Business Development Manager – Automotive & Transportation
Job Details:
Job Description:
We are seeking a Business Development Manager to drive growth in FPGA-based solutions across the global Automotive and Transportation markets. This role focuses on expanding design wins spanning ADAS and automated driving, evolving E/E architectures (zonal and domain controllers), electrified powertrain, and transportation infrastructure. You will act as the bridge between customers, product management, engineering, and ecosystem partners to position FPGA solutions against competing architectures including ASSPs/SoCs, GPUs, and microcontroller-based platforms.
Vehicle architectures are shifting toward centralized compute, higher sensor counts, and electrification, while transportation systems demand deterministic, safe, and long-lifecycle platforms. FPGAs are uniquely positioned to bridge sensors, provide deterministic real-time processing, and adapt across long program lifetimes - but winning requires strong technical business leadership at the system level.
Key Responsibilities
Market Development & Strategy
Identify and prioritize target segments including:
ADAS and automated driving (surround view, sensor fusion, in-cabin monitoring)
E/E architecture evolution (zonal and domain controllers, central compute, gateways)
Electrified powertrain (traction inverter, battery management, on-board charger, DC-DC)
Transportation systems (rail signaling and onboard systems, commercial and off-highway vehicles, smart traffic / ITS, tolling, infrastructure monitoring)
Track and interpret trends in:
E/E architecture centralization and the software-defined vehicle
Sensor scaling (camera, radar, LiDAR) and multi-sensor fusion
Electrification and power-conversion topologies
Semiconductor content intensity growth per vehicle
Identify opportunities where customers require:
Multi-sensor aggregation and synchronization
Deterministic, low-latency processing
Functional safety and hardware redundancy
Long lifecycle support (10-15+ years)
Customer Engagement & Design Wins
Build relationships with car OEMs, Tier-1 and Tier-2 suppliers, and transportation system integrators
Drive early-stage engagement with Sales to:
Influence system and safety architecture decisions
Position FPGA-based solutions across compute, sensing, and power systems
Secure design-ins across multi-year vehicle programs
Support technical sales discussions spanning:
Sensor interfacing and fusion (camera, radar, LiDAR)
Real-time control (motor / inverter control, actuation)
Edge AI / ML inference for perception
Functional-safety implementation (ASIL partitioning, redundancy, diagnostics)
Engage in system-level discussions involving:
Zonal / domain controller architectures
Sensor fusion vs discrete processing trade-offs
Deterministic vs GPU-based processing trade-offs
Ecosystem & Partnerships
Build and manage relationships with:
Sensor, SerDes, and power-device vendors
IP providers and software / AI stack vendors
Tier-1 suppliers and transportation system integrators
Enable joint solutions and reference designs to accelerate customer adoption
Sales Enablement & Execution
Develop high-impact sales collateral including solution briefs, reference architectures (zonal controller, sensor fusion, traction inverter), competitive positioning vs FPGA / SoC / ASSP / GPU / MCU alternatives, and ROI / TCO analyses
Support Sales teams with:
Use-case driven messaging for Automotive and Transportation applications
Customer presentations and technical positioning
Opportunity qualification and deal progression
Deliver presentations at customer meetings, industry events, and trade shows
Internal Collaboration
Provide structured market feedback to product management and engineering
Influence product direction based on customer needs related to:
I/O bandwidth and connectivity
Functional-safety features and certification
Edge AI capabilities
Power, thermal, and packaging for in-vehicle deployment
Support pricing discussions and business case development
Real-time control and / or power-conversion concepts
AI / ML fundamentals for perception
Familiarity with key interfaces:
GMSL, FPD-Link (SerDes), MIPI CSI-2
Automotive Ethernet (100/1000BASE-T1, 10BASE-T1S), CAN / CAN-FD, LIN
Experience engaging global customers and managing long design cycles
Critical Success Factors
Design-in mindset: Ability to engage early and secure long lifecycle platform wins
System-level thinking: Understanding the complete signal chain from sensing through processing to actuation
Execution focus: Ability to convert opportunities into pipeline and revenue
Customer-centric approach: Strong listening skills and ability to translate requirements into solutions
Ecosystem leverage: Driving wins through partnerships, not just silicon features
KPIs / Success Metrics
Design wins and revenue growth across Automotive and Transportation segments
Number of qualified opportunities identified in ADAS, powertrain, and transportation systems
Pipeline growth and forecast accuracy
Engagements with OEMs, Tier-1s / Tier-2s, and system integrators
Contribution to sales enablement and deal progression
The pay range below is for Bay Area California only. Actual salary may vary based on a number of factors including job location, job-related knowledge, skills, experiences, trainings, etc. We also offer incentive opportunities that reward employees based on individual and company performance.
$166.9K - $241.6K USD
We use artificial intelligence to screen, assess, or select applicants for the position. Applicants must be eligible for any required U.S. export authorizations.
Qualifications:
Required Qualifications
Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field (Master's preferred)
7+ years of experience in:
Automotive or transportation electronics, or embedded systems
Semiconductor, Tier-1, or OEM environments
Strong understanding of:
Automotive E/E architectures and the design / qualification cycle
Sensor technologies and fusion (camera, radar, LiDAR)
Preferred Qualifications
Experience with FPGA-based systems or FPGA solution selling
Understanding of high-speed I/O and memory subsystems, PCIe architectures, motor / inverter control, and Edge AI deployment constraints (latency, power, thermal)
Familiarity with functional safety and qualification: ISO 26262 (ASIL), AEC-Q100, IEC 61508
Awareness of automotive cybersecurity (ISO/SAE 21434)
Prior experience with:
Car OEMs or Tier-1 suppliers
Powertrain or ADAS system developers
Rail or commercial-vehicle integrators
MBA or business training is a plus