Business Development Associate

About the role

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. You will play a critical role in helping scale Vay's partnerships with mobility platform companies, OEM integrations, technology partners and public sector stakeholders.

What you'll do

• 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
• 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
• Prepare executive-level decks, briefing notes, negotiation summaries, and decision proposals
• Act as interface between BD, Engineering, Legal, Finance and external stakeholders, ensuring smooth alignment and delivery of partnership projects
• Maintain discretion and confidentiality when handling sensitive negotiations and regulatory matters

What you'll need

• 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)
• 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
• High-agency operator who takes ownership rather than waiting for instruction
• Calm under pressure and comfortable in high-stakes environments

Nice to have

• Exposure to autonomous driving, mobility, automotive, or tech industries is a strong advantage
• Comfortable working across tools and systems: Google / PowerPoint Slides, Sheets / Excel, contracts and CRM tools (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot)

What they offer

• 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
• €350 Home Office Set-up
• Relocation financial assistance when relocating to Berlin