Head of Business Development

Job objective
You will connect to future customers and suppliers, and shape partnership contracts with automotive OEM, recycling, and grid storage players to scale battery volumes that we test, dismantle and process for reuse. It means building relationships with EV OEMs to source used batteries and providing repurposed batteries to grid storage players on the demand side. You’re great at driving sales from the first conversation to a pilot contract and then to a long-term volume contract
You will work closely with engineers and customer teams to shape pilot programs. You’re excited to contribute to developing, analyzing, and validating strategic plans on value chain positioning, go-to-market, business models, and pricing products we deliver. You will also support in writing applications and running financial models for grant applications, assist in future fundraising campaigns and propose regulations to scale battery reuse.
How you will contribute

Operationalize go-to-market strategies by shaping CRM lists for potential high-profile customers in the recycling, automotive, and battery space. Perform market, economics, and value chain analyses of battery recycling, reuse, and repurposing. Help validate company assumptions, strategies, and operational plans.
Successfully source and drive customer and partnership conversations, contract negotiations, and operate pilot programs for OEM, grid storage, and recycling markets.
Drive the sales cycle from value confirmation, present the product proposal, negotiate a contract, and close the deal from early pilots to high-volume product programs. It leads to signed sales contracts to secure battery supply and sell 2nd life battery demand
Obsess over understanding customer requirements and helping drive technical & operational direction to support these customers. . Understand customer product roadmaps, product requirements, and tradeoffs customers are willing to make.
Regularly connect with customers to gather information relevant to current and future programs and their decision-making processes. Understand the org chart, and function of each contact, especially the decision-makers of the customers and its teams.
Lead the communication channels with the customer. Organize face-to-face and virtual meetings with each customer and prepare attendees and presentations to ensure a productive exchange of ideas.
Write business plans, technology roadmaps, and operational plans for grant applications, and fundraising documents as well as modeling financials, strategic scenarios, and business models. Map regulatory trends and proposing the implementation of novel regulations to scale battery reuse.

The skills & experience that you bring

At least a B.Sc. in Physics, engineering, or science study. Preferably completed an M.Sc. program in business, economics, or finance.
Successfully closed multiple B2B product contracts from customer intro to contract to sign to fulfillment from low to high volumes.
3-5 years as a business development, sales, partnership, and/or account management leader, in externally facing roles and with international partners.
3-5 years experience in crafting go-to-market strategy, developing customer profiles, sourcing potential customers, and performing targeted outreach to have first conversations.
Drive sales cycle from value confirmation, and proposal presentation to contract closure from early pilot to high-volume.
Successful collaborator with a wide array of personalities and partners, driving alignment, prioritization, and progress in rapidly changing situations.
Ability to guide conversations in the desired direction. Ability to stay firm, confident, and unrattled in difficult sales outreach, customer presentations, and negotiation sessions.
Deep understanding of the auto and grid storage supply chain. Strong network within at least one European and/or US EV OEM and grid storage developer.
Technical understanding of batteries, robotics, and EVs is preferred. Communicate fluently in English and German.

How to hit a homerun

Experience in battery, electric vehicle, and automation industry or similar. Technical understanding of batteries, robotics, and EVs.
Experience in a high-growth startup and/or technology startup.
Willingness to travel internationally to battery, OEM, and recycling conferences.
Fluency in German and Mandarin.