Strategic Customer Partner (m/f/d) in climate-tech start-up

Intro

exnaton is a startup, spun out of ETH Zurich, which provides an AI-powered intelligence platform for new energy, enabling utilities to rapidly design, test, and scale smart, data-driven energy products — from energy sharing and dynamic tariffs to EV smart charging and flexible billing models. Our technology extends existing utility infrastructure with flexible, future-ready solutions, helping energy providers unlock new value from decentralized, digital energy — efficiently without large migrations and at scale.

We are a Switzerland-based start-up, and our vision is to lead the digital transformation of the energy sector worldwide by empowering utilities and consumers to shape a flexible, transparent, and sustainable energy future.

Our team is growing and we are looking for passionate and talented people to complement our team. We are a diverse team, all driven by the shared goal of using technology to create a sustainable impact in our society. If you're enthusiastic about contributing to this exciting journey, we invite you to be a part of our innovative and motivated team.

The job can be performed remotely in EU countries, but for this specific role, travelling up to 20% to DACH-based customers would be required.

Your role

As a Strategic Customer Partner at exnaton, you will join our 40-person team and help shape the company and its vision from the ground up. You will play a pivotal role in bringing a product to market that enhances the attractiveness of renewable energies. Our customer relationships begin with the initial setup of our software within the customer's IT landscape and evolve into long-term partnerships built on trust, value, and continuous growth. You will be the driving force behind these relationships by proactively bringing ideas, insight, and strategic direction to every conversation. You will guide enterprise utility customers throughout their entire journey with us by:

• Being the primary point of contact for our utility customers, building relationships rooted in trust, expertise, and forward-thinking advice,

• Proactively bringing ideas, industry insight, and strategic recommendations to customers, helping them see opportunities before they've asked about them, rather than only responding when prompted,

• Leading regular business reviews framed around each customer's strategic goals, positioning exnaton as a genuine thought partner in their energy transition journey,

• Proactively identifying and driving opportunities to grow accounts through upselling and cross-selling, grounded in a real understanding of what will move each customer's business forward,

• Taking full ownership of upsell opportunities from offer to signature, with variable compensation tied to closed deals,

• Owning escalations and issues end-to-end, resolving them efficiently and using them as moments to deepen trust rather than just close a ticket,

• Representing the voice of the customer internally, bringing their feedback and market signals into product, service, and strategy discussions,

• Collaborating closely with sales, product, and marketing teams to ensure customers get maximum strategic value from our platform,

• Tracking account health and performance using CRM tools, and using data to proactively anticipate customer needs rather than just react to them.

Your qualifications

• You hold a Bachelor’s degree in business administration, economics, or energy-related studies, and/or relevant experience,

• Strong business acumen and commercial instincts - a background in management consulting, business development, and/or experience in the energy/utilities sector are strongly preferred,

• Proven track record in a client-facing advisory, sales, or consulting capacity, confident engaging across all levels,

• Demonstrated business development track record - sourcing, structuring, negotiating, and closing commercial opportunities,

• A naturally proactive, forward-thinking mindset: you bring ideas before being asked and drive new initiatives rather than simply maintaining what's already there,

• Strong relationship-building skills paired with genuine curiosity about your customers' businesses, and the ability to translate their challenges into strategic, technology-enabled solutions, including writing customized offers,

• Proven ability to lead complex projects and manage multiple workstreams independently, coordinating across functions and keeping diverse stakeholders aligned,

• Commercially minded, with a solid understanding of SaaS business models and how to create and capture value through a platform relationship,

• Collaborative team player who thrives in cross-functional settings and shares knowledge freely,

• Fluent in German and English (strict requirement); fluency in additional languages is a strong plus,

• Ideally, familiarity with the regulatory and commercial landscape of the energy/utilities sector, including relevant system environments.

Benefits

At exnaton, you work in a dynamic environment with direct communication, fostering quick operations and collaborative learning. You can also expect the following:

• Competitive salary (fixed and success-based variable comp) and equity package,

• Flexible working hours and location, as we believe in ownership and trust. We are a remote-first company, and we support those working from different locations,

• Additional benefits such as a new MacBook, a learning budget, sports membership, or Headspace subscription,

• Virtual office for truly interactive collaboration, even in a distributed team,

• Working with exciting technology for a really important purpose, together with a highly motivated team.