Business Development Manager - Refining and Petrochemical

KEWAZO GmbH; Houston, Northern (TX, KY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Vehicle allowance for business travel

Paid time off

Job summary

KEWAZO GmbH, a robotics and AI company, is hiring a Business Development Manager in Houston to build the top of the sales funnel for refining and petrochemical markets. The role is in-person, based near our office and client network, with enterprise-level outreach and fast inbound response.

You will work closely with account executives to convert opportunities and expand our footprint in the US. You will need to leverage AI daily in prospecting, understand the refinery/petrochemical landscape,

Qualifications

• Experience generating and qualifying opportunities in refining and petrochemical sectors.
• Ability to engage asset owners and service providers.
• Proven track record bringing new technologies to market.
• Proficiency with AI-enabled prospecting and outreach.

Responsibilities

• Prospect and identify target accounts across refining and petrochemical sectors.
• Respond to inbound interest quickly and book meetings while interest is live.
• Qualify conversations and hand off to account executives with context.
• Partner with account executives to open doors and build relationships across levels.
• Pursue enterprise entry points with asset owner organizations.
• Plan and attend conferences, build target lists, book meetings on site.
• Log client interactions in CRM to maintain a single source of truth.

Skills

Pipeline development

AI in prospecting

Industry network (petrochemical/ref–

Executive presence

Tools

CRM system

Job description

Business Development Manager - Refining and Petrochemical

Houston, TX

Full-time

Jul 18, 2026

Company Overview

Kewazo is a robotics and AI company automating heavy industry. Our lifting robot LIFTBOT reduces crane

time and manual handling at refineries and petrochemical plants, with systems running at sites operated

by companies including Chevron, Shell, and ExxonMobil. At Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend, LIFTBOT

helped the team finish an FCC turnaround a full shift ahead of schedule.

Job Details

• Title: Business Development Manager - Refining and Petrochemical
• Location: Houston, Texas. In person, close to our office, clients, and the market.
• Reports to: Reports initially to the CEO
• Start date: As soon as possible

Role Overview

We are hiring a Business Development Manager to build the top of our sales funnel and create new

business. You will generate and qualify opportunities with asset owners and service providers across

refining and petrochemical, respond quickly to inbound interest, and hand qualified conversations to

our account executives. This is a hands‑on, high‑activity role based in Houston.

What You’ll Do

• Prospecting and outreach: Identify and qualify prospects at target accounts, asset owners and contractors alike, through cold calls, email and LinkedIn sequences, industry relationships, and conference follow-up.
• Fast inbound response: Work new inbound leads the same day they arrive, and book the meeting while the interest is live.
• Qualification and handoff: Gather enough context to make the first real conversation productive, then hand the account executive a meeting worth taking.
• Account development: Partner with account executives on assigned sites and accounts. Open doors, facilitate introductions, and build relationships at multiple levels so AEs can close.
• Corporate and strategic outreach: Identify and pursue enterprise‑level entry points within major asset owner organizations.
• Events: Work conferences with intent. Build the target list beforehand, book meetings on site, and follow up while we are still fresh in their minds.
• CRM discipline: Log every client interaction in our CRM so the whole team works from one picture and any account can be picked up by someone else

What We’re Looking For

• Whatever-it‑takes pipeline mentality: You do whatever it takes to generate pipeline, including cold calling and outreach campaigns. You are not afraid to pick up the phone.
• Works with AI daily: You already use AI in your day‑to‑day prospecting, research, and outreach. This is a requirement, not a nice to have, and we will ask you to show us how you use it.
• Industry network and expertise: You bring connections in petrochemical and refining, and you understand both asset owners and service providers.
• Track record with new technology: You have brought new technologies or solutions to this market, not commodity services.
• Executive presence: You engage VP and C‑suite stakeholders as comfortably as plant‑level people, and you adapt the pitch to each audience.
• Sales motion understanding: You understand both enterprise sales, meaning corporate teams, and site‑level dynamics, meaning facility operators and managers.
• Hands‑on and hungry: You are in the field, building relationships and creating opportunities.
• Quick ramp‑up: You bring a playbook for selling into this market and adapt it fast.
• Team player: You share what you learn. We do not keep information in personal silos.
• Houston‑based: You work in person, close to our office, clients, and the market.

Why Join Us

• Build something real in a high‑growth space within energy and industrial innovation
• Your pipeline work directly enables our account executives to close and grow accounts
• Autonomy and clear ownership of the top of the funnel
• A team that values execution and market feedback over politics. Good ideas get tested and shipped, no matter whose they are.
• Career growth tied to company growth. As Kewazo scales in the US, your role scales with it.

Compensation and Benefits

• Competitive base salary plus performance‑based bonus tied to qualified meetings and pipeline created
• Medical insurance and paid time off
• Vehicle allowance for business travel

Location and Travel

• Houston, Texas, based full‑time
• Willingness to travel regionally and internationally, with overnight travel as needed
• Must be able to travel internationally without restriction
• Refinery and petrochemical site access requires passing customer background checks and drug screenings, per standard industry requirements

5301 Polk St Bldg 14Houston, TX 77023,United States

KEWAZO GmbH

KEWAZO Inc.