Head of Partnership Development

Sublime Systems

Remote, United States

Posted on: 2025-05-02

Category: materials

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Employment type:

Full time

Remote?

Yes

Experience required:

Intermediate

Salary

Salary not provided

About the company:

Sublime is developing a breakthrough process to make low-carbon cement. The technology replaces the industry's legacy fossil-fuel-intensive thermal calciner process with an electrochemical process that produces low-carbon cement at ambient temperatures with renewable electricity. Sublime was started in 2020, as a spin-out of Yet-Ming Chiang's lab at MIT (Form Energy, A123, American Superconductor, 24M, Desktop Metals).

Sublime is advancing a breakthrough, clean, efficient, low-waste process for manufacturing cement, the essential ingredient in the most-consumed human-made material on Earth: concrete. Replacing 200-year-old manufacturing methods that are reliant on kilns running hotter than lava, our near-ambient-temperature, electrochemical technology manufactures industry-accepted cement and critical minerals. We’re partnering with leading general contractors, concrete producers, developers, and technology hyperscalers to deploy our clean, durable, beautiful Sublime Cement® in infrastructure that is defining the future of clean construction. Backed by some of the world’s largest cement producers, leading private investors, and the U.S. Department of Energy, we are assembling a talented, collaborative team that is "amped about cement" (pun intended) and committed to operating on the frontiers of material science, manufacturing, industry, construction, and commercial partnerships, to advance cement innovation that will endure for the next millennium.

Position Overview

Sublime seeks a Head of Partnership Development to join our leadership team. Our Head of Partnership Development will be the leader of identifying, evaluating, and executing strategic opportunities with external partners that align with Sublime’s long-term strategic objectives. This person will own Sublime’s commercial strategy, origination, enterprise business development, and partner relationships.

· This role will report to the CEO.

· This role will be based in Somerville, MA but open to remote for the right candidate (expect 25-50% travel depending on the month)

Sublime Systems is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Your Right to Work

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

Notice of E-Verify

Sublime Systems use E-Verify to confirm the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires.

Responsibilities Include:

Drive growth by identifying, developing, and securing strategic relationships with potential partners, customers, and stakeholders within the cement and related industries (such as utilities, equipment providers, and others).

Own the origination, structuring, and negotiation of key partnership agreements from concept to initial proposal through diligence, negotiation, contracting, close, and post-close alliance management. Ensure deals meet revenue, profitability, and risk thresholds while advancing long-term customer relationships.

Take a global view to business development, implementing different partnership strategies for different regions.

Stay ahead of market shifts, regulatory changes, and customer needs. Inform go-to-market strategy, pricing, and value proposition through data-driven insight and competitor awareness.

Work with VP Strategy and VP of Market Development/Policy to set and implement integrated commercial strategy.

Collaborate cross-functionally with engineering, product, and other teams to inform project development, value proposition, and market strategy.

Provide regular updates to the CEO and the Board. Share key metrics, opportunity status, and strategic recommendations with clarity and foresight.

Requirements Include:

10+ years of experience in business development, corporate strategy, and other commercial roles.

Deep experience in cement industry or adjacent industry.

Deep familiarity with industrial processes, cement value chain, and/or decarbonization technologies.

Experience in business development / partnership roles required, having closed multiple major partnerships / transactions worth >$10M, ideally in industrial or infrastructure deals.

Experience negotiating complex deals that span business development and sales, from term sheets/MOUs, joint development agreements, to licensing agreements and joint ventures.

Strong strategic thinking skills with the ability to develop and execute long-term commercial strategies and drive significant business growth.

Expertise in creating order out of chaos by developing processes, plans, and structures to shape a clear business path from an early-stage concept.

Extensive experience managing relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including investors, regulatory bodies, and key industry players, ensuring alignment and support for commercial initiatives.

Strong communication, organization, and relationship management skills.

Comfort in managing and reviewing financial and technical modeling.

Demonstrated ability to build and lead high-performing commercial teams, including experience with recruitment, training, and development of team members across multiple regions.

Ability to deal with ambiguity and be adaptable to develop creative and pragmatic solutions for complex and evolving issues in a rapidly changing environment.

Demonstrates consistently good judgment and impeccable integrity.

Consistently good judgment, an unmatched work ethic, impeccable integrity, and a team-first attitude.

Additional preferred experience and/or qualifications:

Experience within industrial/energy project development in related industries (cement, mining, energy storage, advanced biofuels, solar/wind) in the United States and Canada, and ideally also internationally.

Deep familiarity in project and structured finance.

Experience working in a start-up company environment, especially those building First Of A Kind (FOAK).

Technical background or the ability to engage credibly with engineers and plant operators is a strong plus.

EU and EU-adjacent work experience.

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