The Emerging Technology, Data Partnerships, & R&D BD team is building the future of Root and defining how Root will evolve to enable the evolutions in mobility (micromobility, autonomous vehicles), create sustainable competitive advantages for our core business, and challenge known paradigms in the tech and insurance industry. We are creative. We identify problems and then we tackle them with solutions unique to Root. We are looking for kindred spirits; individuals who embrace a growth mindset and thrive in a role where they can have a big impact.

We are seeking a Director of Business Development to work with broader Emerging Technology, Data Partnerships, and Root’s Research & Development Business Development team; to build product and partnership strategies from the ground up to address compelling opportunities in Root’s core and future businesses. We’re looking for someone with an entrepreneurial mindset who is excited to work in a rapidly changing marketplace. Someone with exceptional leadership skills, who is naturally collaborative and transparent, and who excels at influencing without direct authority. Someone with exceptional creativity who can think strategically and innovatively and can translate ideas into tactics and execution.

What you'll be doing.

•  

  Join us.

  At Root, we judge people based on the merit of their work, not who they are. Very few (if any!) people will fit every description; so if you are passionate about what this role entails, and are excited by solving real problems, we encourage you to apply; we want to learn about you, and what you can add to our team! You need not have a background in insurance or data, but should be skilled at developing fluency in emerging technology, evolving industries, and net new industries; you quickly get up to speed and identify what matters/locate the opportunity for a partner, business, and product.

  • Work with broader Emerging Technology & Data Partnerships team, Root R&D, Product, Actuary, and Data Science leads to build product and partnership strategy from the ground up to address compelling opportunities in Root’s core and future businesses.
  • Initiate and forge relationships with strategic partners, pitch and support both partner and internal decision-making, draft terms, negotiate and close commercial agreements.
  • Build the business case and stakeholder consensus for such opportunities working holistically across BD, commercial and regulatory legal, finance, actuaries, claims, product, engineering, customer service, and R&D. 
  • Identify and advocate for opportunities to scale and increase velocity for nascent partnership models, influencing product strategy, executing deals, and actualizing and operationalizing partnerships.
  • Serve as a thought leader within Root; build institutional knowledge about the mobility industry, new-to-Root market segments, and partner pain points that present Root business opportunities.
  • Work closely with product management to define partner-facing products, validate features, and scope and prioritize launch requirements. 

What we're looking for.

•  

  Reports to: VP Emerging Technology

   

  What draws people to Root.

  We’re a venture-backed technology company. Our early success is in large part due to our unwavering standards in hiring. We recognize that our product is only as good as the people building and promoting it. We look for individuals who find solutions by going through the cycle of ideation to implementation with curiosity, rigor, and a highly analytical lens. Ask anyone who works here and you’ll hear similar reasons for why they joined:

   

  Autonomy. For assertive self-starters, the opportunities to contribute are limitless.

   

  Impact. By challenging the way it’s always been done, we solve problems that have a big impact on our business.

   

  Collaboration. We encourage rich discussion and civil debate at every turn.

   

  People. We are inspired by the collection of crazy-smart people around us.

  • You are humble, have an ethos of building value, and have a bias towards doing the work before asking to grow the team.
  • You are at home identifying opportunities, translating strategy into execution, building consensus, and creating a partnership structure and agreement that brings the opportunity to life.
  • You have a strong product sensibility, are fluent in getting to the core technical needs, representing technical requirements in a negotiation and agreement, and can place technical requirements into context to appeal to partners and stakeholders.
  • You solution-find holistically on behalf of both partners at the table because you believe a negotiation is not a zero-sum equation.
  • You find creative solutions and paths forward within regulatory guardrails; you act mindfully and identify opportunities to educate regulators or challenge regulations to evolve.
  • You have a propensity for action over analysis and a proven ability to thrive in a results-driven, fast-paced work environment.
  • You have 8+ years of experience in a partner-facing role; structuring partnerships and negotiating contracts; growing businesses in diverse industries and pioneering the convergence of technology and legacy industries. You and are able to translate consumer technology products into Root business opportunities
  • MBA preferred