Partnership Manager

About the Role

We are a seed-stage deeptech startup building an advanced materials acceleration platform that combines physics-informed AI and cutting-edge robotics to dramatically shorten the timeline for discovering and developing breakthrough materials — with a strong focus on clean energy and the net-zero transition.

We're hiring a Partnership Manager to own the post-signing relationship with our strategic commercial partners and ensure those partnerships translate into delivered outcomes and long-term trust. You'll sit at the intersection of partner success and internal execution, coordinating across AI, chemistry, automation, and lab teams to turn partner goals into real results.

This is a fully on-site role in Berlin, Germany. No visa sponsorship is available — candidates must already have the right to work in Germany.

What You'll Do

• Own commercial partner success end-to-end and be personally accountable for delivery.

• Serve as the primary trusted counterpart for a portfolio of strategic commercial partners.

• Clarify what success truly looks like for partners, going beyond contract language to real-world outcomes.

• Advocate for partners internally and represent the company externally with equal clarity and credibility.

• Drive delivery through influence rather than authority — coordinating AI, chemistry, automation, and lab teams.

• Translate partner goals into concrete scopes, milestones, and priorities.

• Resolve ambiguity, manage tradeoffs, and maintain project momentum across complex workstreams.

• Communicate risks and changes early and clearly to protect trust and keep expectations aligned with reality.

• Identify opportunities to grow delivered value into deeper, longer-term collaboration.

• Partner closely with Business Development to shape and convert follow-on engagements.

What We're Looking For

Must-haves:

• 5+ years of experience in partnerships, consulting, customer success, or account management in complex technical environments.

• Proven track record of owning delivery end-to-end across multiple stakeholders in technical projects.

• Experience coordinating cross-functional teams spanning domains such as AI, chemistry, automation, or lab/engineering.

• Strong stakeholder management and partner advocacy skills — able to represent partner interests internally and company interests externally.

• Ability to translate partner goals into clear scopes, milestones, and priorities.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English — precise, honest, and trust-building.

• Proactive risk management mindset; comfortable raising issues early and managing through ambiguity.

• High ownership, accountability, and calm under pressure.

Nice to have:

• Technical literacy in deep tech, materials science, chemistry, or engineering domains.

• Fluency in additional languages beyond English.

• Experience in early-stage or high-growth startup environments.

Location

This role is based on-site in Berlin, Germany. Candidates must have the right to work in Germany — visa sponsorship is not provided.

Why This Role

• Work at the frontier of AI, robotics, and materials science on problems with real climate impact.

• Join a small, high-calibre team (50–100 people) where your contributions have direct and visible impact.

• Own a critical function — this is not a support role, it is an accountability role with real strategic weight.

• Collaborate across world-class scientists, engineers, and AI researchers in a fast-moving environment.