Director of Partnerships

Director of Partnerships LocationKenilworth, NJEmployment TypeFull timeLocation TypeHybridDepartmentCommercializationCompensationComm DirectorSalary Starts at $197K • Offers Equity • Offers BonusReports to: VP of CommercializationClose collaboration with: CEO, CTO, VP of Engineering, deal counselLocation: Kenilworth, NJ; hybrid is possibleSalary range: Starts at $197,000Equity participation reflecting the scope and impact of this roleCompetitive BenefitsPosition SummaryStill Bright is bringing the first viable hydrometallurgical alternative to copper smelting to market at a moment when global copper demand is outpacing supply by historic margins. Our proprietary RACER (Rapid and Complete Electrochemical Reduction) process delivers fast, complete copper extraction while recovering precious and critical co-products, and as a closed-loop system it offers precise control over outputs and radically reduces environmental impact. Backed by top-tier investors including Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Material Impact, the team is moving from pilot execution into the next stages of commercial deployment.This role operates at a distinctive commercial frontier: helping bring agreements to close at commercial scale before a commercial system has been built. The Director of Partnerships converts RACER’s technical breakthroughs into signed agreements by driving deals from term sheet to signature: advancing negotiations, structuring staged commitments and performance milestones, and working fluently with counsel on both sides to turn commercial intent into executed contracts. Please note this role is not a typical business development role but rather focused on finalizing contracts and managing those contracts. The VP of Commercialization owns the counterparty relationship: building early relationships with prospective partners, defining the commercial offering, and advancing each opportunity to the point of negotiation. From there, the Director of Partnerships spearheads finalizing the deal, working directly with the mining partner and its counsel to move from term sheet to a binding agreement. The VP of Commercialization and CEO facilitate as appropriate; that support is hands-on for the first deals and tapers as the Director builds a track record.Key ResponsibilitiesDevelop and pressure-test the deal architecture for each opportunity across options including offtake, joint venture, tolling, licensing, services, and hybrid structures, with a clear thesis on why a given structure creates more value than alternatives; bring recommendations to the CEO and VP of Commercialization.Take phased commercial deployment agreements from term sheet to signature, working closely with deal counsel on documentation: staged commitments, performance milestones, off-ramps, and mechanisms for adjusting terms as technical and commercial maturity evolves.Articulate value creation for both Still Bright and mining partners at each phase of deployment, placing particular focus on local community buy-in as a core commercial input rather than an afterthought.Run day-to-day deal execution with mining counterparties and their counsel, and own finalizing the deal: progressing terms, managing the negotiation calendar, and bringing agreements to signature, with the VP of Commercialization and CEO facilitating as appropriate and CEO involvement tapering after the first deals.Assist in finalizing term sheets, working with the VP of Commercialization and CEO and coordinating with Still Bright’s counsel and the partner’s counsel so that documents reflect Still Bright’s commercial and technical realities.Develop and maintain deep fluency in commercial dynamics across copper and critical minerals—including how mining companies evaluate new technology, common partnership archetypes, and the economics that make deals work for both sides.Support the VP of Commercialization in sustaining trust-based counterparty relationships over extended timelines, recognizing that early-stage...