Application Guide

How to Apply for Business Development Manager, Consumer Technology

at Redwood Materials

🏢 About Redwood Materials

Redwood Materials is a pioneering cleantech company building a closed-loop, domestic supply chain for lithium-ion batteries, directly addressing the critical need for sustainable battery recycling. Working here means contributing to a circular economy that reduces mining and environmental impact, with the potential to transform the consumer electronics and EV industries. If you're passionate about sustainability and want to be at the forefront of battery recycling innovation, Redwood offers a mission-driven culture and high-growth environment.

About This Role

As Business Development Manager for Consumer Technology, you will be the primary architect of partnerships with major electronics brands to collect and recycle lithium-ion batteries through the Battery Bin program. This role is impactful because you'll directly scale the collection network, diverting millions of batteries from landfills and securing critical materials for domestic supply chains. You'll own the full partnership lifecycle, from outreach to program execution, working cross-functionally to drive measurable environmental and business outcomes.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day might start with a call with a potential partner's sustainability team to discuss collection program design, followed by a cross-functional meeting with logistics and legal to ensure compliance. You'd then review pipeline metrics, draft a proposal for a new partnership, and end the day troubleshooting an operational issue with an existing partner's Battery Bin rollout.

🚀 Application Tools

Generate Cover Letter

AI-powered, tailored for Redwood Materials

Interview Prep

Practice questions for this role

🎯 Who Redwood Materials Is Looking For

  • A seasoned business development professional with 10+ years of experience in sales or technical sales, ideally within consumer electronics or the lithium-ion battery industry.
  • Proven track record of building and scaling partner programs or distributed collection networks, with experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder partnerships.
  • Strong cross-functional leadership skills, able to coordinate with engineering, logistics, legal, and operations to launch compliant, high-impact programs.
  • Deep understanding of sustainability and circular economy principles, with a passion for reducing environmental impact through innovative recycling solutions.

📝 Tips for Applying to Redwood Materials

1

Highlight specific experience with consumer technology companies (e.g., Apple, Samsung, Dell) or battery recycling programs in your resume and cover letter.

2

Quantify your impact in previous roles: e.g., 'Grew partner network by 40% in 2 years' or 'Managed collection of 10M+ batteries annually.'

3

Showcase cross-functional collaboration by describing a project where you coordinated with legal, operations, and engineering to launch a new program.

4

Demonstrate knowledge of battery recycling regulations (e.g., RCRA, DOT) and how you ensured compliance in past roles.

5

Tailor your application to Redwood's mission: explain why you care about building a domestic, closed-loop battery supply chain.

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Your passion for sustainability and circular economy, specifically in battery recycling.', 'Your experience building and scaling partner programs with consumer electronics companies.', 'Your ability to manage complex, cross-functional projects from initial engagement to long-term execution.', 'Your understanding of the lithium-ion battery industry and the challenges of collection and recycling.']

Generate Cover Letter →

🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Understand Redwood's current partnerships (e.g., with Panasonic, Envision AESC) and their Battery Bin program details.
  • → Research the lithium-ion battery recycling market: key players, regulations (RCRA, DOT), and challenges in collection.
  • → Learn about Redwood's technology and process for recycling batteries into materials like cobalt, nickel, and lithium.
  • → Familiarize yourself with the consumer electronics industry's sustainability initiatives (e.g., Apple's recycling robot Daisy).

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 How would you approach building a partnership with a large consumer electronics company like Apple or Samsung? Walk us through your strategy.
2 Describe a time you scaled a partner program or distributed network. What were the key challenges and how did you overcome them?
3 How do you ensure compliance with environmental regulations when managing battery collection programs?
4 Given Redwood's mission, how would you balance business growth with environmental impact?
5 Tell us about a cross-functional project you led. How did you coordinate with legal, logistics, and engineering teams?
Practice Interview Questions →

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Focusing only on sales metrics without emphasizing environmental impact and compliance.
  • Lack of specific examples in partner program scaling or cross-functional coordination.
  • Not demonstrating knowledge of battery recycling regulations or the circular economy.

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to Redwood Materials !

← Back to Job Listing Apply Now →