Business Development Associate

Berlin, Germany

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Ever imagined saying, “I helped launch the future of transportation”?

We’re rewriting the rules of urban mobility. At Vay, customers tap a button and a car arrives - with no one inside - powered by our world-first Remote Driving technology on real public streets.

We’re live in Las Vegas and scaling fast, powered by a strategic investment of up to $410 million from Grab. Our mission is simple: replace private car ownership with a faster, cleaner, door-to-door mobility model. If you want to build something real, visible, and genuinely transformative, you’ll feel right at home here.

What’s happening at Vay

First to roll out vehicles in both Europe and the USA on public roads without a human being inside & currently the 2nd largest commercial, driverless car fleet in the Western World.
We've partnered with Kodiak to bring remote-driving technology to autonomous trucks in the US, showcasing our ability to integrate our system into heavy-duty commercial vehicles and expand the applications of our tech across the US.
We’ve completed 10’s of thousands of trips so far and are busy multiplying our Las Vegas fleet just to meet demand!
...And soon we’ll be expanding across the US & Europe 🚀

Why this role is exciting

Vay is redefining mobility through teledriving technology. We are seeking a highly motivated Business Development Associate to join Vay’s B2B and partnership team. This role is designed to directly support the Director of Business Development on Vay’s most strategic and high-stakes partnerships. This role sits at the intersection of deep technology, commercial strategy, and complex negotiations.

You will play a critical role in helping scale Vay’s partnerships with mobility platform companies, OEM integrations, technology partners and public sector stakeholders. The ideal candidate is a strong project manager and communicator who thrives in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment, with the ability to qualify new engagements, perform business modelling, and navigate the technical and regulatory constraints of a deep-tech product to make strategic engagements a success.

What you'll be driving

Strategic Partnership Development & Deal Execution

Own and prioritize the early-stage partnership pipeline across mobility platforms, OEMs, autonomy players, and public-sector stakeholders.
Structure new opportunities: define use cases, economics, regulatory feasibility, and technical requirements.
Support and co-drive high-profile negotiations (MoUs, term sheets, pilots, contracts), including drafting redlines and counterproposals, working closely with Vay’s Engineering, Legal, and Finance teams.
Coordinate feasibility assessments and translate deep-tech constraints into commercially viable deal structures.

Commercial Strategy & Business Modelling

Build and maintain partnership business models to evaluate opportunities and support negotiations.
Conduct structured market research and competitor analysis in autonomous driving, teleoperations, ride-hailing, and OEM ecosystems.
Support city and country expansion projects, including preparation of tenders, regulatory applications, and C-level materials.

Executive Enablement & Cross-Functional Alignment

Prepare executive-level decks, briefing notes, negotiation summaries, and decision proposal
Act as interface between BD, Engineering, Legal, Finance and external stakeholders, ensuring smooth alignment and delivery of partnership projects
Support preparation for high-level partner meetings

Governance & Confidentiality

Maintain discretion and confidentiality when handling sensitive negotiations and regulatory matters.

What are we looking for

Experience

At least 3-5 years shaping growth and strategy in business development, top-tier consulting, corporate strategy, investment banking, or a high-growth deep-tech / mobility startup.
Academic grounding in Business Administration, Business Engineering & Management (Wirtschaftsingenieurwesen), Economics, Finance, or related field (Master’s degree is a plus).
Exposure to autonomous driving, mobility, automotive, or tech industries is a strong advantage.

Skills & Capabilities

**Structured Strategic Thinker:**able to decompose ambiguous problems into clear frameworks and strategic scenarios.
Confident project driver: able to juggle multiple workstreams, prioritize effectively, and deliver under pressure.
Sharp Communicator: you can create crisp and professional documents, pitch ideas, and support partner negotiations with clarity and impact.
**Analytical mindset:**Skilled in partnership business modelling, financial analysis, and scenario planning to support high-stakes decisions.
Ability to understand and incorporate technical and regulatory constraints of a deep-tech mobility product into commercial work.
**Comfortable working across tools and systems:**Google / PowerPoint Slides, Sheets / Excel, contracts and CRM tools (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) .

Mindset & Approach

High-agency operator who takes ownership rather than waiting for instruction.
Calm under pressure and comfortable in high-stakes environments.
Detail-oriented but able to think strategically.
Discreet, trustworthy, and professional in sensitive situations.
Entrepreneurial, intellectually curious, and motivated to help build a new category in mobility.

Why choose Vay

💪 A global team of smart, motivated people from 30+ countries who love tackling hard problems and turning bold ideas into reality

🌍 Huge scope for impact in a fast paced environment

💰 ESOP stock options: A stake in Vay’s future - not just a salary

🌴 Unlimited Paid Vacation Days

🎫 Subsidised Deutschland ticket (Berlin)

🏋️‍♂️ Subsidised Urban Sports Club or FitX Membership

🚗 All Vay team members receive 30% off their Vay rides

🛍️ Exclusive external discounts

💼 €350 Home Office Set-up

✈️ Relocation financial assistance when relocating to Berlin

📚 Fully funded German Lessons

🎊 Regular team events throughout the year

For more information on Vay’s physical demands, working environments and safety requirements, you can review thislink. We’ll also cover anything specific to this role during the first interview.

We’d love to stay connected for future opportunities, so feel free to include your LinkedIn profile when you apply.

We welcome applications from all backgrounds and experiences. If you’re excited about shaping something truly groundbreaking, we’d be happy to hear from you.

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