Head of Business Development and Partnerships

About Preoptima

Preoptima is dedicated to making meaningful progress on embodied and whole life carbon impact within the built environment. Backed by leading venture capital funds, we’re focused on developing digital tools that transform how the industry and local authorities approach carbon reduction and sustainability. Founded on over 25 years of combined academic research, Preoptima operates remotely but values strong team collaboration, regularly bringing team members together for in-person sessions.

What You Will Be Doing

As a key member of Preoptima’s senior leadership team, you will be responsible for growing our impact and revenue by expanding PACER’s presence across London and the UK. Your main goal will be to acquire and onboard additional Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) onto PACER, a platform designed to automate and enhance carbon compliance processes in urban planning.

In this role, you will:

• Lead business development efforts to expand PACER adoption among LPAs in London and beyond.
• Build and maintain meaningful relationships with planning and sustainability officers, acting as a trusted partner and resource.
• Attend relevant industry events and forums (e.g., UKGBC, LETI, RICS, RIBA, IStructE) to raise awareness and promote Preoptima’s offerings.
• Leverage an existing pipeline of LPA contacts to accelerate PACER’s traction in target regions.
• Collaborate closely with our product and marketing teams to refine our go-to-market approach, messaging, and positioning in the public sector market.
• Play a pivotal role in shaping Preoptima’s overall growth and strategic direction by feeding insights back into our product roadmap and market positioning.

What We Need From You

To be successful in this role, you should bring:

• Extensive experience in business development, partnership management, or a similar role with a strong commercial focus in the built environment.
• Proven expertise in sustainability within the construction or planning sectors, including experience with whole life carbon assessments.
• In-depth knowledge of UK policies, standards, and frameworks related to carbon compliance and sustainable planning.
• A proactive, results-oriented mindset with a track record of building strong, trusted partnerships and achieving revenue targets.
• Exceptional communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to engage and influence stakeholders across local authorities.
• Flexibility to attend London-based events regularly and a collaborative approach to working within a remote-first startup.

How You Will Be Compensated

We value and reward your contributions with:

• A competitive base salary commensurate with your experience.
• Performance-related bonuses tied to revenue and growth milestones.
• Stock options as part of our commitment to sharing the company’s success.
• If you are excited to shape the future of sustainability in urban planning, join us at Preoptima as we make whole life carbon compliance a critical, accessible component of the built environment’s journey to Net Zero.

What Working for Preoptima Is Like

As a remote-first company, Preoptima values flexibility and supports team members in managing their work in a way that suits them best. We encourage open communication and collaboration through regular team meetings, both virtually and in person, as well as quarterly gatherings to foster team cohesion and celebrate milestones. With a strong foundation in academic research, we are committed to making a significant impact in the industry, empowering our team to contribute to a mission that truly matters.

Living a Flexible Lifestyle

At Preoptima, we understand the need for flexibility, both in work and in life. While some periods may be event-heavy, with multiple industry engagements or client meetings, these are balanced by quieter days and the flexibility to take time off when you need it. As a remote-first company, you’re also free to work from anywhere, so whether you’re planning an extended stay abroad over the summer or looking to maximize work-life balance, you’ll find we’re committed to supporting your ideal lifestyle.

Not Sure if This Is Right for You?

We encourage you to get in touch if you’re excited by this role but feel your background leans more toward sustainability than business development. If you bring an extensive, trusted network in London’s sustainability or planning spaces and are passionate about building partnerships to drive change, we’d love to hear from you. We value diverse perspectives and experiences, so please don’t hesitate to reach out if you’re interested but unsure about the fit.

Studies by several different sources have shown that, on average, men will apply for a job if they meet 60% of the application requirements. In contrast, women/non-binary people will seek to match a much higher percentage of the requirements before applying.

We encourage you to apply and give us a chance to evaluate your skills and experience – even if you don’t meet 100% of the requirements! We are all learning on the job, and although the listing above has been carefully compiled, we are also open-minded and interested to hear about the value you can bring to the role and Preoptima.