Business Development Manager

About the Role

A seed-stage deeptech startup at the intersection of AI-driven material discovery and climate technology is looking for a Business Development Manager to translate cutting-edge scientific capability into real commercial impact. You will own customer relationships, drive sales strategy, and coordinate cross-functional delivery — working closely with senior leadership to operationalize growth and scale repeatable commercial processes. This is an on-site role based in Berlin, Germany.

The company builds an advanced materials acceleration platform that combines physics-informed AI, robotics, and large-scale experimental data to dramatically compress R&D timelines in the energy and cleantech sectors. The team includes alumni of organizations such as BASF, Siemens, Climeworks, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Please note: visa sponsorship is not available for this role.

What You'll Do

• Bridge science and market needs to deliver scalable climate impact across a growing customer base.
• Collaborate with the VP of Commercial and senior leadership to operationalize and scale commercial efforts.
• Act as the primary connection between customers and internal teams, developing projects from initial scope through to signed agreement.
• Drive strategic sales efforts by researching and pursuing key commercial opportunities.
• Track pipeline movement and maintain a high-quality CRM overview with relevant reporting and analytics.
• Build and refine BD workflows, templates, and documentation to scale repeatable success.
• Identify customer needs, qualify inbound and outbound leads, and coordinate lead qualification across the team.
• Own post-deal activities, supporting partner onboarding and early-stage execution of new partnerships.
• Serve as the main point of contact to manage and deepen client relationships over time.
• Coordinate with technical and operations teams to ensure aligned, timely delivery on partner commitments.
• Identify upsell and expansion opportunities within existing accounts and new contacts.
• Represent the company at international exhibitions, trade fairs, and conferences, including delivering techno-commercial presentations.

What We're Looking For

Required:

• 3–5 years of experience in international business development, account management, or technical sales — ideally in deep tech, advanced materials, or climate-related sectors.
• Demonstrated success in commercializing scientific or technical capabilities and translating them into tangible commercial outcomes.
• Proficiency with CRM systems and pipeline management tools (e.g., Salesforce or similar).
• Proven ability to coordinate cross-functional delivery between sales, technical, and operations teams.
• Experience building BD workflows, templates, and documentation to support scalable, repeatable processes.
• Willingness and ability to travel internationally for client meetings and industry events.
• Fluency in both English and German; additional European languages are a plus.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills across internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and consistent follow-through.
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and moving quickly in an early-stage startup environment.
• Genuine interest in climate technology and science-driven innovation.

Nice to Have:

• Graduate-level education (MSc or PhD) in materials science, chemistry, physics, chemical engineering, or a closely related field — or an equivalent strong scientific background.

Location & Work Arrangement

This is a full-time, on-site position based in Berlin, Germany. Frequent international travel is expected as part of the role. Visa sponsorship is not available.