Business Development Manager (m/w/d)

Job Description

Our goal is to make clean power accessible, to accelerate the shift to zero carbon power and transport.

We’re building and operating the world’s most sophisticated battery systems to enable the uptake of more renewable power and accelerating fleet electrification, de-risking the transition to zero-emission transport at scale. We’ve been consistently innovative since we were founded in 2017, achieving major industry firsts and using proprietary software and data analysis to optimise operational performance for our customers. At the end of their life, we repurpose electric vehicle batteries to provide clean power at depots, on construction sites and film sets.

Today we have 730 MW of grid scale battery storage operational and under construction and are the largest owner and operator of EV buses in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, supporting over 1,000 electric vehicles worldwide. In our first five years we have raised nearly £1.8 billion in funding and have expanded into other markets such as the US. Our rapidly growing company is looking for highly talented and motivated people to join us.

The Opportunity

As we continue our expansion into the North American markets, we are looking for a Business Development Manager to support Zenobē’s commercial value proposition. The Business Development Manager will support business development activities as necessary to achieve commercial success with school district fleet customers under Zenobē’s turnkey electrification offering. As a Business Development Manager, you will be responsible for sales and commercial functions such as pipeline origination, customer proposal development, execution of customer directed marketing activities, and general account management, You will be working with the commercial development ‘deal team’ which actively supports business development with pricing and contracting activities, as well as cross-functionally across the organization to better support the commercial offering and by extension Zenobē’s customer base. It is essential that you are comfortable engaging across numerous stakeholders (internal and external), that you welcome collaboration and building (teams, processes, etc.), and that you can be self-directed when needed.

This is a unique opportunity to work in an entrepreneurial environment, building a new business in a fast-growing and rapidly evolving sector (“start-up within a scale up”). At the same time, you will have the support from a company with over 300 team members that has a wide range of contracting, financing, procurement, and operational experience gained to date from over 1600 contracted e-buses worldwide. Self-starters’ and candidates able to thrive in a dynamic environment are desired as Zenobē intends to leverage its significant capabilities for growth in the North American markets.

A Bit About the Day to Day

• Account and project management of active customer projects.
• High-touch customer engagement through regular communication cadence regarding health and status of projects
• Serve as an activator by supporting NA BD origination across new-to-market and sub-category verticals within bus, such as direct-to-school and dealer networks, informing GTM strategies, customer profiles and target approaches aligned to Zenobē’s value proposition.
• Inform and enable the acceleration and implementation of commercial workflow processes that meet Zenobē business requirements but also serve specific NA market needs.
• Work with Business Development to create, enhance, and deliver customer proposals (including RFP responses) factoring in inputs from Technical -Solutions, Grants, and other support groups to deliver and expand Zenobē value proposition.
• Support onboarding and training new Commercial Development Assoc hires.
• Work closely with Corporate Finance team to underwrite and model pricing as necessary to support Investment Committee recommendations and approval process(es) as needed
• Work with Product and Delivery teams in support of business development efforts and to ensure best-in-class customer experience as needed.
• Critical support for strategy development across North America factoring in grants, policy and mandates, grid service programming, carbon credits, and other commercial trends toward decarbonization.
• Support marketing efforts including messaging, design, pitch materials, and similar; attend industry conferences that are relevant to origination efforts and maintain positive customer relationships.
• Work within a tight-nit team of people across Technical -Solutions, Product, Operations / Asset Management, Legal, Finance, and HR

Health and Safety

• Actively contribute to Zenobe's commitment to health and safety, wellbeing and sustainability by; integrating these principles into daily responsibilities, ensuring a safe and supportive work environment, promoting both the physical and mental health of self and colleagues, and adopting sustainable and energy-efficient practices to minimize environmental impact. By doing so, each employee at Zenobe plays a vital role in fostering a culture that prioritises overall safety, holistic wellbeing, environmental sustainability in our business operations.

Job Duties & Responsibilities

• Support and inform the commercial delivery process which integrates service model, technology, pricing, grants, utilities, supply chain, EPC, and customer onboarding
• Support and inform ‘deal team’ work at Zenobē North America by overseeing commercial proposals, pricing, and structuring as necessary to support business development
• Assist with commercial contract negotiations and execution; inform strategy, structure, and drive alignment with internal stakeholders to execute (e.g Legal, Finance, etc.)
• Drive commercial workflow between Zenobē and its partners from origination to post-award execution and support
• Maintain and support existing client relationships to ensure customer loyalty, long-term satisfaction, and promote organic commercial growth
• Support lead generation and marketing activities from Business Development and Marketing. Further, oversee integration of sales, business development, and commercial efforts into business and operational support systems (i.e. CRM, ERP, etc.) as Zenobē builds in North America
• Project manage deal flow and provide necessary diligence support on opportunities necessary for underwriting and business requirements – support informing NA best practices
• Advise management on short-term and long-term strategic objectives, policies, and actions
• Interface with Investment Committee partners for structuring calls, deal reviews, and other reporting requirements as necessitated by shareholders and internal management
• Support alignment through collaboration with business development, corporate finance, and product teams across the organization

Your Experience

• A bachelor’s degree is required—ideally with discipline in financing, accounting, business, or engineering, marketing (though not mandatory)
• Familiarity with finance, engineering, marketing and/or related fields to decarbonization and vehicle electrification strongly preferred
• Strong written or oral communication skills
• Strength in applications such as MS Suite, Salesforce, and others is strongly desired
• Ability to be self-directed and motivated, comfortable with problem-solving and perseverance given the dynamic ‘start up’ environment
• General understanding of fleet electrification [e.g. charge management, utilities, EVSE providers, OEMs, grant programs, etc.] is preferred
• Passion for or strong interest in decarbonization and/or electrification

For Ilinois / NYC Compensation Description (annually):

Please note that the base salary range is a guideline, and individual total compensation will vary based on factors such as qualifications, skill level, competencies, and work location.

Base pay is one part of the total package that is provided to compensate and recognise employees for their work and any role at Zenobē, regardless of the location, is eligible for additional discretionary bonuses.

Base salary per annum: USD$110,000 - USD$130,000

Our Benefits

We have an open, honest and trusting culture here at Zenobe. Apart from the unparallel opportunity to be at the forefront of the Net Zero revolution we are proud of the culture we have built. Here is what we can offer when you join the Zenobe community;

• At Zenobe we all work hard and go the extra mile so it’s important to rest and regenerate with 20 days holiday which increases after 5 years’ service
• 401k Scheme – Up to 4% matching
• Excellent opportunities for personal growth and responsibility plus a training budget
• Up to 33% performance related bonus
• Health, Dental, Vision & Life Insurance/ Reimbursement Plan
• Refer a friend bonus scheme

Our Approach to Diversity and Inclusion

Zenobe is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment which is as representative as possible of our society. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage/civil partnership pregnancy /maternity, race, nationality, religion or belief, gender, political beliefs and sexual orientation. Our culture values meritocracy, openness, fairness, and transparency.