Vice President, OEM Data & Intelligence

REMOTE - EST TIME ZONE WILL BE GIVEN PREFERENCE 

Position Overview: 

Tekion, a fast-growing cloud-native SaaS innovator transforming automotive retail, is seeking a Vice President of Data & Intelligence. This is a high-impact executive role that will lead the strategy, development, and commercialization of data-driven solutions for our automotive partners. The VP will shape how Tekion leverages intelligence and advanced analytics to drive value, inform product innovation, accelerate platform adoption, and strengthen Tekion's leadership in the automotive ecosystem. 

Acting as a key strategic advisor to internal stakeholders and other industry leaders, this individual will own critical relationships, oversee multifunctional teams delivering data and insights, ensure robust governance and compliance, and champion Tekion's data-first go-to-market strategies. 

 

Key Responsibilities: 

Executive Leadership & Strategy 

• Formulate and execute Tekion's data and analytics strategy, aligning with company OKRs and broader ecosystem objectives. 

• Develop and own a business plan for Tekion’s data products and services - driving growth, adoption, and customer satisfaction. 

• Lead quarterly and annual planning, enterprise reporting, and accountability for Data & Intelligence. 

Partner Development & Advocacy 

• Build and expand trusted relationships with senior stakeholders; act as their executive sponsor within Tekion to build and support data insights. 

• Identify and co-develop value-additive data solutions and analytics, leveraging Tekion's Automotive Retail Cloud and connected platform capabilities. 

• Represent Tekion at industry events, executive meetings, and strategic forums. 

 Data Product and Platform Excellence 

• Oversee the development of scalable data architectures, pipelines, and analytics products for automotive partners. 

• Collaborate with Engineering, Data Science, and Product teams to drive the design and deployment of intelligence features (e.g., pricing optimization, digital retail, incentives, supply chain, connected vehicle integration). 

• Set the vision for data governance, privacy, and security-ensuring compliance with automotive industry best practices and regulatory standards. 

Growth & Commercial Leadership 

• Lead go-to-market strategies, collaborating with Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success to drive client engagement and revenue targets. 

• Own forecasting, performance reporting, and P&L for the data insights vertical. 

• Support contract negotiations with new and existing partners regarding data solutions, participation in pilots, and full program rollouts. 

Team & Culture 

• Build, lead, and develop a high-performing, cross-functional team (data, analytics, product, and business operations). 

• Create an environment that embraces innovation, challenge, collaboration, and exceptional delivery. 

• Champion Tekion's core values and commitment to revolutionizing automotive retail through technology and intelligence. 

 

Required Qualifications: 

• Bachelor's degree required (STEM, Business, or related). MBA or advanced technical degree is strongly preferred. 

• 10+ years of progressive leadership in the automotive sector with automotive partnership experience, data-intensive environments, and exposure to SaaS or cloud platforms. 

• Demonstrated success leading large, complex programs with executive-level visibility and accountability. 

• Deep expertise in data strategy, analytics, and digital product development in automotive retail or manufacturing. 

• In-depth knowledge of automotive business, both dealer and OEM, and a passion for automotive innovation. 

• Outstanding executive communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills. 

• Skilled in managing budgets, organizational change, and high-growth environments. 

• Experience working with distributed and offshore teams; track record building "white space" functions preferred. 

• Proficiency in AI/ML concepts and familiarity with cloud-native data platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, Google Cloud). 

 Sponsorship

• Please note that visa sponsorship is not available for this position.  

Travel

• 25% or as business needed. Travel is by car, plane or other means of transport, including over night stays. 

Perks and Benefits

• Competitive compensation and generous stock options   
• 100% employer-paid top-of-the-line medical, dental and vision coverage  
• Great benefits including unlimited PTO, parental leave and free snacks and beverages  
• The opportunity to work with some of the brightest minds from Silicon Valley’s most dominant and successful companies   
• Be part of an early stage, hyper-growth start-up with the opportunity to grow and prosper    
• Work on the latest and coolest technologies – everything is home-grown and built ground-up   
• A dynamic work environment with a strong sense of community and collaboration   
• The open and transparent culture that encourages innovation, rewards performance and discourages hierarchy   
• Exciting opportunities for career growth and development   

Current Tekion Employees – Please apply via Greenhouse Internal Job Board