Founders / Business Development Associate (fixed term)

Nucleus Capital I. GMBH; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

An innovative start-up in agriculture is seeking a proactive interim commercial operator to support the CEO and ensure operational efficiency. The ideal candidate will thrive in a fast-paced environment, possess strong organization and communication skills, and have experience relevant to startups. This role offers an opportunity to contribute directly to company growth and learn from senior leadership.

Qualifications

• Experience in a start-up/scale-up environment.
• Ability to travel domestically or internationally as needed.
• Excellent operator abilities including organization and initiative.

Responsibilities

• Support the CEO in executing commercial strategies.
• Maintain and manage the CRM effectively.
• Assist with customer outreach and onboarding.

Skills

Initiative

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Attention to detail

Job description

IMPORTANT: We are unable to sponsor a work visa for this position.

About Concert Bio

Concert Bio (concert.bio) is an early-stage start-up backed by leading US and European VCs as well as several prestigious UKRI grants. We are transforming humanity’s relationship with the world’s most important ecosystem, microbiomes. Our start is in soilless agriculture: think greenhouses, tomatoes and NASA space missions. Just like us humans, plants have a ‘gut’ microbiome on their roots that’s vital to their health and growth. Our products and services help hydroponic growers for the first time to understand and harness this potential.

Overture® , our first commercial product, launched last year. Industry leaders such as BrightFarms, Little Leaf and Vertify have seen unprecedented performance in 50+ trials. We’re executing our GTM in the US and preparing to expand into new crops and the EU. Named by F&A as a Next Hero in Food & Agtech this year, we’re on a mission to delight growers all over the world. You’ll be joining a passionate team where everyone has high ownership, shaping both the company and its culture as we scale. If that’s something you could go all-in on, read on.

Role

We’re a small, fast-moving team looking for an enterprising early career generalist with commercial experience. With our Commercial Lead and EA roles currently vacant, we need a pragmatic, versatile operator who can support the CEO/founder & COO, keep commercial momentum, and make the business run smoother from day 1. This is an interim role with an initial fixed term of 6 months.

Responsibilities

• Support the CEO in executing commercial strategies to promote our microbial products.
• Assist with customer outreach, including preparing communications, follow-ups, and scheduling meetings. Join colleagues at conferences and events, assisting with organisation and engaging with potential customers and collaborators.
• Build and strengthen relationships with existing customers, supporting their journey from first contact through to trialling, purchasing and then regularly using our microbial products. Support the CEO in developing commercial terms with growers and partners.
• Maintain and manage our CRM to ensure it stays up to date and the right potential customers are contacted and followed up.
• Assist with onboarding new customers for our monitoring service as we expand internationally and to new crop types.
• Support with financial administration, including preparing quotes, raising invoices, booking couriers, arranging shipping, and supporting our COO with grant reporting finances.
• Arrange travel, accommodation, and meeting logistics for the CEO and wider team.
• Support market research activities to track market trends, competitor activities, and customer needs, feeding back insights to inform product development and marketing.
• Provide general operational and administrative support across the team as needed.

Need to have

• Instinctive ability to quickly recognise what needs to be done. An all-in mindset and a passion for working in a high-speed, low-control environment where you have high ownership.
• Eagerness to push yourself and expand your abilities, both professionally and personally.
• Experience relevant to the role, including working at a start-up / scale-up. Bonus points for hands-on experience in a relevant industry (ideally in Biotech or Agtech).
• Excellent operator abilities, including independent initiative, organization skills, attention to detail, and a knack for making the (almost) impossible practical.
• Excellent communicator, with a talent for developing and maintaining effective relationships with customers, suppliers and team members.
• Ability to travel domestically or internationally (particularly EU/US) as needed.

Nice to have

• Any experience or familiarity with one or more of: commercial soilless agriculture, microbial agriculture products, or agricultural sales.
• Some commercial negotiation experience, ideally with 6-7 figure contracts where you were personally involved in negotiations.
• Financial skills, including one or more of: financial reporting, experience with Xero (or equivalent), UKRI grant management.
• Previous product / sales and marketing experience.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is an organised, proactive, and adaptable team player who thrives in a fast-paced start-up environment. You love GSD, you love being helpful and you love solving problems. You have a couple of years’ experience in a commercial, customer-facing, or operations role - ideally in Agtech, Biotech, or Agriculture - and are looking to take the next step in your career by supporting senior leadership while learning the ropes of business development.

You are just as comfortable building relationships with customers as you are updating a CRM, preparing quotes, or booking a courier. You enjoy variety, switching easily between admin, customer outreach, and on-the-ground support for trials and events.

You are motivated by being part of a small, ambitious team where your work directly contributes to growth. You’re quick to learn new tools, not afraid to get stuck into the details, and have the potential to grow into more responsibility over time.

Applications considered on a first-come, first-served basis.

(α-)Diversity at Concert Bio

We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everybody belongs, and every great idea is heard. Concert Bio is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

Come do the best work of your life with us at Concert Bio.

Applications will only be considered if submitted via the completed application form. ChatGPT has already applied for this role and was unsuccessful... we want to hear from the real you in your application.