Business Development Director

ABOUT MICHIGAN CENTRAL 

Michigan Central is a market-leading hub for advancing new technologies and programs that address barriers to greater social, economic, and physical mobility. Michigan Central is both a convening place and a call-to-action—for city, regional, and international inventors and investors; academics and entrepreneurs; civil society voices and government leaders; and business owners and corporate partners—to advance a more sustainable, equitable future through a collaborative approach to mobility solutions. 

Building on Detroit’s rich history as an engine of change, the transformative Michigan Central project aims to strengthen the city’s competitive advantages while inspiring collective action on the most pressing global challenges at the intersection of mobility and society worldwide. 

THE OPPORTUNITY 

At this pivotal moment in its growth, Michigan Central is seeking a Director of Business Development and Partnerships to join our Innovation Services arm. This team is the core of our value proposition - responsible for building a platform to pilot and scale new technologies, developing solutions and skills programs, and creating an ecosystem of value for members and corporate partners. 

The Director of Business Development and Partnerships will spearhead Michigan Central’s approach to developing equitable partnerships with corporations, investors, and academic institutions that help reinforce, amplify, and launch our mission to transform and reshape the global conversation around the future of mobility and society. As the Director of Business Development and Partnerships, you will be responsible for building a strategy to attract, support, and retain partners to generate revenue, foster innovation, and create mutual benefit. You will work cross-functionally with Michigan Central stakeholders to be the voice of the partner in building the innovation platform including physical infrastructure, policies, and programming for innovative advanced mobility businesses to test and scale. The ideal candidate is someone who has a history of developing creative value creation for unique partners, negotiating sound business deals, and strong relationship management.

What you'll do...

As the Director of Business Development and Partnerships, you will leverage your pre-existing commercial experience and network within mobility, advanced technology, and innovation to: 

• Create an economically sustainable partnership program model that creates mutually beneficial value for partners (in particular corporate and academic) and Michigan Central that results in generating new revenue streams at Michigan Central 
• Craft a business development strategy and programs for partners that align with Michigan Central’s business objectives, programs, and mission, resulting in sustainable and profitable growth 
• Utilize data and research insights to assess emerging trends in the innovation industry, identify viable business development opportunities, and anticipate partner needs 
• Collaborate with the Michigan Central leadership team to identify, evaluate, and target prospective industry partners, and proactively network with existing and new contacts, professional affiliations, and industry groups to build a future pipeline of partners 
• In the early days, craft unique arrangements that meet the needs of each partner, leveraging existing Michigan Central programs as well as working across the team to create new programming that meets partner’s needs 
• Manage ongoing partner relationships and programmatic engagement with Michigan Central, ensuring both sides are receiving value and adjusting accordingly to meet needs 
• Over time, institutionalize and standardize partnership models and offerings, creating clear value propositions, engagement model, and commercial arrangements for new and existing partners 
• Be the “voice of the partner” in building the Michigan Central Platform and Place strategies with leadership across the organization 
• Work closely with the editorial and communications team to develop effectively, targeted communication plans that engage prospective partners, deliver value to existing partners, and increase brand visibility

You'll have... 

• You are a proven leader with 10+ years of experience executing commercial deals 
• You have a bachelor’s degree in business administration, sales, marketing, finance, management, or a related field; a master’s degree is a plus 
• You have entrepreneurial experience with examples of managing long-term ambitious visions with near-term execution and building 
• You have experience planning, managing, and closing complex commercial deals and project management 
• You can interface at all levels of an organization internally