Strategic Partnerships Principal

Job Purpose

American Honda’s Sustainability & Business Development (SBD) business unit (BU) exists to lead Honda’s Second Founding in the areas of sustainability and new business —creating businesses that renew the foundation of our future, so Honda can prosper while ensuring a sustainable planet. SBD builds new growth businesses and develops sustainable business initiatives by delivering solutions that are supported by clear evidence of customer value and economic viability. Developing and executing product and business strategy in a world of rapid technological and social change requires a highly capable, highly knowledgeable, and highly engaged team.

The Strategic Partnerships Principal plays a critical role in enabling strategic partnerships and alliances that drive growth, innovation, and value creation.

The Strategic Partnerships Principal role will collaborate across American Honda Motor business units to evaluate partnerships that amplify enterprise-wide impact. Through close collaboration with internal teams and external stakeholders, the role focuses on developing future revenue generating corporate solutions that create new value for customers and strengthen Honda’s leadership in mobility and innovation.

Key Accountabilities

• Shape and drive the partnership strategy by analyzing market trends, competitive intelligence, and emerging technologies to identify new areas for growth and innovation.
• Proactively source, evaluate, and champion new partnership opportunities in collaboration with the Intelligence Analyst, leveraging data, industry insights, and stakeholder input to build a robust pipeline.
• Serve as a thought leader and internal consultant on partnership strategy, providing guidance, market intelligence, and actionable insights to business units and leadership.
• Design and propose innovative partnership structures that maximize business value, support long-term objectives, and differentiate the organization in the marketplace.
• Develop and continuously refine operational frameworks for partnership intake, evaluation, governance, and performance management, ensuring transparency, scalability, and efficiency.
• Champion a culture of continuous improvement by identifying process gaps, implementing best practices, and fostering agility in partnership management.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives to align partnership strategies with business priorities, streamline operational workflows, and accelerate execution across teams.
• Establish and manage advanced performance measurement systems using KPIs, dashboards, and analytics to monitor partnership impact, inform strategic decisions, and drive accountability.
• Deliver executive-level reporting and strategic recommendations on partnership performance, risks, opportunities, and market developments to senior leadership.
• Support and influence high-stakes negotiations and contract structuring to secure agreements that reflect strategic priorities, mitigate risks, and ensure compliance.

Qualifications, Experience, and Skills

Minimum Educational Qualifications

• BA/BS in business, economics, marketing, finance or equivalent work experience.
• MBA is a plus.

Minimum Experience

• 7+ years of experience in business development, strategic partnerships, or finance, with a proven track record in partnership management or business development, preferably within the automotive or technology sectors.
• 3+ years of hands-on experience in M&A activities, including leading cross-functional project teams.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and scale partnership channels, collaborating effectively with legal, finance, and marketing teams.
• Strong background in complex project development and execution.
• Exceptional negotiation and contract management skills, with the ability to drive favorable outcomes.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, capable of influencing stakeholders at all levels.
• Proven ability to analyze, review, and oversee complex contracts, agreements, and detailed scopes of work with precision and strategic insight.

Other Job-Specific Skills

• Advanced planning, analytical, and presentation capabilities, with strong negotiation acumen.
• Strategic mindset with the ability to anticipate market trends and translate insights into actionable opportunities.
• Proven project leadership skills, adept at driving initiatives in dynamic environments.
• Solid understanding of business model development at an intermediate to advanced level.
• Ability to work autonomously while fostering collaboration within cross-functional teams.
• Technical orientation and familiarity with emerging technologies preferred.
• Knowledge of Honda operations (planning, R&D, manufacturing, sales, quality, service, and customer support) is advantageous.
• Awareness of automotive and technology industry trends, including emerging innovations, is a plus.
• Proficiency in MS Office Suite (PowerPoint, Excel, Word) for professional reporting and presentations.
• Experience functioning in agile project environments, serving as Product Owner, Scrum Master, or lead for functional areas.

Working Conditions

• 40% desk work using laptop and phone, including conference calls, communicating, reading and responding to emails, reading contracts, etc.
• 30% meetings.
• 15% preparing for and reporting to management.
• 15% Business travel.
• 20% Remote / 80% Office.