet customers, infrastructure providers, and regulators.
• Experience designing and executing market validation initiatives, pilot programs, or POCs—with the discipline to define hypotheses, measure outcomes, and translate findings into requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute market strategy in close alignment with global business leadership, rather than independently.
• Experience working across regions and cultures in globally coordinated programs, particularly with Japan‑based teams.
• Comfort operating in ambiguity within early‑stage aerospace or advanced mobility programs.
• Onsite work in San Luis Obispo County.

Bonus Qualifications

• Experience in Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), eVTOL, or emerging aerospace markets.
• Exposure to structured financing or long‑term fleet acquisition discussions.
• Familiarity with FAA certification pathways and operational frameworks (Part 91, 135, etc.).
• Understanding of service‑based or platform‑oriented mobility business models.

Desired Start Date

7/6/2026

Position Keywords

• AAM
• Advanced Air Mobility
• eVTOL
• Aero Industry
• Market Development