Program Manager, Technology Partnership Development

Copper is a home appliance company that designs and manufactures induction cooking ranges built for easy electrification of residential kitchens. Their flagship product, Charlie, is described as the world's first battery-equipped induction range, featuring an integrated 5 kWh battery that allows the appliance to plug into a standard 120-volt household outlet without requiring costly electrical upgrades or rewiring. This makes the transition from gas cooking to induction accessible to a much broader range of homeowners and renters. Copper's mission is rooted in accelerating the shift away from fossil fuel-based appliances in the home, particularly gas stoves, which contribute to indoor air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. By eliminating the traditional barrier of expensive electrical panel upgrades, Copper lowers the cost and complexity of home electrification, directly supporting decarbonization goals in the residential sector. The company positions its product as a practical climate solution that does not require significant infrastructure investment. What makes Copper distinctive is its combination of battery storage technology with induction cooking in a single consumer appliance, a novel approach in the home appliance market. The product has attracted attention from culinary figures and everyday consumers alike, and Copper serves both individual homeowners and multifamily building operators, reflecting a broad strategy to scale clean cooking adoption across different housing types.

Overview

At Copper, we're reinventing home appliances for an electrified future. Our products come equipped with batteries, accelerating electrification and turning every customer home into a source of grid flexibility.  

We're hiring a Program Manager to run the operational core of our business development and licensing efforts. The primary focus of this role is coordinating our partnership pipeline and licensing program — tracking deals, researching prospects, supporting negotiations, and keeping leadership informed. As a secondary responsibility, you'll also help coordinate the activities of our strong, growing patent portfolio (invention disclosures, prosecution tracking) so that what we protect and what we license or partner around stay connected. 

This is an execution and coordination role, not a strategy-setting or senior-negotiator role. Because you'll be evaluating technical fit with potential partners and licensees, and occasionally reading patent claims against hardware designs, a solid technical background in our domain is required, not just a nice-to-have.

In your application, please 1) include a cover letter and resume, 2) highlight any part of your background (job responsibilities, accomplishments, degrees, grades) that persuasively describes your preparation for the role, 3) list any coursework in engineering and law, and 4) share any languages in which you can hold a business-level conversation. 

We value diversity and are committed to building a team that reflects a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, abilities, and perspectives. We’re especially focused on fostering an inclusive workplace where everyone can contribute to our shared mission.

This is a full-time position and it is expected to be in-office 4 days per week with 1 day flexible for in-office or remote work. Our office is located in Berkeley, CA.

What you'll do

Business Development & Licensing (primary focus)

• Coordinate the partnership and licensing deal pipeline — tracking active conversations, deal status, next steps, and deadlines across business development efforts
• Research potential customers, partners, licensees, and licensors; prepare briefing materials and target lists for leadership
• Support negotiations by preparing materials, tracking deal terms, and coordinating redlines with outside counsel
• Manage deal logistics (NDAs, meeting coordination, data room management) across business development activity
• Maintain licensing program tracking: royalty payments and license compliance
• Coordinate with Finance on royalty invoicing, revenue recognition, and forecasting
• Track and report on program-wide metrics (pipeline health, deal velocity, revenue) for leadership visibility

Patents (secondary focus)

• Support invention harvesting by coordinating with engineering teams and helping capture invention disclosures
• Track patent applications through prosecution — deadlines, office actions, and continuation/divisional opportunities — in coordination with outside patent counsel
• Maintain the internal portfolio map (what's filed, issued, pending) and how it connects to active or prospective deals
• Help prepare claim charts and technical summaries used in licensing or partnership discussions

Cross-cutting

• Build and maintain shared tracking systems and dashboards across business development workstreams and patent portfolio activities so leadership has one clear view of program status
• Manage relationships and follow-ups with external partners as needed
• Identify and implement process improvements as these functions grow and formalize
• Prepare research, analysis, and materials that support senior leadership in strategy discussions and negotiations

What you'll bring

Location

This is an in-office role that is on site four days with 1 day flexible for in-office or remote work. Our office is located in Berkeley, CA.  

Compensation & Benefits

The salary range for this role is $160,000-$190,000. We are committed to equitable compensation and we offer a generous benefits package to make sure you have the support you need.

Equal Employment Opportunity

We are committed to creating an equitable and inclusive environment for all our employees and are seeking to build a team that reflects the diversity of the people we hope to serve with our products. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

About Us

Copper's vision is a future where every home is electrified with abundant clean energy. Our mission is to make decarbonization accessible to everyone by selling electric home appliances that enrich their daily lives. We're reducing the cost of electrification by integrating batteries into household appliances, starting with the stove. Our work has been funded by the Department of Energy, in an effort to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and increase energy resilience with products that are high-performance, safe, intuitive, and robust. As we build our team and pursue our mission, we do it with a strong sense of our core values because it's not just what you do, it's how you do it. You'll see this in high-level decisions, how we run meetings, our day-to-day work, hiring, and our interactions with customers and the broader community. We intend to have a massive impact on our team, our neighborhood, and the world.