Business Development Manager

New Energy Risk (NER) helps solve global challenges at an industrial scale. Our clients are technology and project developers seeking capital to commercialize their novel technologies. We assess both commercial and technology risk and design insurance solutions that relocate these risks from the capital markets to the insurance markets. As a result of this risk transfer, our products reduce our clients’ cost of capital and accelerate their commercialization. More, faster, and cheaper capital investment promotes the deployment of critical innovations against climate change, pollution, and other issues facing our world today. Over just the past six years, NER’s small team has helped unlock over $2.5B in capital for a range of projects, including fuel cells for Bloom Energy, RES Polyflow’s conversion of plastic waste to fuel, and the advancement of medical isotope technology by SHINE.

NER is a unique platform with partners including some of the world’s largest insurance companies and institutional investors. Founded in 2010, we have the reputation of an established company with the nimbleness of a startup. We are growing rapidly to meet market demand as more capital flows toward emerging energy and other technology markets. To better serve these markets, we are hiring a business development manager to support our prospective client pipeline.

NER receives hundreds of prospective client inbounds annually. Each prospective client is developing different technologies in different commercial contexts with different financing needs. The business development manager must be comfortable synthesizing these differences into consultative, bespoke, high-value, direct enterprise sales that solve prospective clients’ financing needs. While the business development manager will have exposure to all prospective clients, they will focus on NER’s most established verticals (bioeconomy, waste to energy, energy storage, and energy efficiency).

The business development manager is an independent contributor and will not manage other staff; rather, the employee will manage external prospective client relationships. The business development manager reports to the managing director of business development.

To fill this position, NER is seeking a self-starting, problem-solving business development professional with an interest and background in finance and commercial industrial technology. Ideal candidates can work equally well independently and collaboratively, are comfortable with extensive multi-tasking, have superior attention to detail, and have communication skills at an executive level. Because NER is growing rapidly, the business development manager will discover many opportunities for professional growth, including across emerging technology verticals and jurisdictions.

Since NER’s business is at the nexus of finance, technology innovation, and industrial project development, suitable candidates will come with a depth of experience in at least one of those three areas. Both commercial and technical backgrounds are important to the success of this role, with a greater emphasis on commercial experience:

Commercial Experience

NER uses a variety of enterprise sales channels, including direct origination, as well as partnerships with insurance brokers and industry stakeholders. The business development manager must comfortably, confidently, and often independently lead and manage prospective client engagements. The business development manager should have a broad understanding of the startup financial lifecycle and project finance. Candidates must have some familiarity with the commercial macrotrends of NER’s core markets: bioeconomy, waste to energy, energy storage, and energy efficiency. We recognize a variety of experiences could be valuable in this role, including and not limited to: technical, enterprise and/or direct sales; strategic partnerships; banking; or related professional services involved in project development.

Technical Experience

NER’s clients are technology and project developers seeking capital to commercialize their novel technologies. We sometimes encounter deal flow that challenges laws of physics and thermodynamics. To have an informed conversation with our prospective clients about their technology and projects, to understand their projects’ technical risk profiles, and to evaluate them in the context of other market participants requires certain technical knowledge, especially within one of NER’s core market segments: bioeconomy, waste to energy, energy storage, and energy efficiency. The business development manager will not require an advanced technical degree, but candidates must have some familiarity with the technical macrotrends in the renewable energy and low-carbon sectors. Experience with aspects of technical project development (which may include but is not limited to EPC contracts, FEED processes, failure-mode/root cause analysis, and related risk-mitigation concepts) is also helpful.

Business Development Manager Responsibilities

Tasks include but are not limited to:

• Phone, video, and email communication with prospective clients and partners
• Reviewing data rooms
• Utilizing and regularly updating NER’s Salesforce CRM
• Drafting and managing standard business documents (e.g. NDAs, term sheets, engagement letters), and stewarding these detailed and customized documents through the sales cycle
• Coordinating internally with the business development and technical diligence teams
• With considerations in place for COVID-19 restrictions and CDC guidelines, traveling domestically and occasionally internationally to prospective client sites and attending/speaking at conferences and workshops (approximately 30%)

Qualifications

New Energy Risk is an equal opportunity employer. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are values we uphold as a team. Qualified applicants of any background are encouraged to apply. (However, at this time, we are unable to offer visas and will only hire those legally permitted to work in the US.)

Required:

• Experience in technical, enterprise and/or direct sales; strategic partnerships; banking or related professional services; entrepreneurship; or other related backgrounds
• Ability to learn the ins and outs of new technology
• Ability to multitask and manage multiple projects/prospective clients at once
• Demonstrated excellent verbal and written communications, at both executive and transaction levels
• Highly organized and excellent attention to detail
• Proficiency in MS PowerPoint, Word, Excel
• A team player desiring to work with close-knit and high-performing colleagues

Desired:

• Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree
• Relevant experience in industrial project development or related professional services
• Familiarity with Salesforce or similar CRM systems

Compensation and Benefits

• Salary commensurate with experience
• Annual bonus incentive
• Stock options
• Unlimited vacation
• Group health insurance options (including medical, dental, vision, life, disability)
• 401(k)