Senior Commercial Lead / Senior Commercial Leadess - Functional Ingredients (Personal Care - Cosmetics & Adhesives)

Join Us in Shaping the Future of Materials!

We are a fast-growing startup and an ETH Zurich Spin-off, pioneering sustainable biomaterials made from microorganisms. We develop high-performance, renewable functional ingredients designed to replace petroleum-based additives and materials in applications such as cosmetics, adhesives, and advanced composites.

We are currently seeking a senior, commercially driven professional with deep industry expertise and a well-established network to actively shape segment-specific market access strategies. You will build a customer portfolio and a market development pipeline to ensure consistent commercial revenue growth for Treeless AG.

Key Responsibilities

• Revenue Ownership & Business Development: You will be fully accountable for early commercial success:
• Drive early revenues through winning commercial collaborations, ensuring disciplined progression and conversion into revenue-generating contracts.
• Leverage your existing network to open doors primarily with cosmetic and adhesive manufacturers and ingredient distributors.
• Identify, approach, and engage the right stakeholders across organizations.
• Lead commercial negotiations and close agreements.
• Build and manage a robust commercial pipeline with a clear path to recurring revenues, supported by structured pipeline management / CRM tools.
• Technical Sales & Customer Interface: You will act as the commercial owner of key customer relationships, ensuring effective coordination between customers and Treeless’ internal technical experts:
• Serve as the main commercial point of contact for customers and partners.
• Own, strategize, and steer technical-commercial discussions in close collaboration with Treeless’ product innovation teams.
• Lead the conversion of technical validation into commercial agreements and long-term supply partnerships, working closely with internal R&D and external partners to develop customer-ready commercial and technical documentation.
• Market, Pricing & Value Proposition Development: You will shape how Treeless competes:
• Apply your understanding of typical pricing ranges, margins, and purchasing logic in sectors such as cosmetics and adhesives.
• Position Treeless ingredients clearly against incumbent solutions and competitive alternatives.

Requirements

• Higher degree in Chemistry, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Polymer Science, or a related technical field. A business background with strong technical exposure is also welcome.
• 3+ years of experience in technical sales, business development, procurement, or key account management in: cosmetic ingredients, adhesive ingredients, specialty chemicals, functional additives, or related materials industries.
• Proven track record of winning business, closing contracts, and generating revenue in B2B.
• Strong existing industry network with manufacturers, distributors, and key decision-makers.
• Deep understanding of industry supply chains, purchasing structures, qualification processes, and decision dynamics.
• Excellent negotiation, communication, relational, and stakeholder management skills.
• Fluent in English and German; French is a plus.
• Willingness to travel as required from the Greater Zurich Area, Switzerland.

Nice to Have

• Experience introducing new or disruptive materials into conservative or regulated markets.
• Cumulative experience in large international organizations and startups.
• Experience with long sales cycles and scale-up transitions.

Soft Skills & Mindset

• Strong entrepreneurial and ownership mindset.
• Team player and sparring partner for Founders and colleagues.
• Highly results-driven, with a clear focus on revenue and impact.
• Credible, confident, and persuasive at senior stakeholder levels.
• Strategic thinker with hands-on execution ability.
• Comfortable working in an early-stage, fast-moving startup environment.
• Resilient, persistent, and motivated by building something new.

What We Offer

We offer a key commercial leadership role in a purpose-driven deep-tech biotech startup, providing a direct impact on the company’s early revenue generation and market positioning. You will play a central role in shaping Treeless’ commercial success and long-term partnerships.

You will work closely with an experienced founding team, gain exposure to cutting-edge biomaterials technology, and benefit from a flexible, collaborative environment focused on impact and innovation. We also provide a competitive compensation package aligned with responsibility and performance.

Location: Zurich / Greater Zurich Area

Start Date: To be agreed

Language: English and German; French is a plus

Workload: 80-100 %, candidates must be eligible to work in Switzerland

How to Apply

If this opportunity excites you and you believe you’d be a great fit, we’d love to hear from you. Apply online using the form below. Please note that only applications matching the job profile will be considered.