Business Development Partner, Strategic Accounts & Channel Partners

Cerence is a global leader in conversational AI and voice technologies, expanding its innovations beyond automotive into robotics and physical AI. The Business Development Partner will drive revenue growth through direct customer engagement and distributor and channel partner relationships, managing opportunities from qualification through closure. The role also supports partner enablement, market development, customer events, pipeline growth, and cross-functional coordination.

Responsibilities:

• Own and manage a portfolio of direct customer opportunities across Cerence's non-automotive businesses
• Conduct customer discovery sessions to understand business needs and technical requirements
• Develop and deliver customer presentations, product demonstrations, and solution proposals
• Coordinate with Product Management, Engineering, and Solutions teams to develop customer offerings
• Prepare quotations, commercial proposals, and statements of work
• Manage sales opportunities through the entire customer lifecycle, including negotiation and deal closure
• Maintain accurate pipeline forecasting and CRM updates
• Identify upsell and expansion opportunities within existing accounts
• Serve as the day-to-day business lead for assigned distributors and reseller partners
• Conduct regular pipeline reviews and business planning discussions
• Support distributor enablement activities, including product training and sales support
• Organize and execute two distributor workshops annually
• Assist in the recruitment and onboarding of new channel partners, with emphasis on North American growth
• Coordinate joint customer pursuits and co-selling opportunities with distributors
• Represent Cerence at industry conferences, trade shows, and customer events
• Support lead generation and follow-up activities from industry events
• Develop relationships with key ecosystem partners and industry stakeholders
• Provide market feedback and competitive intelligence to internal teams
• Act as the voice of the customer within Cerence
• Work closely with Product, Engineering, Marketing, and Operations teams to support customer requirements
• Help prioritize customer requests and coordinate responses across functions
• Support go-to-market initiatives and new product introductions

Requirements:

• 3-7 years of experience in business development, sales, account management, or channel management
• Track record of developing and closing technology-related business opportunities
• Experience managing customer relationships and sales pipelines
• Strong presentation, communication, and negotiation skills
• Ability to work effectively across product, engineering, and commercial teams
• Willingness to travel as needed
• Location: Remote — United States, Canada
• Travel: approximately 30% to customer sites
• Experience selling software, SaaS, AI, voice technologies, or enterprise technology solutions
• Experience working with distributors, VARs, systems integrators, or channel partners
• Familiarity with CRM systems and pipeline management
• Experience participating in industry conferences and customer events