Application Guide
How to Apply for Director of Partnerships: Auto OEMs & Dealerships
at EV Life
🏢 About EV Life
EV Life is a mission-driven startup accelerating the transition to electric vehicles by making them more affordable through AI-powered incentives. Working here means joining a small, agile team with proven traction (customers like Hyundai and Mercedes-Benz) and the opportunity to shape the future of EV sales.
About This Role
As the first dedicated commercial hire, you'll own the full sales cycle across OEMs, dealerships, and dealer tech platforms. This role is pivotal in scaling EV Life's impact, moving from founder-led sales to a scalable motion, and directly influencing how EV incentives are integrated into the automotive retail ecosystem.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might start with checking emails and following up on leads, then hopping on calls with dealerships or OEMs to demo the EV Savings Calculator. You might spend time analyzing sales data, preparing proposals, and collaborating with founders on pricing or strategy, before ending the day with prospecting and updating your pipeline.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who EV Life Is Looking For
- Deep understanding of the automotive retail ecosystem, including dealership operations, desk managers, GM priorities, and OEM co-op advertising.
- Proven track record in B2B sales or partnerships, ideally with experience selling to OEMs or large dealer groups.
- Comfortable with ambiguity and excited by the challenge of being the first dedicated sales hire, working closely with founders to shape strategy.
- Strong communication and presentation skills, able to articulate complex value propositions to diverse stakeholders.
📝 Tips for Applying to EV Life
Customize your resume to highlight any experience with automotive clients, especially OEMs or dealerships, and quantify results (e.g., 'Increased dealer adoption by X%').
In your cover letter, explicitly mention your understanding of dealership pain points and how EV Life's calculator addresses them, using examples from your experience.
Research EV Life's existing partnerships (Hyundai, Nissan, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz) and mention specific ways you'd expand or enhance these relationships.
Show you're a self-starter by including examples of initiatives you've led from scratch, especially in a startup or small team environment.
Since this is a remote role, emphasize your ability to work independently and manage your own schedule, with examples of successful remote work if possible.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
["Your familiarity with the EV market and EV Life's mission to make EV ownership affordable.", 'Your specific experience in automotive sales or partnerships, particularly with dealerships or OEMs, and the results you achieved.', 'Your entrepreneurial mindset and excitement about building a sales motion from the ground up, collaborating with founders.', "Your understanding of the three-channel strategy (OEMs, dealers, dealer tech platforms) and how you'd approach each."]
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Read EV Life's website and blog to understand their EV Incentives Engine and how it works.
- → Look up recent news about EV incentives (federal tax credits, state rebates) to understand the market context.
- → Check out EV Life's social media and any press releases to see their messaging and customer testimonials.
- → Research the specific dealership technology platforms mentioned (e.g., CDK Global, Reynolds and Reynolds) to understand their role.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Don't use a generic cover letter – tailor it to EV Life's mission and this specific role.
- Avoid focusing only on your sales achievements without connecting them to the automotive/EV industry.
- Don't underestimate the importance of understanding dealership operations – if you lack experience, be upfront and show willingness to learn.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!