Senior Director, Business Development, Automotive Tier 1-3

UPS; Atlanta (GA); Remote; USD 250,000 - 360,000; Full time

Job summary

UPS is seeking a Senior Director of Business Development for Automotive Tier 1–3 to accelerate growth across the automotive supplier ecosystem. The role blends strategic development, market insight, and executive engagement to shape high-value opportunities and enable frontline sales teams.

Ideal candidates will drive go-to-market initiatives, partner with internal teams, and represent the company at industry forums, conferences, and associations within the U.S. market.

Qualifications

• Executive leadership and strategic business development in automotive supplier ecosystem.
• Ability to translate market intelligence into strategic opportunities.
• Proven track record in cross-functional leadership and deal negotiation.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute comprehensive business development strategies focused on acquiring and expanding Tier 1–Tier 3 automotive supplier accounts.
• Identify and pursue high-value opportunities across automotive manufacturing, supply chain, logistics, transportation, and related environments.
• Develop relationships across customer organizations, including executive leadership, procurement, strategic sourcing, supply chain, logistics, operations, manufacturing, and other stakeholders.
• Position the organization as a strategic supply chain partner to support long-term growth and objectives.
• Lead high-impact presentations and strategic discussions with senior customer stakeholders.
• Translate complex supply chain challenges into compelling solutions with measurable value.
• Tailor value propositions to Tier 1–Tier 3 priorities and communicate to stakeholders.
• Understand OEM relationships and supplier ecosystems to shape opportunities.
• Develop strategic account plans and manage multi-location pursuits; maintain pipeline visibility.
• Lead negotiations for large, complex opportunities and manage end-to-end process.

Job description

The Senior Director of Business Development, Automotive Tier 1-3 will serve as a senior industry leader responsible for accelerating growth across the automotive supplier ecosystem. This role will combine strategic business development with deep industry knowledge, relationships, and commercial expertise to help identify, qualify, shape, and advance high-value opportunities across Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 automotive suppliers. In addition to directly supporting strategic pursuits, this leader will act as a force multiplier for frontline sales teams, leveraging automotive industry credibility, relationships, market intelligence, and subject-matter expertise to help sellers identify the right opportunities, engage key decision-makers, understand customer challenges, and develop differentiated industry-specific value propositions. The Senior Director will represent the organization at relevant automotive conferences, trade shows, associations, and industry forums; cultivate relationships throughout the supplier ecosystem; translate market intelligence into actionable commercial insights; and partner with Sales, Solutions, Marketing, and other internal teams to strengthen automotive go-to-market strategy, sales enablement, and industry-specific training.

The Senior Director of Business Development, Automotive Tier 1-3 will serve as a senior industry leader responsible for accelerating growth across the automotive supplier ecosystem, directly supporting strategic pursuits and acting as a force multiplier for frontline sales teams while representing the organization across the automotive industry and partnering internally to strengthen automotive go-to-market strategy, sales enablement, and industry-specific training.

Responsibilities

Automotive Supplier Business Development

• Develop and execute comprehensive business development strategies focused on acquiring and expanding Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 automotive supplier accounts.
• Identify and pursue high-value opportunities across automotive manufacturing, supply chain, logistics, transportation, and related operational environments.
• Develop relationships across customer organizations, including executive leadership, procurement, strategic sourcing, supply chain, logistics, operations, manufacturing, and other business stakeholders.
• Build a strong understanding of each customer's position within the automotive value chain, including the OEMs and downstream customers they support.
• Identify opportunities to expand relationships across customer facilities, business units, product lines, and geographies.
• Position the organization as a strategic supply chain partner capable of supporting customers' long-term growth and operational objectives.

Executive-Level Value Articulation

• Lead high-impact presentations and strategic business discussions with senior and executive customer stakeholders.
• Translate complex supply chain and operational challenges into compelling solutions with clearly articulated financial, operational, and strategic value.
• Tailor value propositions to the unique priorities of Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 organizations.
• Communicate effectively with multiple customer stakeholders whose priorities may include cost, quality, delivery, production performance, risk, and customer requirements.
• Develop compelling executive-level business cases that demonstrate measurable customer value and competitive differentiation.

Automotive Market & Supply Chain Expertise

• Demonstrate a strong understanding of the automotive ecosystem, including the relationships between OEMs and Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 suppliers.
• Understand how OEM customer requirements translate into operational and supply chain expectations throughout the supplier network.
• Maintain detailed knowledge of which Tier 1-3 suppliers support each automotive OEM and use those value-chain relationships to identify, prioritize, and shape differentiated business-development opportunities.
• Maintain awareness of automotive manufacturing and supply chain trends and their potential impact on customers.
• Understand the distinct operating environments of major system suppliers, component manufacturers, sub-component suppliers, and material suppliers.
• Evaluate customer opportunities within the context of both the immediate customer relationship and the broader automotive value chain.

Sales Strategy & Account Planning

• Develop strategic account plans identifying target customers, decision-makers, influencers, customer priorities, competitive dynamics, and growth opportunities.
• Develop strategies to penetrate new automotive supplier accounts while expanding relationships within existing customers.
• Manage complex, multi-threaded sales pursuits involving multiple functions, locations, business units, and decision-makers.
• Identify opportunities to expand business across multiple customer locations, manufacturing sites, product groups, or regions.
• Maintain disciplined opportunity management and provide leadership with visibility into pipeline health, deal progression, customer engagement, competitive positioning, and potential commercial risks.
• Balance immediate revenue opportunities with long-term strategic account development.
• Lead business development activities associated with significant customer sourcing, RFQ, RFP, and proposal opportunities.
• Partner with internal stakeholders to develop differentiated solutions, pricing strategies, business cases, and commercial proposals.
• Evaluate complex deal structures and provide strategic guidance regarding pricing, operational feasibility, contractual requirements, commercial risk, and long-term account value.
• Develop solutions that address customer priorities while supporting internal financial and operational objectives.
• Ensure proposals effectively articulate business value and differentiation rather than competing solely on price.

Negotiation & Closing

• Lead negotiations for large, complex, and strategically important automotive supplier opportunities.
• Navigate procurement and sourcing organizations while maintaining strong relationships with operational stakeholders and executive sponsors.
• Drive opportunities from initial qualification through solution development, proposal, negotiation, award, implementation alignment, and transition into long-term account management.
• Maintain strong customer relationships following award to support retention, expansion, and additional business-development opportunities.
• Identify opportunities to leverage successful relationships across the customer's broader automotive supply network.
• Maintain knowledge of the operational requirements influencing automotive suppliers, including quality, delivery, cost, production readiness, customer requirements, traceability, and change management.
• Understand how a customer's position within the Tier 1-3 ecosystem affects its operational priorities, customer commitments, and supply chain needs.
• Maintain working familiarity with automotive industry disciplines such as IATF 16949, APQP, PPAP, FMEA, and customer-specific requirements, as appropriate to the solutions

Additional Information

• Position location: U.S.-based, with geographic flexibility. Qualified candidates may reside anywhere within the domestic United States, and relocation is not required.