OEM Installation Partnerships Manager

About the role:

This role builds and scales Samsara’s ecosystem of OEM, upfitter, and installation partners—ensuring installations meet the company’s technical, operational, and quality standards at scale. The person will bridge R&D, Operations, and Field teams to translate complex OEM requirements into clear, repeatable processes that accelerate deployment and improve installation consistency. Success in this role requires strong organizational and communication skills, technical fluency in hardware and vehicle systems, and a bias for execution in fast-moving, hands-on environments. The ideal candidate will thrive at the intersection of business development and technical operations, creating scalable partner systems that deliver seamless customer activation and measurable impact.

This is a remote position open to candidates residing in the US except the San Francisco Bay Metro Area, NYC Metro Area, and Washington, D.C. Metro Area.

You should apply if:

• You want to impact the industries that run our world: Your efforts will result in real-world impact – helping to keep the lights on, get food into grocery stores, reduce emissions, and most importantly, ensure workers return home safely.
• You are the architect of your own career: If you put in the work, this role won’t be your last at Samsara. We set up our employees for success and have built a culture that encourages rapid career development, countless opportunities to experiment and master your craft in a hyper growth environment.
• You’re energized by our opportunity: The vision we have to digitize large sectors of the global economy requires your full focus and best efforts to bring forth creative, ambitious ideas for our customers.
• You want to be with the best: At Samsara, we win together, celebrate together and support each other. You will be surrounded by a high-calibre team that will encourage you to do your best.

In this role, you will:

• Build and scale a network of OEM, upfitter, and installer partners across Samsara’s vehicle and asset segments.
• Drive partner onboarding, training, certification, and readiness to meet Samsara’s technical and quality standards.
• Develop and maintain repeatable playbooks that accelerate partner enablement and installation consistency.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Product, Legal, Operations, and Field teams to operationalize OEM and customer installation programs.
• Capture installation requirements from OEM and upfitter engineering teams and translate them into clear guidance for Samsara R&D.
• Audit and track partner installation quality, throughput, and readiness to ensure seamless customer activation.
• Identify and resolve bottlenecks in partner performance, recommending process or tooling improvements.
• Conduct regular site visits to OEM manufacturing plants, upfitters, and installation partners to validate processes, support launches, and strengthen relationships (40%+ travel).
• Champion, role model, and embed Samsara’s cultural principles (Focus on Customer Success, Build for the Long Term, Adopt a Growth Mindset, Be Inclusive, Win as a Team) as we scale globally and across new offices.

Minimun requirements for the role:

• 1–4 years of experience in business development, operations, or partner management (hardware, manufacturing, or operations tech preferred).
• Strong organizational and communication skills, with ability to interface effectively across technical and operational teams.
• Comfort with installation workflows, hardware integration, and vehicle supply chain concepts.
• Demonstrated ownership, adaptability, and execution in fast-paced or ambiguous environments.
• Coachable, curious, and eager to learn complex systems quickly.
• Willingness to travel regularly to OEM and partner sites.

An ideal candidate algo has:

• Understanding of SaaS business models and how hardware-enabled data delivers measurable customer value.
• Experience building or scaling partner networks such as OEM programs, dealer ecosystems, or installer channels.
• Technical fluency with manufacturing environments, hardware integration, and vehicle system workflows.
• Bias for action and ownership, operating with urgency, accountability, and confidence in fast-changing environments.
• Resourceful and solution-oriented, thriving in ambiguity and consistently driving practical, high-impact outcomes.
• Builder mindset, eager to create scalable systems, optimize processes, and learn through hands-on execution.
• Mission-driven motivation, aligned with Samsara’s vision to connect and transform the world of physical operations.