Head of Business Development

At AssemblyAI, we’re creating a leading Applied AI company by building powerful models to transcribe and understand audio data, exposed through a straightforward web API. 

Progress in AI is moving at an unprecedented pace–we keep our pulse on the latest developments and breakthroughs in AI research and use these advances to inform our production-ready AI models. Our Automated Speech Recognition (ASR) models already outperform companies like Google, AWS, and Microsoft - which is why hundreds of companies and thousands of developers are using our API to transcribe and understand millions of videos, podcasts, phone calls, and Zoom meetings every day.

We’ve raised funding by leading investors including Accel, Insight Partners, Y Combinator’s AI Fund, Patrick and John Collision, Nat Friedman, and Daniel Gross. As part of a huge and emerging market, AssemblyAI is well on its way to becoming the leader in applied AI.

Join our world-class, remote team and help us build an iconic AI company!

AssemblyAI is an industry-leading Speech AI provider, with models that consistently rank first in benchmark reports, tens of thousands of developers building on our API, and over $115 million in venture capital funding from top VCs. We’re looking for a Head of Business Development to be the pioneering force behind our expansion efforts. As the first business development hire, you will partner with our CEO, GTM and technology teams to shape and execute our BD strategy, forging key partnerships with innovative technology companies to propel our AI speech-to-text offering to new heights. This role will report directly to the CEO

• Experience: Minimum of 10 years of experience in business development, sales, or a related field within the innovative technology sector.
• Track Record: Proven success in closing high-value deals and achieving revenue targets.
• Communication Skills: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to engage and influence C-level executives.
• Negotiation Skills: Strong negotiation and deal-making abilities, with a focus on creating win-win outcomes.
• Strategic Thinking: Ability to think strategically and develop long-term plans that align with company goals.
• Industry Knowledge: Deep understanding of the technology landscape, including emerging trends and competitive dynamics.
• Location: Must be located in either San Francisco or New York City. 

• Sales and Revenue
  • Growth: Develop and execute strategic sales plans to achieve and exceed revenue targets.
  • Identify and pursue new business opportunities within the innovative technology sector.
  • Lead the end-to-end sales process, from prospecting to closing high-value deals.
• Deal-Making:
  • Negotiate and finalize major deals that align with the company's strategic goals.
  • Collaborate with internal teams to ensure seamless execution and delivery of solutions.
  • Maintain a deep understanding of market trends, competitor activities, and customer needs to inform deal strategies.
• Executive Engagement:
  • Build and nurture relationships with C-level executives of public companies.
  • Conduct high-level discussions to understand client needs, present tailored solutions, and articulate the value proposition of our offerings.
  • Represent the company at industry events, conferences, and networking opportunities to enhance brand visibility and establish thought leadership.
• Strategic Planning:
  • Work closely with the executive team to develop and refine the business development strategy.
  • Provide insights and recommendations based on market analysis and customer feedback.
  • Monitor and report on key performance metrics to track progress and inform decision-making.

Pay Transparency:

AssemblyAI strives to recruit and retain exceptional talent from diverse backgrounds while ensuring pay equity for our team. Our salary ranges are based on paying competitively for our size, stage and industry, and are one part of many compensation, benefits and other reward opportunities we provide.

There are many factors that go into salary determinations, including relevant experience, skill level and qualifications assessed during the interview process, and maintaining internal equity with peers on the team. The range shared below is a general expectation for the function as posted, but we are also open to considering candidates who may be more or less experienced than outlined in the job description. In this case, we will communicate any updates in the expected salary range.

Lastly, the provided range is the expected salary for candidates in the U.S. Outside of those regions, there may be a change in the range, which again, will be communicated to candidates.

Salary range: $255k-$345k