Business Development Manager, Specialty Transportation

As the Business Development Manager for Specialty Transportation at HopSkipDrive, you will report directly to the Director of Specialty Transportation. You will play a pivotal role in establishing a new category for our business, specifically focused on refining our partnership strategy and successfully executing this strategy.

Every day, school districts arrange transportation for hundreds of thousands of students who require highly specialized vehicles, equipment, or supports. This includes students with disabilities needing wheelchair lift-equipped vehicles, those requiring safety vests or an additional adult, early childhood students needing car seats, and other students more efficiently served by 6-12 passenger vans. In this role, you will be instrumental in developing our ability to support all of these use cases in the future.

You will be primarily responsible for building our network of transportation provider partners from the ground up – an essential component to the success of the business and our ability to support the full scope of our clients’ needs. You will ensure that the extraordinary level of safety, reliability, and service our clients have come to expect from HopSkipDrive is consistently delivered, even as we expand to support their most complex needs.

What you’ll do:

Strategic Business Development

• Identify, evaluate, and prioritize new business opportunities across transportation providers of varying  sizes and scales
• Develop and deliver compelling pitches that clearly communicate the value and benefits of partnering with HopSkipDrive in order to secure new, high-quality partnerships and expand existing ones
• Lead negotiations and manage the contracting process, in close coordination with Legal, for new and existing partners, ensuring alignment with business goals and operational capabilities

Partnership Management

• Build and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with a diverse network of third-party transportation providers
• Serve as the primary connection point between the business and external partners
• Establish and maintain clear performance metrics for partners, including reviewing with partners, providing feedback and coaching, and offboarding partners when necessary
• Identify and capitalize on opportunities to expand existing partnerships to support evolving business needs

Who you are:

Entrepreneurial

• Comfort with ambiguity and a bias towards action; doesn’t need to be handed a playbook to win the game – independent and self-starting
• Innovative and strategic thinker who views challenges from various perspectives and generates new ideas quickly, yet remains grounded in reality
• Resilient and persistent, always ready to explore alternative strategies and opportunities when faced with obstacles
• No problem too big, no task too small; equally capable of handling everything from cold calling potential providers to strategic discussions with senior stakeholders

Skilled Negotiator and Relationship Builder

• Proven track record in managing negotiations and sustaining business relationships of varying scope and scale
• Effective communicator, capable of conveying complex ideas and strategies to a variety of stakeholders, both internally and externally
• Ability to articulate the benefits of working with HopSkipDrive and foster enthusiasm across companies of various sizes and sophistication levels
• Ability to work effectively in a matrixed environment, with a diverse group of stakeholders

Proactive and Strategic Thinker

• Skilled in navigating complex business environments, with a strong analytical approach to solving business problems
• Demonstrated ability to drive business growth and strategic partnerships in a dynamic sector

Experienced Business Development Professional

• A+ player looking to build a challenging and rewarding career
• 5+ years of experience in business development or strategic partnership roles, preferably within the transportation, mobility, or logistics sectors
• Intermediate to advanced Excel/Sheets and PowerPoint/Slides
• Intellectual curiosity and a love of learning
• Highly organized and detail-oriented