Product Manager - Biochar at CarboCulture

Carbo Culture is a climate technology company on a mission to reverse climate change by drawing down atmospheric carbon. We are headquartered in Helsinki with a subsidiary and operations in California. Our team is largely remote, with meetups when possible. We work together online across time zones. Our focus is on building pyrolysis technology to a scale where we can effectively fight climate change. We have three products: carbon credits, biochar, and heat. This role will be responsible for the success of the biochar product.

Market players have taken note of our biochar and their research and development departments would like to engage to co-develop biochar-based products with us. At the same time, there are standards emerging around the sale of carbon credits that limit applications for our material. The Product Manager will be responsible for joint-development efforts with our partners while also making sure that we meet emerging carbon credit standards.

This role has three work areas. The first is to work with the Head of Commercialization to define the priorities of the market development. Interested parties come from different applications and have different goals, timelines and requirements while we have internal production constraints. You will need to figure out which opportunities should take priority given our overall commercial goals, technical doability, and integrity of the carbon credits. Secondly, once the priorities are defined, you will need to turn interested parties into buying customers. This means taking interested parties by the hand, developing joint R&D visions, following up, testing material with labs and universities, understanding results at a high level, and driving the timeline to get to a fully commercialized product. Lastly, and to a lesser extent, you will work with our internal engineering team to make sure that our product (quality, quantity, standards, etc.) meets the market’s requirements.

For this role, you need to be an excellent communicator who can go through all the motions of turning interested parties into customers. In addition, you will need to have a strong technical materials background that allows you to quickly comprehend applications and market needs; preferably in the soil/ag space. In addition, you are not afraid to ask hard questions and you can radically prioritize and organize your time. Since we are scaling quickly, you are comfortable with ambiguity and autonomy.

The role will report to our Head of Commercialization, Tim, who is based in the US (East Coast). Tim will focus on selling carbon removal credits while the biochar applications are still in development. He will aid in the prioritization of initiatives. Otherwise, this role will be autonomous.

Role & Responsibilities

• Develop and implement product roadmap to close the gap to market

• Manage engagement with potential off-takers of biochar

• Clarify market needs and gaps to commercialization (e.g. we need certain studies/lab tests in order to sell to this partner / build a consortium with partners)

• Manage and prioritize material R&D efforts with universities

• Be the product owner on the team, and manage our internal knowledge of biochar

• Find resources and partners to fill gaps in knowledge and product development

Your background

• Must have a bachelor degree in a technical field such as materials science, environmental engineering, (bio)chemistry

• Experience in product development & go-to-market specifically for B2B materials

• Experience in strategic management of external partners

• Proven ability to work under ambiguity

• Superior written and oral English

• Ability to work in a remote team across time zones

Not necessary, but we’d love it:

• Experience with biochar, either in an academic or hands-on capacity

• Experience with agronomy, nutrients, and bioprocesses (primary application for materials is to put it in soil)

• Startup experience

For more information, past press, and our current team visit www.carboculture.com.

Please apply here https://apply.workable.com/j/878FDDD042

Equal opportunity employer

Carbo Culture is dedicated to the principles of equal employment opportunity in any and all terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, including hiring, promotions, termination, training, and compensation. Carbo Culture does not discriminate against any employee or applicant because of race, creed, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, or related condition (including breastfeeding), or any other basis protected by law.