Director, Strategic Partnerships - Central US
Designer Fund is a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage tech companies using design to improve health, sustainability, or prosperity for people. It backs founding teams, particularly those with design backgrounds, across sectors like fintech, healthcare, climate tech, and developer tools.
About Designer Fund
Designer Fund is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in tech companies leveraging design to drive positive outcomes in health, sustainability, and financial prosperity. Its portfolio spans a wide range of sectors including financial infrastructure (Stripe), preventative health (Omada), collaborative tools (Notion), developer tools (Netlify), product management (Linear), payroll and benefits (Gusto), design tools (Framer), and healthcare infrastructure (Commure), among dozens of other companies across fintech, climate tech, healthcare, EdTech, and AI. The firm also runs 'Designer Founders,' a community and platform highlighting designers who have gone on to found and lead companies, reflecting its focus on backing design-driven founders and design-centric startups from early stages through growth and acquisition.
Skills
About the Role
You'll drive revenue growth across the Central territory, building the relationships that matter and closing the deals that shape how cities invest in mobility. You'll help authorities and operators across the region rethink what public transport can look like. This is a high-ownership individual contributor role at the intersection of technology, public policy, and real-world impact. You'll own and execute go-to-market strategy for the Central's unique buying landscape, act as a trusted advisor to city leaders and mobility operators, and represent Via at the most senior levels in your market. This is a remote-first role based in the US Central region, ideally in Chicago or the broader Midwest, but open to other locations including Texas.
Requirements
- 10+ years of experience in sales, business development, or strategy, with proven ability to win in enterprise, government, infrastructure, or tech-enabled services
- Background in public transport or mobility is a strong plus
- Track record of owning and winning complex, high-value, multi-stakeholder deals
- Strong analytical and storytelling skills
- Ability to read tone and adapt communication style across contexts
- Self-starter who turns ambiguity into momentum
- Sound commercial judgment
- Natural leadership and team orientation
Responsibilities
- Build and close high-impact partnerships with city governments, transport authorities, and private operators
- Own and execute go-to-market strategy for the Central region's public-sector procurement processes and funding cycles
- Create compelling, data-driven business cases showing platform impact on ridership, efficiency, and sustainability
- Act as a trusted advisor to city leaders and mobility operators on transit network design and funding mechanisms
- Represent Via at senior levels through conferences, industry events, and thought leadership
- Bring structured market intelligence to product and strategy teams
Benefits
- Free medical plans
- 401K matching
- Variable pay and equity