Senior Direct Sales Representative

About the Role

Cerence is the global leader in automotive conversational AI, working with leading OEMs to deliver intelligent, voice-driven in-vehicle experiences at scale. This role builds on that leadership by owning and expanding strategic automotive OEM relationships, while also creating 0-to-1 growth opportunities that extend Cerence’s AI capabilities beyond core automotive use cases.

As a Senior Business Development Manager, you will drive both business development and sales, managing complex OEM relationships across executive, product, engineering, and commercial teams. You will operate with a high degree of autonomy, identifying opportunities, shaping deals from early concept through closure, and translating advanced AI technology into clear commercial value. Automotive is the primary focus, with the opportunity to leverage its scale to open selective new markets and applications.

Key Responsibilities

- Own and manage strategic automotive OEM relationships across all seniority levels.
- Drive revenue growth within existing OEM accounts and identify new automotive-led opportunities.
- Lead the full business and partnership lifecycle from opportunity identification to deal closure and ongoing relationship management.
- Define and execute go-to-market strategies for Cerence’s conversational and GenAI solutions in automotive.
- Translate complex AI and system capabilities into clear business value for OEM customers.
- Act as the customer champion internally, influencing product strategy and roadmap priorities.
- Identify and shape selective 0-to-1 opportunities beyond automotive leveraging Cerence’s AI leadership.
- Stay ahead of industry, regulatory, and technology trends impacting automotive AI adoption.

What We’re Looking For

- 7+ years of experience in business development, sales, strategic partnerships, or enterprise technology roles.
- Proven experience directly managing automotive OEM relationships.
- Strong understanding of AI technologies, automotive software platforms, and complex integrations.
- Ability to work autonomously and thrive in ambiguous environments.
- Excellent communication skills with senior and executive stakeholders.

Success in the First 12 Months

- Trusted relationships established with key automotive OEM customers.
- Expanded AI footprint within existing OEM accounts.
- Multiple new opportunities progressed from exploration to active initiatives.
- Customer insights actively influencing product and roadmap decisions.

Why Cerence

At Cerence, you will play a central role in shaping the future of AI-driven in-vehicle experiences. You will work directly with leading automotive OEMs, influence product strategy, and help extend Cerence’s conversational AI leadership into the next generation of intelligent systems.

Cerence Inc. (Nasdaq: CRNC and www.cerence.com) is the global industry leader in creating unique, moving experiences for the automotive world. Spun out from Nuance in October 2019, Cerence is a new, independent company that has quickly gained traction as a leader in the automotive voice assistant space, working with all of the world’s leading automakers – from Ford and Fiat Chrysler to Daimler, Audi and BMW to Geely and SAIC – to transform how a car feels, responds and learns. Its track record is built on more than 20 years of industry experience and leadership and more than 500 million cars on the road today across more than 70 languages.

As Cerence looks to the future and continues an ambitious growth agenda, we need someone to join the team and help build the future of voice and AI in cars. This is an exciting opportunity to join Cerence’s passionate, dedicated, global team and be a part of meaningful innovation in a rapidly growing industry.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Cerence is firmly committed to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and to compliance with all federal, state and local laws that prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sex, sex stereotyping, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, citizenship status, sexual orientation, protected military or veteran status, genetic information and other protected classifications. Cerence Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement.

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