Business Development Lead

About Circonomit

We are dedicated to building the world's decision infrastructure, acting as the strategic counterpart for complex combinatorial challenges faced by industrial organizations. By translating reality's levers and restrictions into computational models, we perform multidimensional optimization on essential value-chain decision-making. Our goal is to support Europe's strength and help the German Mittelstand navigate dynamic markets, orders, machinery, and workforce challenges effectively.

Founded by Dana (CEO) and Erik (CTO) from RWTH research and supported by a €2.8 million investment led by Vorwerk Ventures, we already have customers benefiting from our optimization solutions.

Role Overview

We seek a Business Development Lead to direct our entire market approach, including positioning, channel development, partner selection, and customer engagement. You will own the end-to-end pipeline from prospecting to deal closure, working directly alongside the CEO on strategy without intermediary layers. You will represent the company in board and investor meetings, as well as in discussions with managing directors of client companies.

This role blends strategic leadership with hands-on execution — expect to spend 60–70% of your time engaging with supply chain leaders, controllers, and executives, and 30–40% establishing the operational foundation behind these efforts.

Note, this opportunity demands high energy, rapid delivery, and the initiative to enter a market that has yet to discover our offerings.

Key Responsibilities

• Own customer acquisition and deal negotiation processes fully — from identifying leads, qualifying prospects, delivering proof of value, securing executive approval to contract closure, utilizing any approach you find most effective.
• Develop and refine market entry theses, including segment focus, pricing strategies, channels, and positioning. Use data to adjust and improve these models and collaborate with Product on recurring market insights backed by evidence.
• Lead demand generation activities such as shaping messaging and positioning, structuring the website, running outbound campaigns, organizing events, and creating credible pilot case studies. Have the discipline to discontinue projects that don't advance company objectives.
• Establish and manage partnerships with implementation firms, consultancies, and related vendors, creating commercial and legal frameworks that enable faster revenue through co-selling and strategic alliances.
• Recruit and train your team as you scale and mature the business development function, evolving to a central leadership role as the company grows.

Required Qualifications and Skills

• Minimum five years of experience in consulting, commercial leadership, or complex B2B sales within industrial sectors, grounded in a technical or analytical discipline such as engineering, Operations Research, or computer science.
• Demonstrated end-to-end ownership of projects, customer relationships, deadlines, and commercial outcomes.
• Deep understanding of complex organizational structures and how to navigate and leverage them effectively.
• Exceptional storytelling skills: concise, factual, engaging communication that connects with various stakeholders including supply chain managers, controllers, and managing directors.
• Strong abilities in interpreting data and business models, building business cases, and understanding the economics of channels; proficiency and enthusiasm for working with Excel and related tools.
• Highly structured, action-oriented mindset with a consistent record of delivering results and a competitive drive to succeed.
• Language proficiency: German at C1 level or above and fluent English.
• Based in NRW (Cologne preferred), Munich, Stuttgart, Berlin, or prepared to work in a hybrid arrangement.

Additional Information

This position is unsuitable if you prefer directing over doing, require strict departmental boundaries, expect significant budgets upfront, or need an extended period before engaging with your first customer.

Benefits

• Make substantial impact by selling real value and leading decision-making processes.
• Enjoy ownership over strategy, channels, team, and operational decisions without multi-level approvals.
• Collaborate closely with researchers, modelers, and founders, gaining direct access to technical and delivery teams.
• Present your outcomes directly to the board and senior client executives, and engage with strategic partners.
• Receive prompt and transparent feedback fostering professional growth.
• Competitive salary accompanied by a relevant equity package aligned with your contribution and career growth.

Recruitment Process

The hiring journey features an introductory call with the CEO, a second interview with team members, a 60 to 90-minute live case challenge, followed by team discussions both online and in-person. Candidates are encouraged to request conversations with current employees for candid insights before decision-making.

Embrace our motto: "Hustle during the day, analyze at night, and build something exceptional."