Engagement Manager or Senior Engagement Manager (Energy Transition and Materials)
- Added on:
- 14 Jan 2025
- Application Deadline:
- 04 Feb 2025
- Contract type:
- Full Time
- Ref:
- Location:
- Holborn, London
- Base Salary:
- Competitive
- £
Description
At Rapid Innovation Group (RIG) we accelerate the adoption of transformative technologies for a better world.
Join a driven, learning-oriented, sociable company doing work that matters.
We believe that many of the solutions to the greatest climate, environmental, agricultural, and human health challenges the world faces, lie with existing technology. These technologies can only make a meaningful impact if they achieve widespread market use. It is at this junction where we operate: working with visionary entrepreneurs, high-impact technology companies, and forward-thinking industrial corporates to catalyse the early adoption of transformative technology.
Within our business, we have six core practice areas:
- Energy Transition
- Materials (including the Circular Economy)
- Industrial Decarbonisation
- Agriculture
- Food
- Biotechnology
We support a portfolio of early-stage technology companies operating in one or more of these areas as they navigate the journey from early technology development through to becoming a new industry standard.
We work with companies to discover the right first industrial applications, develop winning go-to-market strategies, and optimise value-based business models. Where we focus most of our time, however, is on doing first commercial deals, including licensing, distribution partnerships, offtake agreements, as well as fundraising.
Why join us?
RIG offers the opportunity to work on strategic and execution challenges facing some of the most promising technology companies in the sustainable technology ecosystem. We provide the experience of working closely with entrepreneurs and CEOs, private and institutional investors, and a wide variety of commercial and non-commercial actors to enable client success across a wide variety of technologies.
Working at pace in small teams, we emphasise intellectual curiosity, fast development and high levels of responsibility from early on. We look to complement our learning and development programmes with continuous development via our apprenticeship-based learning model. We recognise there is no ‘one size fits all’ role and will support you in crafting your unique career journey at RIG around your skills and interests.
We are a group of diverse, sociable, passionate individuals who are motivated by high risk, high reward business. We look to foster an inclusive, collegial, non-hierarchical culture where the best ideas always surface, regardless of their source and where seniority comes from success, not tenure.
Responsibilities
Our Engagement Managers are responsible for high-quality execution and delivery of client work including on market/application discovery and validation, business model development, deal structuring, negotiation, and client acquisition. Our Engagement Managers:
- Plan and execute across a portfolio of client work: effectively managing the programme of work, running weekly calls, and developing high-impact client materials
- Research and derive insight from quantitative and qualitative analysis, developing and applying industry expertise
- Support on sourcing, progressing, and closing commercial deals (e.g. licensing, industrial partnerships, offtake agreements, joint ventures) for our clients
- Support on identifying and winning new business opportunities for the firm
- Own and lead on discrete pieces of work for clients with their manager's guidance. For example, executing strategy formulation on behalf of clients, and generating market insights and recommendations
- Actively participate in internal and external discussions, sharing ideas and perspectives, presenting work and conclusions, and asking questions
- Actively contribute to the growth and development of the firm by building sector-relevant knowledge, as well as acting as a company culture carrier
Skills
Essential qualification criteria:
- 1-6 years of experience in a relevant industrial, commercial, or consulting role. Someone with more experience will not be more likely to be interviewed – what we are looking for is foundational management and organisation skills, and knowledge of commercial processes.
- Preferably a degree (undergraduate or postgraduate) with a minimum 2.1 or equivalent classification. If you are someone who has completed secondary education and are not planning to go into further education but are interested in this role and believe you would make a strong candidate, we are still eager to hear from you.
- Numerical fluency (GCSE grade 6 minimum and the ability to make and understand business and fundraising-related calculations)
- Native equivalent proficiency in English (CEFR C2 equivalent).
- Familiarity with business principles such as:
- Go-to-market strategy
- Types of early-stage business models (e.g., licensing)
- High-level knowledge of sales and commercial negotiations
- High-level knowledge of fundraising processes
- Strong capabilities in using Microsoft Office apps (Word, PowerPoint, Excel)
- Must have the right to work in the UK.
Additional skills
- Experience in quantitative modelling (Excel or other programmes)
- CEFR B2 in at least one language in addition to English
Studies have shown that some groups of people, like women, are less likely to apply to a role unless they meet 100% of the qualification criteria. If you like the sound of this role, we encourage you to apply as you could be the candidate we hire.
Experience Requirements
We are looking for:
- Strong organising capability : this role requires working across multiple work streams, and we seek someone who has advanced organisation skills and is comfortable with moving between diverse activities
- Strong communication and strong interpersonal skills : much of our work focuses on interaction with people, so we are looking for someone with strong written and verbal skills, and who is comfortable dialoguing independently and securing meaningful engagement from counterparties. The successful candidate will be comfortable independently reaching out to and speaking with corporates, industrial partners, as well as entrepreneurs.
- Interest in sustainability : as we work with companies making climate-positive impact, we seek someone who has a passion for climate technology and some knowledge of the area, with the ability (in future) to contribute to the team’s technology thesis.
- Grasps concept quickly with a drive to learn : our clients develop innovative, multi-faceted technologies, so we are looking for someone who is intellectually curious and has the ability to quickly grasp new commercial and technological concepts, able to use that knowledge to generate ideas and arguments. This does not mean that you need a STEM background, rather that you have the ability to understand a concept swiftly.
- A preference for collaboration and teamwork, and the potential for leadership : someone who is comfortable interacting with colleagues of all seniorities as part of a non-hierarchical culture, and who prefers working in a team rather than working alone. We seek candidates who can integrate into the RIG’s existing supportive team culture.
- Adaptive and Resilient : the start-up environment is dynamic, with failures and successes. We look for individuals who are resilient to challenges and can quickly adapt to a situation where needed.
- Interested in developing their commercial mindset : we work across multiple aspects of business including fundraising, business strategies, sales and negotiation, market research and more. So, we are looking for someone who has these skills or is looking to learn and develop their commercial acumen.
Incentives
- Salary: Competitive base salary + performance related bonuses
- Holiday: 25 days of holiday and additional gifted Christmas leave of 3 days alongside bank holidays (equivalent to 36 days’ holiday in total)
- One work away week each year to work virtually from any location
- “Office first” hybrid working (typically 4 days a week in the office) with high degree of flexibility around important appointments and life events
- Full mobile phone contract
Send your CV and cover letter to christina@rapidinnovation.co.uk with the subject header “Engagement Manager (Energy Transition and Materials) Application ”
Within your cover letter please briefly address the following three questions:
- Why are you interested in the role?
- Why should we choose you for this role?
- What area/s of sustainable technology specifically interest you and why?