Head of Sales and Business Development

About Our Client

Our client is a robotics startup disrupting a trillion-dollar industry. The company converts construction heavy equipment, like loaders, dozers, excavators, trucks, etc., into autonomous robots. This technology allows a single operator to efficiently control multiple machines simultaneously, delivering substantial benefits to customers while significantly enhancing operator safety and comfort.

Our client is founded by experienced technology executives who led the development of Lyft’s Self Driving Car and Google Street View. The company is backed by prominent investors and industry luminaries. The product is already deployed on several continents and generating revenue.

This role is poised for rapid growth. This presents a unique opportunity to be part of a team that is creating a product with a profound impact on customers, working on cutting-edge 100,000-pound autonomous robots, engineering intricate systems at the intersection of hardware, software, and AI, and joining the early stages of an exciting startup journey.

Key Responsibilities

Sales Leadership

• Own and execute the commercial strategy, including pipeline development, customer qualification, pricing, and deal execution.
• Lead enterprise-level sales engagements with major construction, mining, and industrial customers.
• Manage complex, multi-stakeholder sales cycles involving operations, safety, IT, and executive leadership.
• Hiring, developing, and organizing a sales and technical/pre-sales team.
• Conceiving, executing, and implementing sales processes, including ERP and Commercial bidding processes.
• Coordinating and progressing dealer enablement, including development and implementation of sales support tools and processes.

Business Development & Partnerships

• Identify and develop strategic partnerships with OEMs, dealers, contractors, system integrators, and regional partners.
• Structure commercial agreements, joint development initiatives, and channel partnerships.
• Represent the organization with industry leaders, customers, and strategic investors.

Go-to-Market & Strategy

• Refine value propositions and messaging for autonomy and AI solutions in real-world industrial environments.
• Provide structured feedback to product and engineering teams based on customer needs and deployment experience.
• Build repeatable sales processes, forecasting discipline, and early sales infrastructure.

Team & Culture (as the company scales)

• Recruit and develop early sales, BD, and customer success talent.
• Establish performance metrics and compensation structures aligned with company growth.

Required Experience & Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in sales, business development, or go-to-market leadership.
• Proven track record selling new or disruptive technologies into: Construction, Mining, Heavy equipment, Industrial automation, Robotics, or autonomy-adjacent markets.
• Experience introducing first-of-kind or early-adoption technologies into conservative, safety-critical industries.
• Deep understanding of how construction and heavy equipment customers evaluate risk, ROI, and operational change.
• Comfortable operating in an early-stage environment with ambiguity, limited resources, and rapid iteration.
• Willingness to travel frequently to customer sites and industry events.

Preferred Experience

• Experience with robotics, autonomy, AI, or advanced industrial software.
• Familiarity with OEM, dealer, or contractor sales models.
• Experience scaling sales from early pilots to multi-site or fleet-wide deployments.
• Prior leadership role at a venture-backed or high-growth technology company.

What This Role Offers

• Opportunity to define and lead the commercial strategy of a category-defining autonomy company.
• Significant executive visibility and influence on company direction.
• Competitive compensation package, including meaningful equity.
• Flexible location with a highly collaborative leadership team.

Why This Role Matters

This is not a transactional sales role. You will be at the forefront of bringing autonomy into real construction and industrial operations, shaping how an entire industry adopts transformative technology.

Note:

“We are not the EOR (Employer of Record) for this position. Our role in this specific opportunity is to connect outstanding candidates with a top-tier employer. Swooped helps candidates around the world to discover and stay focused on the jobs they want until they can complete a full application in the hiring company career page/ATS.”