A growing sustainable deep tech start-up has an exciting opportunity for a CEO to lead them through its next scale-up phase. They are at a pivotal phase of expansion and require an experienced CEO with a track record of developing other start-up businesses. Experience in the materials industry would be ideal but other scientific backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

The Role

An experienced CEO is needed to lead our client through its next scale-up phase. You will have a strong track record of running a materials, or other scientific, business and complex manufacturing supply chains. Ideally, you will also have a good understanding of process engineering, or at least a technical background.

As CEO you will provide a key leadership role in developing and executing business strategy, expanding market opportunities including global revenue build out, and establishing alliances, acquisitions, partnerships, and other collaborations. Working with the existing team and the Board of Directors, you will play an integral role in leveraging their experience and skills to align the ground-breaking technology development with highly ambitious strategic and commercial goals at this uniquely positioned materials science organisation.

Duties include:

Leading and motivating the company ensuring that everyone knows the long term vision of the company, and what they personally can do to deliver it
Spearheading the development of business relationships and strategic partnerships at the C-suite level to commercialize the technology
Overall ownership for strategic, commercial and operational activities
Developing & growing the existing team of employees and external partners while ensuring the open and collaborative company culture is retained
Building, motivating, and leading a high-performance management team, and providing mentoring to the team
Defining and agreeing the future strategic direction of the company in conjunction with the staff, partners and Board of Directors, and establishing and tracking objectives and KPIs for the business
Making quick decisions to match the speed and pace required of the company
Securing a robust IP position both in terms of patents and know-how
Assisting as required in raising additional capital at appropriate valuations to enable the company to meet sales, growth and market share objectives
Acting as the key company spokesperson with clients, investors, business partners and the press
Liaising with the technical team on critical issues related to the product roadmap and customer deliveries

Candidate Requirements

The candidate should be entrepreneurial, a self-starter, able to inspire confidence in a range of stakeholders and partners, and have the skills to lead and develop a high performing science-led, innovative team with a high level of autonomy, creativity and independence

Be passionate about the companies sustainability mission of addressing plastic pollution
A real passion for sales: selling a vision and products to customers, partners and investors, and understands the value and use of marketing and branding
Have a successful track record of leading and developing high performing technical teams, and can balance the need to protect them to ensure quality, and driving them to deliver products on time
Demonstrable ability to navigate an ever-changing market place, by rigorous analysis as well as creative drive
Startup experience, especially in scaling a team and raising funding for early stage startups
Living in or willing to relocate to Cambridge
Has been a CEO previously, or a General Manager with P&L, Engineering and Sales responsibility
Is flexible enough to deal with Co-opetition with other sustainable material players to provide the best solution to customers
Is able to work comfortably at C level in companies
Understands complex FMCG manufacturing supply chains, including negotiating with and managing toll manufacturing
Has scaled technology from lab, through pilot plant to high volume manufacturing
Will get their hands dirty to solve the short term problems that startups face
Ideally, they will also have good understanding of materials, conversion of materials, and process engineering
Can balance long term strategic goals with a short term focus on day-to-day execution

Package Includes:

Salary and share options
Generous holiday package
Flexible working options