Country Lead - Germany

HyLight; Paris; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Shareholder potential

Public transport reimbursement

Bike provided

Free lunch

Bi-annual offsite trips

Job summary

HyLight is seeking an entrepreneurial Country Lead to build its German business from the ground up. You will establish our commercial presence, secure pilot projects with utilities, and lay foundations for scalable growth.

Based initially at headquarters near Paris for 6 months, you’ll relocate to Germany to lead operations, recruit the team, and drive market success with regulators and strategic partners.

Qualifications

• Proven experience working with German utility companies or the German energy sector.
• Experience opening, scaling or leading a business, subsidiary or market in Germany.
• Strong business development experience with enterprise customers.
• Excellent commercial negotiation and relationship-building skills.
• Comfortable working with both technical and executive stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of the German business landscape.
• Native German speaker.
• Fluent English.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute HyLight's go-to-market strategy for Germany.
• Build HyLight's commercial presence from the ground up.
• Identify, approach and develop relationships with German utility companies, infrastructure operators and strategic partners.
• Secure multiple pilot projects within the first year.
• Convert pilot projects into long-term commercial contracts.
• Lead the establishment of HyLight's German entity and local operations.
• Develop relationships with regulators, industry associations and key stakeholders.
• Represent HyLight at customer meetings, industry events and conferences.
• Continuously identify new commercial opportunities and partnerships.
• Coordinate with engineering and operations teams to ensure project delivery.
• Gather customer feedback to improve our product and commercial offering.
• Help recruit and build the future German team as the business scales.
• Build and manage a robust commercial pipeline.
• Lead commercial negotiations with enterprise customers.
• Report directly to the leadership team on market progress and strategy.
• Become HyLight's ambassador in Germany.

Skills

German market experience

Business development

Entrepreneurial mindset

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Communication

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Business/Engineering/Energy

Equivalent entrepreneurial/commercial experience

Job description

HyLight’s mission is to help society become more resilient to climate change by improving the observation and inspection of infrastructure. HyLight designs and operates

About HyLight

HyLight’s mission is to help society become more resilient to climate change by improving the observation and inspection of infrastructure. HyLight designs and operates next-generation airships for aerial inspections. Our aircraft collect LiDAR, imagery, and methane data to help utilities and infrastructure operators inspect their networks more efficiently and sustainably.

• Detecting methane leaks from gas infrastructures (4% of global GHG emissions)
• Inspecting power lines to prevent outages and wildfires

By 2030, we aim to become the global leader in aerial monitoring.

In just 3 years, we have pushed the realm of possibilities: as we have:

• Developed 8 iterations of the HyLighter
• Logged over 200 flight hours
• Secured our first inspection contracts with Europe’s largest infrastructure operators
• Joined the world’s top startup accelerator, Y Combinator
• Raised €6 millions

HyLight is aiming for a diverse and included team, if your profile doesn't fit all the description but you can bring a diverse point of view, push it forward, it will be highly appreciated.

We’re well-funded and backed by top investors, providing the resources you wish you had when building your own business. We don’t care about traditional roles or titles—just that you’re smart, proactive, and bring the same founder-level ownership and drive to help us build something massive.

Job Summary

We're looking for an entrepreneurial Country Lead to build HyLight's business in Germany from the ground up. This is a founding role with full ownership of one of HyLight's most strategic international expansions. You'll establish our commercial presence, secure our first pilot projects with German utilities, and lay the foundations for a scalable business.

During your first 6 months you'll be based at our headquarters near Paris, working alongside our engineering, operations, product, and leadership teams. This immersion will give you a deep understanding of our technology, customers, and execution model before relocating to Germany to launch and grow the business.

This role combines business development, partnerships, operations, and entrepreneurship. If you enjoy creating opportunities where none exist and thrive in fast-moving environments, you'll fit right in.

The Mission

Launch HyLight in Germany

• Define and execute HyLight's go-to-market strategy for Germany.
• Build HyLight's commercial presence from the ground up.
• Identify, approach and develop relationships with German utility companies, infrastructure operators and strategic partners.
• Secure multiple pilot projects within the first year.
• Convert pilot projects into long-term commercial contracts.

Build the business

• Lead the establishment of HyLight's German entity and local operations.
• Develop relationships with regulators, industry associations and key stakeholders.
• Represent HyLight at customer meetings, industry events and conferences.
• Continuously identify new commercial opportunities and partnerships.

Drive execution

• Coordinate closely with engineering and operations teams to ensure successful project delivery.
• Gather customer feedback to improve our product and commercial offering.
• Help recruit and build the future German team as the business scales.

Own market success

• Build and manage a robust commercial pipeline.
• Lead commercial negotiations with enterprise customers.
• Report directly to the leadership team on market progress and strategy.
• Become HyLight's ambassador in Germany.

Profile Sought

Education

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Business, Engineering, Energy, or a related field.
• Equivalent entrepreneurial or commercial experience is equally valued.

Technical Skills

• Proven experience working with German utility companies or the German energy sector.
• Experience opening, scaling or leading a business, subsidiary or market in Germany.
• Strong business development experience with enterprise customers.
• Excellent commercial negotiation and relationship-building skills.
• Comfortable working with both technical and executive stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of the German business landscape.
• Native German speaker.
• Fluent English.

Soft Skills

• Autonomous and hands-on in project execution.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with strong ownership.
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity.
• Excellent communicator and relationship builder.
• Strategic thinker with a bias for execution.
• Curious, eager to learn, and passionate about building and experimenting.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, multidisciplinary team.
• Willing to spend the first 6 months in France before relocating to Germany.
• Willing to travel extensively throughout Germany.

Bonus Qualities

• Existing network within German utilities, TSOs, DSOs or infrastructure operators.
• Experience in climate tech, drones, aerospace, robotics, industrial inspection or energy.
• Experience working in a startup or scale-up.
• Experience launching a new country or market.
• Experience hiring and building teams.
• Passion for climate technologies and infrastructure innovation.

What We Offer

• Annual compensation: Competitive, based on experience.
• Performance-based bonus.
• Real responsibility and ownership of HyLight's expansion into Germany.
• Direct access to founders and leadership.
• Opportunity to build and lead an entire country operation.
• Potential to become a shareholder in HyLight.
• 100% reimbursement of public transport pass (Navigo) or €800/year for sustainable commuting.
• Bike provided for commuting.
• Free lunch.
• Bi-annual offsite trips with the whole team.
• Excellent work environment: international team, team events, beautiful offices on a former airbase.

Why You Should Join

• Founder Mentality: We value extreme ownership and want people who think like founders, fast decision makers, natural problem solvers, and executers.
• Ground Floor Opportunity: You’ll be helping to shape and grow a revolutionary company with the resources to back it.
• Impact & Speed: Work in a fast-paced environment where your contributions will have immediate, tangible effects on the company’s success.

Interview Process

• Introductory phone call (30 min)
• Technical case study followed by a debrief with leadership team
• On-site meeting with the team (3-4h)
• Reference calls

Location

Phase 1 – France (3–6 months)

• Office: Base 217, Brétigny-sur-Orge, accessible via RER C.
• During your onboarding, you'll work side-by-side with our engineering, operations and commercial teams to develop a deep understanding of our technology, customers and ways of working. This period is essential to prepare you for successfully launching the German market.

Phase 2 – Germany

• You'll relocate to Germany to establish and lead HyLight's operations, while remaining closely connected to the French headquarters and leadership team.