Position Title: Commercial Manager / Head of Commercial 

Responsible to:  CEO  

Location: Newcastle, NSW Australia 

Date: September 2021 

Term: Permanent, full time with a 6-month probationary period 

Remuneration:  Base salary + Superannuation (10%) + Equity  

What we are looking for:  

MGA’s Commercial Manager / Head of Commercial is responsible for the planning, development, and implementation of all commercial strategies across the organisation. These strategies will reflect the objectives and priorities of the organisation, with a strong focus on maximising opportunities for sales, profit, generating revenue and accelerated growth.  

This is an exciting new role, within a venture backed renewable energy Australian startup, reporting directly to the CEO. The Commercial Manager / Head of Commercial will play an integral role in areas such as product development, pricing, the development of ‘go to market’ and sales strategies, and contract negotiations with some of the largest companies in the world.  The Commercial Manager / Head of Commercial will intimately understand the energy markets in which the company and their clients operate, domestically & internationally, and will identify new opportunities, ensure market fit of products and services based on current sector trends and anticipated future market developments.   

To be successful in this role you will thrive on synthesising complex issues and identifying commercial solutions. You will have a strong track record and be able to share your experience of delivering results to help improve the business. You will be ready to work in a fast-paced environment, where working together to deliver improved commercial outcomes is celebrated.  

Who We are:  

Founded in 2019, MGA Thermal’s mission is to convert countries across the world to renewable energy, by providing a new way to store energy that’s clean, economical, and scalable. 

Our own proprietary technology invention, of thermal storage material, Miscibility Gap Alloys (MGA) is capable of storing a huge amount of energy as heat, in a safe and easy to use way. Custom made to suit a wide range of operating temperatures, MGA is a cost effective means of energy storage at a large scale. It enables intermittent renewable energy sources, such as the sun and wind, to provide base load electricity to the grid, and revolutionises the way we think about electricity generation. It opens the door to the next generation of high efficiency power cycles. 

Based in Newcastle, Australia, MGA is backed by some of Australia’s most regarded and respected Venture Capital firms and has just completed an $8 million funding round.  

What our Commercial Manager / Head of Commercial will do:  

In line with company goals and objectives, the Commercial Manager / Head of Commercial will develop and implement all commercial strategies across the organisation, with the aim of accelerating growth and business expansion. 

The successful applicant will operate within four principal task boundaries as follows: 

Customer and Deal Management 

• Implementation of standards, controls, systems, and procedures for the regular evaluation for all commercial programs, projects, and strategies.  

• Manage multiple commercial projects, partnerships, and contracts, ensuring compliance with relevant laws and regulations as well as contractual conditions such as timeframes and geographical restrictions.   

• Regularly review contracts and make recommendations regarding commercial viability. 

• Managing existing client relationships through dialogue, consensus, and satisfaction of key client needs. 

Business Planning 

• Analyse in-house and published market research to create detailed business plans on commercial opportunities, domestic & international expansion and associated risks and uncertainties. 

• With the product development team, design new sales, pricing, and partnership strategies. 

• With the CFO, set, manage, and monitor financial targets and budgets for all commercial activities.  

New Deals and Company Growth 

• Implement new customer acquisition strategies including initiating, developing, and maintaining cooperative relationships with key clients, large corporations, government institutions and industry leaders. 

• Negotiate and close deals involving new partnerships with collaborating companies and new contracts with customers and suppliers.  

Communication and Corporate Governance 

• Regularly report to the CEO concerning commercial activities using key metrics.  

• Be involved in the financial and fiscal activities of the organisation including budgeting, reporting and audit. 

• Collaborate with diverse teams and leaders across multiple functions including Sales, Finance, Marketing, IT, Procurement, Legal, etc. 

• Act as an advocate within the public and private sectors, for renewable energy, energy storage and related issues relevant to the business.  

• Promote a harmonious work environment that supports all employees within the organisation and allows them to contribute to their fullest ability. 

Requirements

• Tertiary qualifications in Law / Commerce / Finance / Economics or related discipline (MBA, LLM or other post-graduate qualification) with demonstrated senior level commercial experience.  

• Extensive commercial experience with proven ability to, be resilient, customer-focused and deliver commercial projects and services in complex stakeholder environments.  

• Strong commercial awareness, contract negotiation, contract “closing” and analysis skills.  

• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build positive relationships and effectively manage stakeholders. 

• Strong strategic thinking capabilities including analytical skills and data interpretation. 

• Excellent communication and presentation skills. 

• Ability to multitask and prioritise projects. 

• Desire to take initiative and be proactive in their role. 

• Ability to communicate complex commercial concepts 

• Willing to be adaptable and flexible as well as ‘wear many hats’ in a fast-changing environment. 

Desired attributes 

• Extensive and established network within the domestic and international energy sector. 

• Detailed understanding of financial reporting and accounting principles. 

• An understanding of joint ventures and other complex company partnership structures. 

To find out more about MGA Thermal, check out these links 

Website:  https://www.mgathermalstorage.com/ 

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/mga-thermal/ 

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/MgaThermal 

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/MGAThermal 

Pitch Book:  https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/399184-39 

Articles:  

Tech Crunch:  3 August 2021  

https://techcrunch.com/2021/08/02/mga-thermal-raises-8m-aud-led-by-main-sequence-for-its-modular-energy-storage-blocks/ 

ABC Media Pack: 3 August 2021 

https://www.abc.net.au/cm/lb/12655248/data/mga-thermal---technical-details-of-thermal-blocks-data.pdf 

ABC News: 8 September 2020 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-08/thermal-blocks-technology-to-convert-coal-fired-power-station/12638462