Business Development Lead

Sierra; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

An innovative firm is seeking a Business Development Lead to enhance partnerships and market impact. This role involves engaging with industry leaders, exploring new customer channels, and collaborating with sales and marketing teams. The ideal candidate will have over 8 years of experience in business development, a strong grasp of the VC/PE landscape, and a proven track record of structuring high-value partnerships. Join a forward-thinking team that values diversity and offers a range of benefits, including flexible paid time off and comprehensive health coverage. If you're passionate about AI and partnerships, this opportunity is for you.

Benefits

Flexible (Unlimited) Paid Time Off

Medical, Dental, and Vision benefits

Life Insurance and Disability Benefits

401(k) Plan with company match

Parental Leave

Fertility and Family Building Benefits

Free snacks and coffee

Discretionary Benefit Stipend

Free alphorn lessons

Qualifications

• 8+ years in business development or strategic partnerships in tech.
• Strong understanding of the VC/PE landscape and relationship management.

Responsibilities

• Develop and grow partnerships with key industry players.
• Align partnership efforts with broader GTM strategies.
• Gather market intelligence for product development.

Skills

Business Development

Strategic Partnerships

Analytical Skills

Relationship Management

Negotiation Skills

Job description

About us

At Sierra, we’re building a platform to enable every company in the world to build their own autonomous AI agents for everything from customer service to commerce. We are primarily an in-person company based in San Francisco, with growing offices in Atlanta and London.

We are guided by a set of values that are at the core of our actions and define our culture: Trust, Customer Obsession, Craftsmanship, Intensity, and Family. These values are the foundation of our work, and we are committed to upholding them in everything we do.

What you'll do

As a Business Development Lead, you’ll play a critical role in building and nurturing a robust ecosystem of partners and stakeholders around Sierra, amplifying our reach and market impact.

• Industry Partnerships: Develop and grow partnerships with key industry players and technology platforms.

• Strategic Customer Channels: Explore and cultivate alternative customer acquisition channels beyond traditional sales, leveraging Sierra’s ecosystem of investors, partners, and industry influencers to drive inbound interest and adoption.

• GTM Strategy & Collaboration: Align partnership efforts with Sierra’s broader GTM approach, collaborating closely with Sales and Marketing.

• Investor & VC/PE Engagement: Build and deepen relationships with VCs and PE firms to position Sierra as a strategic AI partner across their portfolios. Proactively identify opportunities to introduce Sierra to portfolio companies that would benefit from our agents.

• Industry & Market Expansion: Gather market intelligence, share insights to inform product development, and explore opportunities for potential growth across new market segments and geographies.

What you'll bring

• 8+ years in business development, strategic partnerships, or related roles in tech.

• Strong understanding of the VC/PE landscape and experience working with investors.

• Proven track record of structuring and closing high-value partnerships with senior stakeholders.

• Ability to engage and maintain relationships with C-level executives, investors, and key decision-makers.

• Analytical mindset to evaluate partnership opportunities and align them with Sierra’s long-term vision.

• Ability to navigate ambiguity in a fast-moving startup environment.

Even better...

• Prior experience at a high-growth AI or enterprise SaaS startup.

• Deep expertise in a few of our key industries: financial services, healthcare, telecommunications, media, travel, transportation and hospitality, retail and consumer goods, and/or technology.

• Experience structuring and managing ecosystem partnerships.

What we offer

We want our benefits to reflect our values and offer the following to full-time employees in the United States:

• Flexible (Unlimited) Paid Time Off.

• Medical, Dental, and Vision benefits for you and your family.

• Life Insurance and Disability Benefits.

• 401(k) Plan with Sierra match.

• Parental Leave.

• Fertility and Family Building Benefits through Carrot.

• Lunch, as well as delicious snacks and coffee to keep you energized.

• Discretionary Benefit Stipend giving people the ability to spend where it matters most.

• Free alphorn lessons.

These benefits are further detailed in Sierra's policies and are subject to change at any time, consistent with the terms of any applicable compensation or benefits plans. Eligible full-time employees can participate in Sierra's equity plans subject to the terms of the applicable plans and policies.

Be you, with us

We're working to bring the transformative power of AI to every organization in the world. To do so, it is important to us that the diversity of our employees represents the diversity of our customers. We believe that our work and culture are better when we encourage, support, and respect different skills and experiences represented within our team. We encourage you to apply even if your experience doesn't precisely match the job description. We strive to evaluate all applicants consistently without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, pregnancy, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, citizenship, or any other legally protected class.