Chief Commercialization Officer

Estat Actuation; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 180,000 - 320,000; Full time

Job summary

Estat Actuation is seeking an energetic executive to partner with the CEO to scale from early stage to revenue growth. The role combines strategic vision with hands-on execution across product commercialization, market development, and investor relations.

The ideal candidate has a strong technical background, proven leadership, and a track record of turning disruptive hardware concepts into market-ready offerings.

Qualifications

• Proven experience as an executive, founder, or senior executive in early-stage or scale-up environments.
• Experience commercializing disruptive hardware-based products.
• Ability to transition from R&D to product-driven revenue models.
• Track record progressing customers from pilot/validation to commercialization.

Responsibilities

• Be the voice of customers in product roadmap planning and prioritization.
• Lead commercialization, pricing strategies, and market expansion initiatives.
• Support fundraising and investor relations; communicate strategy to the Board.
• Establish a measurable sales pipeline and track revenue milestones.

Skills

Executive leadership

Commercialization

Fundraising

Strategic planning

Customer development

Education

Engineering degree or strong technical knowledge

Job description

About ESTAT Actuation

We are an early-stage startup commercializing an electroadhesive technology that is disrupting the rotary clutch and linear brake product categories. Our products are 10x lighter, 10x more compact, and 1000x more efficient than existing solutions, enabling customers in the robotics, safety equipment, and motion control industries to achieve what was previously infeasible. Learn more at: estat.tech

Role Overview

We’re looking for an energetic business developer to take on an executive role and work alongside our CEO to guide the company from early stage to scale up. This will be a high-impact role with broad autonomy that will have significant impact on ESTAT’s business performance. As an executive in an early-stage startup you are expected to think about high-level strategy, perform tactical execution across a wide scope of duties and responsibilities, and gain a technical understanding of the technology that enables you to communicate the value proposition to customers. The ideal candidate possesses an entrepreneurial spirit, strong commercial instincts, and personal initiative. Title depends on candidate’s skills and experience; potential options are VP of Sales and Chief Commercialization Officer.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy & Vision

• Be the voice of the customers during product roadmap planning and prioritization
• Establish clear milestones for commercialization, revenue growth, and market expansion
• Identify and prioritize the most viable and scalable applications of the company’s core technology
• Lead the transition from custom R&D projects to standardized, productized offerings
• Establish clear milestones for commercialization, revenue growth, and market expansion

Commercialization & Market Development

• Drive product-market fit through customer discovery, pilot programs, and early deployments
• Develop and execute go-to-market strategies, including pricing, distribution, and partnerships
• Build and manage a robust sales pipeline, focusing on high-value use cases
• Cultivate relationships with key customers, strategic partners, and industry stakeholders
• Guide development of marketing content, possibly be the one that creates the content, and represent the company at conferences and trade shows

Finance & Stakeholder Management

• Support fundraising efforts, including venture capital, strategic investors, and grants
• Communicate effectively with the Board of Directors and stakeholders, supporting the CEO in ensuring everyone understands the defined vision, strategy, and objectives
• Provide sales perspective and expectations to the CFO to support budget creation, financial forecasting, and capital allocation strategies

Success Metrics (First 6–12 Months)

• Clear identification and validation of 1–2 primary market applications
• Establish and manage a transparent and trackable sales pipeline
• Secure of repeatable sales and revenue streams

Qualifications

Required Experience

• Proven experience as an executive, founder, or senior executive in an early-stage or scale up phase of a business
• Demonstrated success in commercializing disruptive technical, hardware-based products
• Experience transitioning from R&D or project-based work to product-driven revenue models
• Proven track record of progressing customers past pilot/validation stage

Core Competencies

• Strategic thinker with strong market intuition and customer focus
• Ability to translate technical capabilities into compelling business value to customers
• Hands-on leadership style with a bias toward action and execution
• Financial acumen and experience managing growth metrics
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills

Preferred Background

• Experience in robotics, automation, industrial equipment, or deep tech sectors
• Familiarity with manufacturing, supply chain, and hardware scaling challenges
• Network within target industries or relevant commercial ecosystems
• Strong track record in fundraising and investor relations
• Engineering degree or strong technical knowledge

Personality Characteristics

• Self-driven, proactive, and acts with sense of urgency
• Transparent, comfortable in acknowledging and taking ownership of failures
• Concise communicator
• Empathetic and inquisitive
• Self-aware with a growth mindset