Business Development Manager

Role Overview You will own the customer side of our go to market motion, from identifying design partners to driving pilots through to commercial deployment. You will work directly with early customers, shape how our robotics systems are deployed in real environments, and convert early engagements into long term partnerships. This role sits at the intersection of product, engineering, and revenue. Responsibilities • Identify, engage, and develop pipeline with early design partners across industries where robotics can create meaningful impact • Build deep relationships with early adopters to understand workflows, operational constraints, and real world problems • Drive customer engagements from initial outreach through pilot, deployment, and expansion • Own pilot to production conversion, including commercial discussions and deal execution • Translate customer insights into actionable feedback for product and engineering teams • Work closely with engineering to shape product direction based on real world usage • Lead early pilot deployments and customer evaluation programs • Navigate complex technical sales cycles involving multiple stakeholders • Build structured customer feedback loops that inform roadmap and prioritization • Support product demonstrations, proof of concept programs, and early customer trials • Develop use cases and deployment playbooks for robotics applications • Define pricing, packaging, and commercial structures for early deployments • Work closely with the Partnerships Lead to align ecosystem strategy with customer demand • Represent the voice of the customer internally across product, engineering, and leadership teams Qualifications • Experience in customer-facing roles within robotics, autonomy, AI, or deep technology environments • Background in customer development, solutions engineering, product strategy, technical business development, or sales • Experience in management consulting or equivalent problem-solving roles, with exposure to operational or industrial systems • Experience at an early-stage or high-growth startup, ideally operating in 0→1 or pre-product environments • Strong technical fluency, able to engage directly with engineering teams and customers on system behavior, constraints, and deployment tradeoffs • Proven ability to own pipeline, drive deals end-to-end, and close complex, technical engagements • Track record working across product and engineering to translate real-world customer needs into shipped systems • Experience selling into or deploying within operational environments such as manufacturing, logistics, or industrial settings • Comfortable leading ambiguous, high-stakes engagements with early adopters and shaping the product in parallel • High agency and execution focus, able to operate independently and drive outcomes without defined playbooks • Strong communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills