Head of Partnerships

About the role

Standard Fleet is constructing a unified fleet management operating system that treats every vehicle as a data-rich, first-class participant in the digital network. The company began its journey with electric vehicles and is now expanding this platform to cover hybrid and internal combustion engine fleets, aiming to redefine how commercial assets are connected, monitored, and scaled globally. The Head of Partnerships will serve as the primary architect of the company's external growth engine, responsible for identifying, structuring, and executing strategic relationships that fundamentally alter how fleets access technology and services. This role demands a leader who thrives on closing complex, high-value agreements while simultaneously institutionalizing repeatable processes that allow the business to scale without proportional headcount growth. You will report directly to the CEO and operate at the intersection of product, legal, and commercial strategy, ensuring that every partnership advances the company's mission of modernizing transportation.

Key facts

What you'll do

Drive the identification, qualification, and closure of strategic revenue partnerships, establishing a repeatable pipeline that systematically sources and tracks high-value opportunities from initial contact to signed agreement.

Architect and own the end-to-end deal cycle for complex commercial arrangements, collaborating with legal, finance, and product teams to structure terms, manage compliance, and shepherd agreements through internal and external approval processes.

Build and maintain durable relationships with automaker OEMs, guiding joint go-to-market initiatives and aligning product capabilities with partner requirements to create mutually beneficial distribution and integration opportunities.

Establish a clear framework for ecosystem partnerships, defining the value proposition, enablement requirements, and rollout plans that allow third-party platforms to leverage Standard Fleet's technology for expanded utility.

Own partner segmentation and outreach motions, creating tailored engagement strategies that align the company's offerings with the distinct needs of large enterprises, technology platforms, financial institutions, and mobility ecosystems.

Develop and monitor a transparent system for tracking deal stage progression, next steps, and key milestones, providing executive-level visibility into partnership performance and revenue pipeline health.

Collaborate closely with internal stakeholders to align partnership objectives with product roadmaps, ensuring that new integrations, data exchanges, and feature releases are designed to maximize partner value and adoption.

Mentor and develop partnership, business development, and go-to-market professionals, setting standards for excellence in negotiation, relationship management, and strategic execution.

Navigate intricate legal, compliance, procurement, and regulatory environments with precision, ensuring that all agreements meet the highest standards of risk management and corporate governance.

Champion a culture of ownership and accountability, personally closing critical deals while building the systems, playbooks, and team capabilities that allow the partnership organization to operate at scale.

Requirements

You must have 8-10 years of cumulative experience in strategic partnerships, business development, or related leadership roles within technology, mobility, or transportation sectors.

You must have a documented history of building and scaling partnership programs that generated new revenue channels, distribution advantages, product capabilities, or strategic leverage for prior organizations.

You must have personally negotiated and closed complex commercial agreements involving large enterprises, technology platforms, financial institutions, or multi-party ecosystem arrangements.

You must be a player-coach who can close strategic deals independently while simultaneously building the processes, documentation, and team structures that make partnerships repeatable and scalable.

You must have experience leading critical, high-stakes partnerships while actively mentoring and developing talent within partnership, business development, or go-to-market functions.

You must have hands-on experience navigating complex legal, compliance, procurement, or regulatory environments where documentation and process rigor are non-negotiable.

You must demonstrate strong executive presence and the ability to build trust and credibility with C-suite leaders both inside the company and across external partner organizations.

You must be comfortable operating with incomplete information and making rapid, high-impact decisions in a fast-moving growth environment.

Nice to have

Prior experience structuring SaaS, platform, channel, or revenue-sharing agreements.

Background in mobility, automotive, fleet management, transportation, fintech, or payments verticals.

Experience working with OEMs, reseller channels, marketplaces, or large platform ecosystems.

History at a high-growth startup from Series A through Series C, demonstrating comfort with rapid scaling and evolving priorities.

Familiarity with regulated industries where legal, compliance, and procurement stakeholders are central to deal execution.

Practical notes

The role is based in the San Francisco Bay Area and requires in-person collaboration with cross-functional teams.

This is a full-time position eligible for standard benefits as defined by company policy.

Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship for this role.

Relocation is not provided for this position.