Vice President, Business Development

Sonos•Santa Barbara, CA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

Sonos is seeking a Vice President, Business Development to serve as the deal architect for growth. This leader will own strategic partnerships, commercial agreements, and corporate development evaluation to transform strategic ambition into signed, implemented outcomes. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, this individual will collaborate closely with Product, Legal, Finance, Marketing, and Revenue teams to identify, structure, and close partnerships that expand Sonos’ reach, deepen platform value, and create new growth paths. This is a hands-on role focused on closing deals.

Requirements

12+ years of experience in business development, corporate development, strategic partnerships, or a related commercial leadership role.
Experience working in consumer technology, media, platform, hardware, software, or adjacent technology environments.
Demonstrated record of closing signed and implemented deals with measurable business outcomes.
Strong fluency in deal mechanics, including term sheets, licensing structures, revenue-share models, exclusivity provisions, partner obligations, and OEM pricing.
Experience partnering cross-functionally with Product, Legal, Finance, Marketing, Revenue, and executive leadership to drive alignment and close complex deals.
Demonstrated ability to operate in a fast-moving environment, create structure in ambiguity, and move from strategy to execution.
Experience leading or developing teams, setting priorities, and allocating resources across a portfolio of opportunities.
Ability to work from Santa Barbara, Boston, New York, or remotely from the San Francisco Bay Area, with regular travel to Santa Barbara and other Sonos locations as needed for executive collaboration, team leadership, partner meetings, and business development activity.

Nice To Haves

Experience with hardware licensing, product partnerships, or connected-device ecosystems.
Experience with media, advertising, streaming, content, smart home, automotive, or platform partnerships.
Experience evaluating M&A opportunities, strategic investments, build-versus-buy decisions, or acquisition diligence.
Experience working directly with senior executives, founders, strategic partners, and external deal counterparties.
Strong product and commercial instincts, with the ability to translate market signals into partnership strategy.
Experience building new partnership motions, growth engines, or commercial functions without a predefined playbook.

Responsibilities

Lead commercial negotiations with platform partners, content providers, ecosystem integrators, and other strategic partners to expand Sonos’ reach or deepen platform value.
Identify and close two to three anchor partnerships per year that materially expand household reach, strengthen the platform, or increase operating leverage.
Own the GTM partnership function alongside the existing team, translating partnership agreements into revenue, cost, or platform-value outcomes.
Serve as the external commercial arm of the product roadmap, bringing market learnings, partner insights, and commercial opportunities back to Product through clear recommendations and position papers.
Develop partnership strategies that leverage Sonos’ 5,000-strong patent portfolio, including opportunities to productize, license, or partner around Sonos IP.
Run a standing M&A screen against the Sonos strategic map, reporting regularly to the COO on targets, multiples, and build-versus-buy logic.
Lead diligence on inbound or outbound acquisition discussions, in partnership with Product, Finance, and Legal.
Maintain relationships with bankers, VCs, founders, and leaders in adjacent spaces such as audio technology, streaming infrastructure, smart home, and in-vehicle entertainment.
Lead and develop a small, high-leverage team that includes BD professionals and GTM partnership leadership, setting deal priorities and building stronger commercial discipline around deal structure and execution.

Benefits

Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
A 401(k) plan with company matching and immediate vesting
An Open Time Off policy (OTO)
80 hours of sick time upon hire, refreshed annually
Up to 12 paid holidays per calendar year
Generous paid leave program for new parents or to care for a family member with a serious health condition
Short- and long-term disability
Company-paid Disability, Life, and AD&D Insurance
Voluntary benefits, including Voluntary Life, AD&D, Accident, and Pet Insurance
Mental health benefits
A generous employee discount program
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