Senior Director, Business Development — Auction Center

Knight Insurance Group•Los Angeles, CA

5d•$175,000 - $245,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Director of Business Development is a senior commercial leader responsible for driving revenue growth, expanding seller and buyer networks, and forging strategic partnerships that scale Auction Center's online auto auction platform. This role owns the full business development lifecycle — from identifying market opportunities to closing high-value accounts — while collaborating cross-functionally with Product, Operations, and Marketing to deliver on growth targets.

Requirements

8+ years of business development, sales, or strategic partnerships experience, with at least 4 years in automotive remarketing, auto auction, or adjacent automotive technology
Demonstrated track record of closing complex, multi-stakeholder commercial deals
Deep knowledge of the automotive remarketing ecosystem — wholesale channels, vehicle disposition, and digital auction platforms
Experience working with independent and franchise dealers, dealer groups, OEMs, or fleet/finance companies strongly preferred
Strong financial acumen — ability to build business cases, model deal economics, and present to C-suite stakeholders
Proven ability to lead, coach, and develop BD teams
Exceptional negotiation, communication, and executive relationship-building skills
Bachelor's degree required

Nice To Haves

MBA or equivalent preferred

Responsibilities

Develop and execute a business development strategy to increase auction volume, active seller accounts (dealers, OEMs, fleet, rental, financial institutions), and registered buyer base
Identify, negotiate, and form partnerships with franchise and independent dealerships, captive finance companies, fleet operators, and remarketing agencies
Own and manage a pipeline of enterprise-level accounts from prospecting through contract execution
Drive gross merchandise value (GMV) growth by expanding consignor supply and deepening buyer engagement
Build and maintain relationships with key industry stakeholders including dealer groups, remarketing divisions, and fleet/lease companies
Negotiate commercial agreements, volume incentive programs, and preferred partner arrangements
Represent Auction Center at industry events, trade associations (NAAA, NIADA, IARA), and conferences
Monitor competitive landscape (Manheim, ADESA, OPENLANE, ACV Auctions etc.) and identify whitespace opportunities
Collaborate with leadership to set annual BD targets, territory plans, and go-to-market strategies
Provide regular reporting on pipeline health, conversion metrics, and revenue forecasts
Partner with Product to surface market needs and inform platform roadmap
Work with Operations to ensure onboarding and fulfillment SLAs meet partner commitments
Collaborate with Marketing on seller/buyer acquisition campaigns and co-branded initiatives
Mentor and develop junior BD team members, fostering a high-performance culture