Senior Autonomous Vehicle Partnership Manager

Human Resources Exam SHRM; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 169,000 - 211,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Mental health benefits

Family building benefits

Child care benefits

Commuter benefits

Lyft credits

Job summary

Lyft is seeking a Senior Autonomous Vehicle Partnership Manager to lead external partnerships and drive commercial success across AV collaborations. You will own end-to-end relationships with 1–2 active partners, steer terms, and coordinate with legal, finance, product, and operations to ensure timely delivery and growth.

The role requires strong executive communication, strategic thinking, and a proven ability to manage complex multi-stakeholder agreements in a fast-paced, mobility/tech

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in strategic partnerships, business development, or account management in mobility, automotive, or technology.
• Proven track record of owning senior-level commercial relationships with multi-party stakeholders.
• Strong commercial instincts—able to understand complex deal structures, identify risks, and negotiate effectively.
• Excellent cross-functional collaboration skills; able to align legal, finance, product, and operations without direct authority.
• Executive-level communication skills, able to represent Lyft professionally in high-stakes partner settings.

Responsibilities

• Own the commercial relationship for 1–2 active AV partnerships end-to-end as Lyft's primary external contact.
• Maximize value by steering commercial terms, amendments, and growth opportunities.
• Lead partner working sessions to negotiate terms and drive decisive outcomes.
• Monitor milestones and contractual commitments, flag risks early, resolve issues promptly.
• Oversee partner reviews to ensure accurate representation of commitments and issues.
• Design and implement a strategic partnership review process for health and direction assessment.

Skills

Executive communication

Commercial instincts

Cross-functional collaboration

Partnership management

Negotiation

Framework agreements

AV ecosystem contacts

Job description

Senior Autonomous Vehicle Partnership Manager

Lyft

USA Full-time

Posted

173 days ago

Category

Other HR

Job Type

Full-time

Country

USA

Source

Greenhouse_ext

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 crafting durable relationships with our partners and ensuring commercial success. You will work in a highly collaborative, fast-paced environment. As a qualified candidate, you have a track record of owning complex, multi-stakeholder commercial relationships end-to-end — from deal close through ongoing management and growth. You are a strong communicator who can operate confidently at the executive level both internally and externally. You are able to coordinate across a wide range of internal teams — legal, finance, product, operations — without formal authority and keep multiple workstreams moving simultaneously. You uphold a high quality bar and have a strong appreciation for the commercial details that make or break a partnership. Above all, you are a builder who takes genuine pride in the quality of your partner relationships and the outcomes they deliver.

Responsibilities

• Be the person partners trust to get things done — owning the commercial relationship for 1–2 active AV partnerships end-to-end as Lyft's primary external point of contact
• Maximize the value of each partnership by steering commercial terms, negotiating amendments, and proactively identifying opportunities to expand scope and scale over time
• Drive commercial momentum by running partner working sessions that negotiate and clarify terms, ensuring the right people are in the room, the agenda drives decisions, and follow-through is clear
• Keep a relentless grip on commercial milestones and contractual commitments, flagging risks early and resolving issues before they become problems
• Protect Lyft's contractual position by managing commercial reporting obligations under active partnership agreements, ensuring commitments are met on time and to a high standard
• Ensure operational reviews work for Lyft by overseeing participation in regular partner reviews, making sure commercial commitments are accurately represented and any issues surfaced are followed through
• Help shape how Lyft manages its most important relationships by designing and building a strategic partnership review process — establishing the cadence, format, and criteria by which partnership health and direction are assessed at the highest level
• Ensure deal value is fully realised by briefing Lyft's program management and operational teams fully on commercials, expectations, and contractual commitments at deal close and hand off
• Unlock Lyft's full internal capability by building a deep network across the organisation, leveraging cross-functional expertise to deliver on negotiation and partnership goals
• Stay ahead of each partner by developing a deep understanding of their business, strategy, and priorities — continuously identifying growth opportunities and strengthening long-term alignment
• Make Lyft a better partner over time by identifying lessons learned from active partnerships and translating them into improvements to how Lyft engages with the AV ecosystem

Experience

• 7+ years of experience in strategic partnerships, business development, or account management, ideally in mobility, automotive, or technology
• Demonstrated track record of owning senior-level commercial relationships with complex, multi-party stakeholders
• Strong commercial instincts — able to understand complex deal structures, identify risks, and negotiate effectively
• Excellent cross-functional collaboration skills; comfortable driving alignment across legal, finance, product, and operations teams without direct authority
• Executive-level written and verbal communication skills; able to represent Lyft professionally in high-stakes partner settings
• Highly organised with the ability to manage multiple active partnerships simultaneously without losing precision on the details
• Genuine curiosity about the AV industry and appetite to develop deep expertise in a fast-moving space
• Experience with master framework agreements, technology deployment agreements, or similar long-form commercial structures is a plus
• Existing relationships in the AV, OEM, or mobility ecosystem are 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
• 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.

Location & 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.

Compensation

The expected base pay range for this position in the San Francisco area is $169,000 - $211,250, not inclusive of potential equity offering, bonus or benefits. Salary ranges are dependent on a variety of factors, including qualifications, experience and geographic location.