
Head of Commercial
Plug, Santa Monica, CA, United States
Role Overview
The Head of Commercial Partnerships owns Plug’s relationships with commercial vehicle sellers – fleets, rental companies, corporates, and other high-volume consignors that power our auctions.
This is a full-cycle, high-ownership role: you will source and close new commercial partners, structure and negotiate deals, and then actively manage those relationships to maximize volume, retention, and long-term value.
This role is ideal for someone who thrives with autonomy, is exceptional at executive-level relationship building, and can balance commercial instincts with operational follow-through.
What You’ll Do...
Commercial Partnerships & Business Development
- Identify, source, and close new commercial consignor partnerships (e.g., fleets, rental companies, corporate sellers, mobility platforms, OEMs)
- Lead end-to-end deal execution: discovery, pitch, pricing strategy, negotiation, and close.
- Build trusted relationships with senior decision-makers (VP, GM, C-suite) and act as Plug’s executive sponsor.
Contracting & Deal Structure
- Own commercial terms including pricing, fee structures, and volume incentives.
- Coordinate closely with Legal to negotiate and execute MSAs, SOWs, and amendments.
- Ensure deals are structured to be scalable, profitable, and operationally viable.
Partner Management & Growth
- Serve as the ongoing relationship owner for all commercial partners
- Drive increased vehicle volume, repeat usage, and long-term retention.
- Identify expansion opportunities (new lanes, new vehicle types, new programs).
- Act as the partner’s internal advocate, working cross-functionally to resolve issues and improve outcomes.
Cross-Functional Leadership
- Partner closely with Operations, Sales and Engineering to ensure seamless partner onboarding and execution.
- Translate partner feedback into clear internal priorities and product requirements.
- Help define the playbook for how Plug works with commercial consignors as the business scales.
Who You\'ll Bring...
- 8-12+ years in partnerships, business development, or commercial leadership roles.
- Proven experience owning full-cycle partnerships – from first pitch to scaled revenue.
- Strong negotiator with experience structuring complex pricing and contracts.
- Exceptional at building trust with senior executives.
- Automotive, fleet, or marketplace experience strongly preferred but not required.
- Comfortable operating with high autonomy in a fast-moving startup.
Why Plug
- Direct ownership of a core growth lever in a rapidly evolving market.
- Opportunity to shape Plug’s external ecosystem from early stages.
- Work directly with operators who have scaled multi-billion-dollar businesses in automotive, EV, and marketplaces.
- High impact, high autonomy, and clear line of sight to company-level outcomes.