Director of Business Development, Physical AI​/Humanoid Robotics

Overview

Rambus, a premier chip and silicon IP provider making data faster and safer, is seeking to hire an exceptional Senior Director of Business Development, Physical AI/Automotive/Humanoid Robotics to join our Silicon IP Marketing team in San Jose, CA. In this role, you will be working with some of the brightest inventors and engineers in the world developing products that make data faster and safer.

As a Senior Director of Business Development, Physical AI/Automotive/Humanoid Robotics, you’ll own a critical part in identifying early design opportunities, shaping customer engagements before requirements harden, and working closely with Sales to enable and secure design wins. The successful candidate will combine deep market insight with strong customer and ecosystem engagement to ensure Rambus IP is architected into the world’s most advanced silicon platforms.

In this full‑time role, you’ll report directly to our VP of Marketing, SIP. Our Business Development group is dedicated to increasing the visibility, competitiveness and overall revenue of our Silicon IP products, and your contributions will be instrumental in growing mindshare of our IP products within the Physical AI/Automotive/Humanoid Robotics customer and partner base.

Rambus offers a flexible work environment, embracing a hybrid approach for most office‑based roles. Employees are encouraged to spend an average of at least three days per week onsite, allowing for two days of remote work.

Market & Design Opportunity Identification

• Proactively identify new silicon programs, architectural shifts, and early design starts across target markets.
• Engage with customers early—often pre‑RFP or pre‑architecture—to understand requirements and position Rambus IP as foundational to the design.
• Work closely with Sales and FAE teams to shape account strategies for early opportunities, and support qualification, positioning, and deal enablement to drive design wins.

Market, Ecosystem & Strategy Leadership

• Continuously monitor and analyze market trends, customer investment patterns, competitive dynamics, and technology inflection points related to Physical AI/Automotive/Humanoid Robotics.
• Develop clear views on where the market is headed and how Rambus should respond from a product, ecosystem, and positioning perspective.
• Act as a trusted internal voice on market direction, customer priorities, and emerging opportunities.

Product, Corporate Development & Go‑to‑Market Alignment

• Provide market intelligence, customer insights, and competitive analysis to Product Management to inform product roadmaps and prioritization, feature differentiation and long‑term platform planning.
• Support Corporate Development by identifying emerging technologies, companies, and ecosystem gaps relevant to Rambus’ long‑term strategy.
• Collaborate closely with Product Marketing to shape vertical‑specific go‑to‑market strategies, messaging and solution narratives grounded in real customer demand.

External Representation & Thought Leadership

• Represent Rambus in industry standards bodies, consortiums, and technical forums relevant to Physical AI/Auto/Humanoid Robotics.
• Build and maintain senior‑level relationships (within the target market verticals) with semiconductor makers, system companies, OEMs, Tier‑1 suppliers, startups, research institutions, and ecosystem partners.
• Position Rambus as a thought leader and trusted partner shaping the future of intelligent silicon platforms.

Regional Engagement & Events

• Attend, host and lead regional customer and ecosystem events, including executive briefings, workshops, and partner forums.

Qualifications & Experience

• 20+ years of experience in the semiconductor industry, with exposure to Silicon IP, SoC design, OEMs, platform architecture, and/or advanced compute systems.
• Proven experience in business development, strategic marketing, ecosystem development, or corporate strategy roles.
• Strong understanding of Semiconductor technology and IP, including interface, memory, and security technologies.
• Demonstrated ability to spot promising design opportunities early, influence product and go‑to‑market direction without direct…