How to apply for Director, Strategic Partnerships - Central US

About Via Transporation

Via Transportation provides software that helps cities and transit agencies run efficient, affordable, and sustainable public transport networks. It serves hundreds of agency partners worldwide and is recognized as a leading transportation technology and service provider. Working here means shaping how cities invest in mobility.

About the role

This is a remote-first individual contributor role covering the Central US territory, ideally based in Chicago, the broader Midwest, or Texas. You will build and close partnerships with city governments, transport authorities, and private operators, owning the go-to-market strategy for the region's public-sector buying landscape. The work sits at the intersection of technology, public policy, and real-world impact.

A typical day

A typical day might include calls with city transit officials, internal strategy sessions on the Central territory pipeline, and drafting proposals or procurement responses. You will spend significant time building relationships with agencies and operators, moving complex deals forward, and adjusting your go-to-market approach based on what you learn from the field.

Who Via Transporation is looking for

• Has a track record of closing complex, multi-stakeholder sales cycles with city governments, transit authorities, or private operators, from first conversation to signed deal.
• Can own and execute a go-to-market strategy tailored to the Central region's unique buying landscape, including public-sector procurement processes.
• Is comfortable as a high-ownership individual contributor who drives revenue growth without needing a large supporting team.
• Is based in or willing to work the US Central region, with Chicago, the Midwest, or Texas preferred.

Tips for this application

• Name the specific Central US markets you know (Chicago, Midwest, Texas) and show you understand their transit or public-sector procurement landscape.
• Describe deals you closed with city governments, transport authorities, or private operators, including the number of stakeholders and the length of the sales cycle.
• Explain how you would build a go-to-market strategy for the Central territory, not just repeat a generic sales process.
• Connect your experience to Via's work modernizing public transport networks, and show you understand the difference between selling software and selling to public agencies.
• State your location clearly and confirm you can work remotely across the Central region.

What to cover in your cover letter

['Your experience closing complex, multi-stakeholder deals with public-sector or transport authority buyers.', 'A concrete example of a go-to-market strategy you owned and executed in a similar territory.', 'Why the Central US region specifically, and your familiarity with its cities and procurement environments.', 'How you think about the intersection of technology, public policy, and transportation in a sales context.']

Research before applying

• Via's platform and the specific products it sells to transit agencies, including how it differs from traditional transport software.
• Recent Via partnerships or contracts in the Central US region, such as Chicago, the Midwest, or Texas.
• How public-sector procurement works for transit technology in the Central US, including typical timelines and decision-makers.
• Via's public materials on its mission, impact metrics, and the agencies it serves, so you can speak to the company's positioning accurately.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• Walk through a complex public-sector deal you closed from first conversation to signature. Who were the stakeholders and how did you navigate procurement?
• How would you build a go-to-market strategy for the Central US territory, given its mix of city governments, transport authorities, and private operators?
• Describe a time you lost a deal to a competitor or budget cut. What did you learn and change?
• How do you handle a multi-stakeholder sales cycle where a city agency has competing priorities across departments?
• Why Via, and what do you understand about its platform and the problem it solves for public transport networks?

Common mistakes to avoid

• Treating this like a standard SaaS sales role and ignoring the public-sector procurement and multi-stakeholder complexity.
• Being vague about the Central US territory or showing no familiarity with its cities and transit landscape.
• Focusing only on revenue numbers without explaining how you built relationships with city governments or transport authorities.