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.
ROLE OVERVIEW
Genomines is seeking an entrepreneurial Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) to design and lead its global commercial strategy at the nexus of industrial biotechnology, agriculture, and critical minerals. This role offers the opportunity to shape how cutting-edge biotechnology redefines critical mineral supply chains for the energy transition. The CCO will translate technical breakthroughs into clear, actionable value propositions for customers, partners, and policymakers, advancing existing relationships across the value chain and turning them into meaningful commercial traction. Over time, this role will guide Genomines from its first field assets to scaled deployment, establishing a multi-metal, multi-country, multi-model revenue platform.
The CCO will own commercial prioritization, monetization pathways, and market-facing risk decisions in close partnership with the CEO and the leadership team. The CCO will architect the commercial roadmap that takes Genomines from first field assets to a scaled, multi-metal, multi-country platform.
Success in this role will be measured by the conversion of early partnerships and agreements into long-term offtake and commercial agreements, the timely ramp-up of revenue across initial assets, successful entry into priority geographies and metals, and the establishment of repeatable, scalable commercial models aligned with Genomines’ growth trajectory.
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 EXPERIENCE15+ 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 required; additional languages such as Mandarin Chinese, Korean, French, Portuguese, or German are a strong plus.Advanced degree or equivalent experience in engineering, economics, business, or an industrial discipline relevant to natural resources is valued.TECHNICAL AND OPERATIONAL COMPETENCIESStrong commercial structuring and negotiation skills across offtake, pricing mechanisms, partner economics, and risk allocation.Ability to translate technical/operational constraints (biotech, agronomy, processing, logistics) into credible commercial propositions and executable go-to-market plans.Solid understanding of commodity markets and value chains (pricing, benchmarks, counterparties, contracting terms, quality specs).Experience engaging governments and agencies to unlock non-dilutive funding, strategic designations, and public-private partnerships.Familiarity with capital markets, including private, public, and project-related capital.SOFT SKILLSStrong executive presence and communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex narratives to C-suites, boards, investors, and policymakers.Ability to recruit, motivate, and inspire teams while creating a productive, results-focused, innovative, and inclusive culture.Strategic vision combined with disciplined tactical execution, with the ability to see the big picture and translate it into value-creating action plans.High adaptability and comfort operating in environments with significant ambiguity.Unquestionable integrity and ethics, with sound judgment in balancing commercial ambition, risk, and long-term stakeholder trust, and the courage to take clear, accountable positions in service of the company’s mission.
