COO & Co-Founder

Biochar Carbon Removal Startup; United Kingdom; Remote; GBP 150,000 - 200,000; Part time

Job summary

A climate-focused startup in the Netherlands is seeking a COO & Co-Founder to launch and scale a biochar carbon removal initiative. The role involves managing production, ensuring biochar quality, and contributing to the company strategy. Ideal candidates possess experience in operations or related fields, are entrepreneurial, and are eager to make a significant impact in the climate space.

Qualifications

• 5–7+ years of professional experience in relevant fields.
• Comfortable with technical systems, though no specific background required.
• Experience in startups or international environments is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Operate and manage the production site and equipment.
• Oversee digital MRV for carbon credit sales.
• Source biomass streams and manage material input.
• Ensure high-quality, certified biochar output.
• Help grow the founding team and expand to new sites.

Skills

Operations experience

Mechanical engineering knowledge

Biotechnology familiarity

Entrepreneurial mindset

Proactive communication

Fluency in English

Job description

COO & Co-Founder – Biochar Carbon Removal Startup

Location: Netherlands

Role: Co-founder / Equity-based

Stage: Pre-seed / Early-stage

️Are you ready to build a climate venture from the ground up?

We’re assembling the founding team of a high-impact biochar carbon removal startup. Biochar Carbon Removal (BCR) is one of the most scalable, cost-effective, and scientifically validated carbon dioxide removal (CDR) solutions available today. BCR offers immediate climate impact and biochar is rich in co-benefits. We’re looking for an operational co-founder to join in launching our first site and scaling from pilot to platform. The first case is to turn excess animal manure (a problem unique to Netherlands) into biochar through a pyrolysis demo site. Funding is secured, but all founders are expected to contribute modestly to the initial capital.

What We're Looking For

You’re someone who thrives in early-stage environments and wants to help build something meaningful from zero to one. Ideally, you have experience in operations, mechanical engineering, or biotechnology, and you're comfortable with technical systems — though no specific background is required to operate the equipment.

Preferred profile:

• 5–7+ years of professional experience
• Background in operations, electronics, mechanics, or related fields
• Hands-on, entrepreneurial mindset with a bias toward action
• Open-minded, communicative, and proactive
• Experience in startups or international environments is a plus
• Fluent in English; additional languages welcome

️ Your Role

• Operate and manage the production site and equipment
• Oversee digital MRV (Monitoring, Reporting, Verification) for carbon credit sales
• Source biomass streams and manage material input
• Ensure high-quality, certified biochar output
• Co-develop and execute company strategy
• Help grow the founding team and expand to new sites
• Drive innovation in biochar applications and products

Our Approach

We're building a company grounded in climate impact, profitability, and shared ownership. Clear values lead to clear decisions. Our philosophy is to start lean and stay differentiated by targeting a specific niche with strong demand. Prove the model with own capital and generate early cash flow. This approach allows founder-owners to stay in control, avoiding early over-reliance on venture capital while retaining an innovative edge. Each growth stage calls for a tailored financing strategy and financial discipline is part of building something that lasts. Our go-to-market strategy centers on a lean, differentiated approach: validate economics through a pilot site, carve out a high-value niche (e.g. wine, cannabis, or organic farming), and work with regenerative farms in circular models. Blending biochar with compost or nutrients to create tailored, ready-to-use products.

Revenue Streams

• Biochar sales (to agriculture, urban gardeners, construction)
• Carbon credits (via verified biochar CDR)
• Tipping fees (from biomass suppliers)
• Excess heat, syngas, and bio-oil sales

Key Strategic Questions

• Optimal technology & equipment choice
• Best-fit location
• Carbon credit registration & certification
• Local permitting & compliance

Interested?

If you're excited by the idea of building a real, impactful business in the climate space — and want to shape it from the start — we’d love to hear from you. Send your CV and a brief motivation to: Wouter Moekotte [e-mail] or connect via LinkedIn.