How to apply for Senior Business Development Manager: new business

About Granular Energy

Granular Energy is a remote-first climate tech startup founded in 2021 with around 30 people. It builds a portfolio management platform and trading services that help utilities, suppliers, and energy traders match clean energy generation and consumption on an hourly basis. The company has clients in the US, Europe, and Asia, and holds three all-hands gatherings per year.

About the role

This senior business development manager role focuses on identifying and validating the next wave of products at Granular Energy, beyond the core enterprise platform. The core platform (EAC management and hourly matching) already has strong product-market fit, so this role is about finding and testing new business opportunities. You will work remotely, travel to industry events and customer meetings mainly in the UK and Europe, and help shape the company's product roadmap.

A typical day

A typical day might include morning team calls, research or outreach to potential partners or customers for new product ideas, and preparing for upcoming industry events or customer meetings. You would work remotely, with regular travel to events and meetings primarily in the UK and Europe, and three all-hands gatherings per year. The exact daily routine is not specified, so ask about team structure and typical workflows during the interview.

Who Granular Energy is looking for

• Experience in business development, product validation, or new market entry, ideally in energy, climate tech, or software-as-a-service.
• Understanding of energy attribute certificates (EACs), hourly matching, or 24/7 clean energy concepts.
• Comfortable working remotely and independently, with the ability to travel regularly for events and customer meetings in the UK and Europe.
• Based within a train ride from Paris, as the company is flexible on locations within that range.

Tips for this application

• Read the linked article about the 24/7 energy space and refer to specific concepts from it in your application.
• Explain how you have previously identified or validated new products or business opportunities, with concrete examples.
• Show that you understand Granular Energy's core platform (EAC management and hourly matching) and why finding the next wave of products matters.
• Mention your location and confirm you are within a train ride from Paris, since this is a specific requirement.
• Note your willingness to travel to industry events and customer meetings in the UK and Europe, and to attend three all-hands gatherings per year.

What to cover in your cover letter

['Your experience in business development or product validation, especially in energy or climate tech.', 'Your understanding of hourly matching, EACs, or 24/7 clean energy trading.', 'How you would approach identifying and validating new products beyond the core platform.', 'Your ability to work remotely and travel as needed, and your location relative to Paris.']

Research before applying

• Read the article linked in the job description about the 24/7 energy space.
• Look up Granular Energy's core platform and how it handles EAC management and hourly matching.
• Find out who their clients are in the US, Europe, and Asia, and what sectors they operate in.
• Check the locations of their past all-hands gatherings (Brussels, London, Amsterdam) and any recent news about the company.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How would you identify and validate the next wave of products for Granular Energy?
• What do you know about hourly matching and EACs, and how do they fit into the 24/7 energy space?
• Describe a time you found a new business opportunity and tested it.
• How do you work remotely and stay effective while traveling for events and customer meetings?
• Why do you want to work at a 30-person climate tech startup focused on a carbon-free grid?

Common mistakes to avoid

• Applying without understanding what hourly matching or EACs are, since this is central to the company's work.
• Ignoring the location requirement of being within a train ride from Paris.
• Focusing only on sales or business development in general, without addressing the specific mission of validating new products beyond the core platform.