We are Universe Energy, and we are the battery dismantling and repurposing company.
Our mission is to scale battery reuse as the largest source of the next billion batteries. The world needs 2 billion batteries by 2050, but this comes at a huge cost to the planet, as we need to mine 30x more. We dismantle and sort used battery packs 7x faster and 50% cheaper than by hand using robotics, AI and sound for EV OEMs, battery makers and fleets. Once we dismantle 1000s of battery packs, we repurpose them into $4000 cheap grid batteries that are 20% cheaper than making new ones. Our vision is to become the leading maker of zero-impact batteries by building 1 million batteries/year by 2035. This will power a truly clean energy revolution at scale and reduce 6 Giga tons of CO2 by 2050. We are Universe Energy, and we make batteries eternal.
Job objective
You will connect to customers and suppliers to source used batteries from EV OEMs and deploy repurposed batteries to grid projects. You will first ramp up the supply of used batteries from EV OEMs, fleet operators, battery OEMs, and local service centers. Then, you will deliver repurposed batteries to grid storage developers, data centers, microgrids, and commercial buildings.
You’re great at driving sales and partnerships from the first conversation to define pilot contracts, and then shape long-term volume contracts. The starting point is working closely with customer teams and their engineers to shape pilot programs. You’re excited to analyze, experiment, and validate value chains, propose strategic positioning, shape customer profiles, and synthesize into go-to-market strategy while experimenting with business models.
To support grant programs and fundraising campaigns, you will also write grant applications, run financial models, and shape regulations to scale battery reuse.
How you will contribute
- You are a contagious evangelist of the Universe Energy mission, you love to write compelling stories, bring customer presentations with panache, and you are a very empathetic listener to understand the customer’s needs.
- Operationalize go-to-market strategies by shaping customer profiles and list target accounts. Perform market, economics, and value chain analyses of supply and demand for battery repurposing. Validate commercial assumptions, strategies, and operational plans.
- Source customer and partnership leads, moving customer meetings forward, and negotiating contracts. Understand the organization chart, and function of each contact, especially the decision-makers of the customers and its teams. Shape pilot programs with OEM and grid storage partners.
- Drive the sales cycle by generating leads, learning customer requirements, delivering value propositions, presenting product proposals, running contract negotiations, and closing deals.
- Obsess over understanding the customer. Learn product roadmaps, operational requirements, and tradeoffs for make-buy decisions. Work closely with the customer through direct virtual and async communication and visit them regularly.
- Write business plans, technology roadmaps, and operational plans for grant applications, and fundraising documents.
- Model financial scenarios, strategic value chains, and business models with pricing. Map regulatory trends and propose the implementation of new 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 volume contracts 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 generate leads.
- Driven sales cycle from value confirmation, and value proposal presentation up to closing contracts from early pilot to high-volume programs for battery and/or automation products.
- Deep understanding of the battery, EV OEM, and grid storage supply chain. Strong network within at least one US EV OEM and or European OEM and grid storage developer.
- Highly effective collaborator, having successfully worked with a diverse range of people and partners to drive program progress, ensure alignment, and prioritize key initiatives.
- Ability to guide conversations in the desired direction in any situation. Ability to stay firm, confident, and unrattled in challenging sales outreach, customer presentations, pricing negotiations, and contract closures.
- 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, grid, and EV conferences.
- Fluency in German and Mandarin.
Reach out to [email protected] for questions, comments and/or feedback before applying.
