What are the responsibilities and job description for the Business Development & Partnerships Manager position at VAST?
Location: Los Angeles or a key US market (Remote with travel)
Reports to: US General Manager
Job Type: Full-time
About the Role
- Tripo is the fastest way to generate production-ready 3D models with AI. Built by VAST, it is trusted by creators, studios, and makers worldwide to turn ideas into high-quality 3D assets in seconds.
- The US is our most important market, and we're building our presence from the ground up.
- As our Business Development & Partnerships Manager, you will help drive Tripo's growth in the US by developing new business opportunities, building long-term partnerships, and expanding our creator ecosystem. You'll work closely with studios, agencies, creators, production teams, and ecosystem partners to grow Team adoption, strengthen local relationships, and establish Tripo as a leading AI 3D platform in the market.
- This is a highly entrepreneurial role for someone who enjoys building relationships, creating opportunities, and helping shape a market from the ground up.
Core Responsibilities
Business Development & Team Growth
- Develop new business opportunities across studios, agencies, creators, and production teams.
- Own the lifecycle of Team Pan customers—from initial conversations and onboarding to adoption, expansion, and renewal.
- Build trusted relationships with customers and identify opportunities to expand Team Plan adoption through additional seats, new workflows, and deeper engagement.
- Conduct customer meetings, studio visits, workshops, and product demos to better understand customer needs and accelerate adoption.
Partnerships & Creator Ecosystem
- Build and manage partnerships across the creator ecosystem, including creators, studios, online communities, educational organizations, and complementary creative tools.
- Launch and grow creator programs, referral initiatives, collaborative campaigns, and community partnerships that drive sustainable user acquisition and engagement.
- Identify partnership opportunities that strengthen Tripo's local presence and create long-term value for both users and partners.
- Turn strong relationships into scalable growth initiatives rather than one-off collaborations.
Regional Operations & Local Presence
- Help establish Tripo's presence across the US creative ecosystem through meetups, workshops, showcases, creator gatherings, and industry events.
- Represent Tripo at conferences, community events, and partner activities.
- Support creator onboarding, partner activation, and local relationship management.
- Foster an active local network that strengthens Tripo's reputation and community.
Market Intelligence & Cross-functional Collaboration
- Continuously gather insights from customers, creators, and partners on their workflows, challenges, and emerging needs.
- Share market intelligence with Product, Marketing, and Operations teams to help shape product direction and go-to-market strategy.
- Identify new customer segments, industries, and partnership opportunities to support future growth.
Requirements
- 2 years of experience in business development, partnerships, account management, community, customer success, field marketing, or related growth roles.
- Experience in SaaS, AI, creative software, gaming, 3D, developer tools, or the creator economy is preferred.
- Strong relationship-building and communication skills, with a consultative approach to understanding customer needs and connecting them to Tripo's value.
- Comfortable working in a fast-moving, early-stage environment with significant ownership and ambiguity.
- Self-driven, resourceful, and excited to build new opportunities from the ground up.
- Based in or near Los Angeles, or willing to travel frequently for customer meetings, community events, and industry conferences.
Nice to Have
- Familiarity with 3D creation, game development, digital content production, or creative workflows.
- Existing relationships within creator communities, studios, agencies, or the broader creative ecosystem.
- Experience working across global teams and multiple time zones.
What Success Looks Like
First 90 Days
- Develop a strong understanding of Tripo's products, users, and Team customer base.
- Build relationships with key customers, creators, and ecosystem partners.
- Complete customer visits and participate in local industry events.
- Build an initial pipeline for Team growth and partnership opportunities.
First Year
- Deliver measurable growth in Team adoption and revenue.
- Build a repeatable playbook for developing Team customers and creator partnerships.
- Launch impactful partnerships that contribute to user acquisition and ecosystem growth.
- Establish a consistent local presence through events, workshops, and community engagement.
- Become a trusted bridge between the US market and Tripo's global Product, Marketing, and Operations teams.
Performance Metrics
- Team revenue growth and seat expansion
- Team customer retention and renewal
- New Team accounts acquired
- Partnership-generated pipeline and revenue contribution
- Creator and ecosystem partnerships launched
- Number and quality of local events, workshops, and community initiatives
- Customer and partner meetings completed
- Qualified pipeline created and conversion rate (targets set with the US General Manager)