Autonomous Vehicle Business Development Manager

Human Resources Exam SHRM; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 118,000 - 147,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Mental health benefits

Family building benefits

Parental leave

401(k) plan with company match

Commuter benefits

Lyft credits

Job summary

Lyft in San Francisco is seeking an Autonomous Vehicle Business Development Manager to shape the future of AV partnerships by originating and advancing a high‑velocity deal pipeline. You will coordinate with strategy, finance, legal, and corporate development to move opportunities forward and prepare materials for senior leadership.

In this hybrid role, you will own end‑to‑end deal processes, draft LOIs/MOUs, and help the team prioritize opportunities across OEMs, fleets, and AV providers.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of experience in business development, strategy, or a similar commercial role.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple active workstreams simultaneously with strong attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to prepare high‑quality materials for senior internal and external audiences.
• Strong cross‑functional collaboration skills; comfortable working across strategy, finance, legal, and operations teams.
• Genuine intellectual curiosity about the AV industry and appetite to develop expertise in a fast‑moving space.
• Familiarity with commercial document drafting — LOIs, MOUs, or term sheets — is a plus.
• Prior experience in BD or a deal‑making environment is a plus, as is prior exposure to equity investment processes, including experience at a corporate VC or in a corporate development function.
• Knowledge of the AV, automotive, or mobility ecosystem is a plus

Responsibilities

• Keep the pipeline moving by coordinating active AV partner conversations — scheduling meetings, setting agendas, tracking follow‑ups, and making sure nothing falls through the cracks
• Make every partner interaction count by preparing crisp, well‑structured materials for partner meetings, internal deal reviews, and leadership pipeline updates
• Accelerate deal momentum by drafting initial LOIs, MOUs, and term sheet inputs under the direction of the senior origination lead, turning alignment into written commitments
• Drive investment decision‑making by working in close collaboration with the Corporate Development team — helping to evaluate partner opportunities, synthesise commercial context, and inform equity investment recommendations
• Give the team a clear view of the pipeline by maintaining accurate and up‑to‑date status, next steps, and open items across all active conversations
• Build the expertise to own deals independently over time by developing deep knowledge of different sectors — OEM, SDS, Fleet — and earning increasing responsibility for partner conversations
• Help senior leadership stay focused on the highest‑value opportunities by supporting the origination lead in representing the pipeline clearly and confidently to senior stakeholders
• Stay ahead of the market by monitoring the AV ecosystem — tracking new entrants, funding rounds, partnerships, and competitive moves to inform pipeline prioritisation and surface emerging opportunities

Job description

Autonomous Vehicle Business Development Manager

At Lyft, our purpose is to serve and connect. We aim to achieve this by cultivating a work environment where all team members belong and have the opportunity to thrive.

The autonomous transition is a transformational opportunity for Lyft. Our strategy focuses on becoming the preferred marketplace, fleet, and operational partner for the world's best Autonomous Vehicle (AV) providers. Lyft will leverage our platform advantages and scale to enable the success of AV partners across the value chain, from AV technology providers to OEMs to fleet providers.

This role will help shape the future of AV partnerships at Lyft by supporting the origination of new partner relationships and keeping a rapidly expanding pipeline of opportunities moving forward. You will work in a highly collaborative, fast‑paced environment. As a qualified candidate, you have a track record of managing multiple complex workstreams simultaneously and delivering high‑quality outputs in a commercial or deal‑making environment. You are a strong communicator who can prepare crisp, well‑structured materials for senior audiences and represent Lyft professionally in partner‑facing settings. You are able to coordinate across internal teams — strategy, finance, legal, and corporate development — to move deals forward efficiently. You uphold a high quality bar and have a strong appreciation for the details that matter in a commercial process. Above all, you are intellectually curious, energised by a full pipeline, and eager to develop deep expertise in the AV industry.

Responsibilities

• Keep the pipeline moving by coordinating active AV partner conversations — scheduling meetings, setting agendas, tracking follow‑ups, and making sure nothing falls through the cracks
• Make every partner interaction count by preparing crisp, well‑structured materials for partner meetings, internal deal reviews, and leadership pipeline updates
• Accelerate deal momentum by drafting initial LOIs, MOUs, and term sheet inputs under the direction of the senior origination lead, turning alignment into written commitments
• Drive investment decision‑making by working in close collaboration with the Corporate Development team — helping to evaluate partner opportunities, synthesise commercial context, and inform equity investment recommendations
• Give the team a clear view of the pipeline by maintaining accurate and up‑to‑date status, next steps, and open items across all active conversations
• Build the expertise to own deals independently over time by developing deep knowledge of different sectors — OEM, SDS, Fleet — and earning increasing responsibility for partner conversations
• Help senior leadership stay focused on the highest‑value opportunities by supporting the origination lead in representing the pipeline clearly and confidently to senior stakeholders
• Stay ahead of the market by monitoring the AV ecosystem — tracking new entrants, funding rounds, partnerships, and competitive moves to inform pipeline prioritisation and surface emerging opportunities

Experience

• 3–5 years of experience in business development, strategy, or a similar commercial role
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple active workstreams simultaneously with strong attention to detail
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to prepare high‑quality materials for senior internal and external audiences
• Strong cross‑functional collaboration skills; comfortable working across strategy, finance, legal, and operations teams
• Genuine intellectual curiosity about the AV industry and appetite to develop expertise in a fast‑moving space
• Familiarity with commercial document drafting — LOIs, MOUs, or term sheets — is a plus
• Prior experience in BD or a deal‑making environment is a plus, as is prior exposure to equity investment processes, including experience at a corporate VC or in a corporate development function
• Knowledge of the AV, automotive, or mobility ecosystem is a plus

Benefits

• Great medical, dental, and vision insurance options with additional programs available when enrolled
• Mental health benefits
• Family building benefits
• Child care and pet benefits
• 401(k) plan with company match to help save for your future
• In addition to 12 observed holidays, salaried team members have discretionary paid time off, hourly team members have 15 days paid time off
• 18 weeks of paid parental leave.
• Biological, adoptive, and foster parents are all eligible
• Subsidized commuter benefits
• Monthly Lyft credits and complimentary Lyft Pink membership

Compensation and Benefits

The expected base pay range for this position in the San Francisco area is $118,000 - $147,000 not inclusive of potential equity offering, bonus or benefits. Salary ranges are dependent on a variety of factors, including qualifications, experience and geographic location.

Hybrid Work Schedule

This role will be in-office on a hybrid schedule — Team Members will be expected to work in the office 3 days per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Lyft considers working in the office at least 3 days per week to be an essential function of this hybrid role.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Lyft is an equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive workplace that fosters belonging.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regards to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, age, genetic information, or any other basis prohibited by law.

We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with applicable federal, state and local law.