Commercial Lead/ Lead Sales Engineer

AlgaFilm Technologies Ltd.; Toronto; On-site; CAD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

AlgaFilm Technologies Ltd. in Toronto is seeking a commercially minded technical leader to translate early traction and technical credibility into a repeatable go-to-market motion, stronger customer engagement, and initial commercial wins.

You will own end-to-end commercial processes, collaborate with R&D and leadership, and drive market expansion across North America while shaping pricing, partnerships, and customer experience.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Chemistry, Materials Science, or a related technical field.
• Proven experience in a commercial, sales engineering, or business development role within a technical/industrial environment, ideally in water/wastewater.
• Ability to translate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
• Experience managing long sales cycles with industrial customers.
• Demonstrated success negotiating contracts and closing commercial agreements.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end commercial and sales process, focusing on the North American market.
• Implement and optimize commercial strategies to acquire new customers and pilot opportunities.
• Drive marketing to raise company profile and engage customers and stakeholders.
• Develop and report revenue, profit, and customer acquisition targets for leadership.
• Manage CRM to track sales pipeline and revenue projections.
• Lead technical sales discussions, pilots, site visits, and feasibility assessments.
• Collaborate with R&D and leadership to align customer needs with product roadmaps.
• Support pricing strategy, contract structuring, and negotiations.

Skills

Communication

Sales experience

Strategic thinking

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field

Tools

CRM software

Job description

AlgaFilm Technologies Ltd. has developed a proprietary algae-based nutrient recovery solution designed to bring cost-effective, carbon-neutral treatment capability to small and mid-sized wastewater systems. The company is now entering an important phase of commercialization, moving from technical promise toward broader market adoption.

Led by an experienced founding team with deep domain expertise in wastewater technology, AlgaFilm is focused on building a practical, scalable commercial platform around a differentiated solution with meaningful environmental and economic relevance.

This hire comes at a pivotal moment for the business. The company is seeking a commercially minded technical leader who can help translate early traction and technical credibility into a repeatable go-to-market motion, stronger customer engagement, and initial commercial wins.

Reports to: Executive Leadership / CEO

Key Responsibilities

• Own and drive the end-to-end commercial and sales process, from lead qualification to contract close, with a focus on the North American market.
• Implement, optimize, and continuously improve the commercial strategies identified in the business plan to find new customers, grants, and pilot opportunities for the Company.
• Drive the company’s marketing plan in order to raise company profile, drive customer and stakeholder engagement and outreach.
• Develop, track, and report on revenue targets, profit targets, customer acquisition targets, and other related business metrics to help inform Company leadership about the health of the business.
• Manage and develop the company’s CRM platform in order to maintain visible metrics on the growth of the company’s sales pipeline and revenue projections.
• Act as the technical-commercial interface for customers, translating the firm's technology into compelling business cases.
• Develop tools to help manage the Company’s customer experience, including ensuring a positive and seamless customer journey from first contact to ongoing support.
• Lead technical sales discussions, pilot demonstrations, site visits, and feasibility assessments with prospective customers.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key decision-makers, engineers, and commercial stakeholders throughout North America.
• Collaborate closely with R&D, operations, and leadership to align customer requirements with product roadmaps.
• Support pricing strategy, contract structuring, and negotiation in coordination with leadership.
• Represent the company at industry events, conferences, and customer meetings.
• Stay abreast of industry trends and best practices, including competitive landscape, intellectual property, technology development, customer trends, etc. and report on these to Company leadership.
• Capture customer feedback and market insights to inform product development and strategic direction.
• Maintain knowledge of our competitive landscape in order to best position the company’s pricing strategy and market positioning.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Chemistry, Materials Science, or a related technical field.
• Proven experience in a commercial, sales engineering, or business development role within a technical or industrial environment, preferably with experience selling in the water/wastewater utility sector.
• Strong ability to communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
• Experience managing long sales cycles and utility or industrial customers.
• Demonstrated success in negotiating contracts and closing commercial agreements.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, early-stage or growth-oriented company environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in sustainable materials, advanced manufacturing, coatings, films, or related sectors.
• Background with growing pilot-scale, pre-commercial, or first-of-kind technologies through commercial growth stages.
• Experience with strategic partnerships, joint development agreements, or licensing models.
• Experience in working with partners in the European market for project delivery.
• MBA or advanced technical degree.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen.
• Customer-focused mindset with a consultative sales approach.
• Ability to work cross-functionally and influence without authority.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills.
• Self-starter with a high degree of ownership and accountability.

Personal Characteristics

• Commercially driven, but technically credible.
• Comfortable in ambiguity and able to build structure where little exists.
• Hands-on, practical, and self-directed.
• Strong at earning trust with customers, partners, and internal stakeholders.
• Organized and disciplined in managing opportunities and follow-through.
• Curious, adaptable, and motivated by helping bring an emerging solution to market.

Why Join

This is an opportunity to play a critical role in scaling a breakthrough technology with real-world impact. You will work closely with leadership and technical teams, help shape commercial strategy, and directly influence the company’s growth trajectory.