[Hiring] Senior Business Developer – Robotics & Voice AI @Cerence

Role Description

Voice AI is reshaping how robots work in the real world, and we are responding to a deep unmet need: giving mobile service robots a voice that works in the tough, messy conditions of real life. This is about opening new markets from the ground up. To do it, we are bringing together a team that combines the top commercial and technical talent, with the domain expertise these markets demand. The pace is fast, the technology is new and exciting, and your work moves the business.

Your Impact

• Engage senior decision-makers at robotics companies building the next generation of physical AI in mobile and service robotics, from startups to mid-sized players to established names.
• Qualify, size, and close opportunities, leveraging the company’s technical, commercial, and partnership resources to increase win rates and accelerate deal closure.
• Bring the experience and judgment to prioritize opportunities with the greatest commercial potential.
• Drive partnerships and deals from first contact through to close, owning the full deal cycle.
• Operate as a standalone commercial engine inside a small, entrepreneurial team, with enough technical fluency to hold your own on how robotics works.

Why Join the Team

• You get in early on a market about to scale and help define how voice for mobile service robots is won.
• This is a new business, so you shape the commercial playbook rather than inherit one. How we sell and partner is still being written, in large part by you.
• You bring the autonomy of a start-up and the credibility of an established company to every conversation, with the capital, customer relationships, technology, and brand behind you.
• Decisions come fast, obstacles get cleared, and you hold real authority over your part of the business.

Qualifications

• A track record in sales, business development, or venture capital. You know how to find, qualify, and win.
• Fluency in robotics, ideally on the software/software-integration side; experience with voice or conversational AI is a strong plus.
• Structured, professional, and immediately credible in front of founders and senior leaders.
• An entrepreneurial instinct, comfortable with ambiguity, speed, and full ownership of outcomes.
• Willingness to travel.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Software Engineering, AI, or a related discipline.

Benefits

• Generous compensation and benefits package (in addition to the base salary).
• Salary range: $119,350.00 - $190,650.00 USD.
• Annual bonus opportunity.
• Insurance coverage (medical, dental, vision, life, and disability).
• Paid time off.
• Paid holidays.
• Company contribution to the RRSP (Registered Retirement Savings Plan).
• Equity awards for certain positions and levels.
• Remote and/or hybrid work available depending on the position.