Chief Commercial Officer

ROLE OVERVIEW

At Genomines , our mission is to pioneer a new era of sustainable metal production by farming plants that hyperaccumulate metal. Through synthetic biology and cutting-edge technology, we harness the power of nature to create plants that can farm for metals while decontaminating soils and creating cleaner lands for agriculture. Our ultimate goal is to become the world's first carbon-negative nickel producer, using sustainable, eco-friendly methods to extract the valuable resources our society needs for the energy transition. We are backed by Engine Ventures , Lowercarbon Capital , Forbion BioEconomy , Wind and DTCF and have recently closed a $45M Series A . With proof-of-concept partnerships already in place (Hyundai Motor Group, Jaguar Land Rover and various battery value chain players), Genomines is now moving from R&D into commercial scale-up, launching initial projects and expanding globally, with early deployments in South Africa.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• COMMERCIAL STRATEGY: Define and execute a global roadmap for nickel-first deployment, expanding to cobalt, rare earths, and other metals. Develop scalable business models, ranging from direct metal sales and joint ventures to licensing and asset-light structures.
• CUSTOMER PARTNERSHIPS : Convert early MOUs and offtake discussions into long-term contracts while building trusted, high-impact relationships with OEMs, refiners, landowners, and battery materials partners. Establish Genomines as a respected category player in global mineral supply chains.
• REVENUE OWNERSHIP : Own commercial performance metrics, including offtake conversion, revenue ramp-up, pricing strategy, and contribution margins across business models and geographies.
• MARKET AND GOVERNMENT ENGAGEMENT: Shape our positioning within industrial policy and regulatory frameworks, securing non-dilutive funding, strategic project designations, and public-private partnerships across Europe, the U.S., and global markets.
• SUPPLY CHAIN AND TRADING : Integrate commercial and operational strategies across processing, logistics, and trading to maximize value capture.
• MARKET INTELLIGENCE : Build systems for pricing and market insights, including tracking commodity trends, regulatory shifts, competitor landscapes, and emerging opportunities in adjacent business areas.
• TEAM LEADERSHIP : Recruit and lead a commercial organization spanning business development, policy, trading, logistics, and partnership management. Foster a culture of accountability, agility, and cross-functional collaboration.

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• 15+ years of progressive commercial experience, ideally gained in the natural resources sector or closely related fields.
• Proven experience in commercial leadership, business development, or market creation.
• Direct exposure to upstream extraction and downstream processing, refining, and/or trading, in complex, capital- and technology-intensive environments (e.g., critical minerals, mining, metals).
• Demonstrated track record of closing large-scale industrial agreements (e.g., offtake, strategic partnerships, JVs, licensing) and navigating multi-year sales cycles and policy-driven markets.
• Strong exposure to business and revenue model design, including evaluation, strategy, and execution across multiple geographies and stakeholder types.
• Experience building and scaling high-performing teams in fast-growing or international contexts.
• Fluency in English require