(Senior) B2G Manager: Public Sector & Research Funding (f/m/d)

“This is not your typical B2G role.”

B2G sounds boring, until you realise it's money from the state and you own it. You'll be responsible for a big share of RIZM's funding sources, with real influence on RIZM's cash flow and on how fast we grow. You'll be tapping into new sources that most companies never even look at.

Why this role exists

RIZM builds RIZMO, an AI agent that makes energy decisions for industrial companies. Our next lever is the public sector: municipalities, utilities and economic development agencies have to implement heat plans, keep business parks competitive and relieve the grid. We're looking for someone to own B2G as a business line at RIZM, from public funding all the way to municipalities as paying customers.

What you'll own

• Public funding as a growth channel. Forschungszulage (Germany's R&D tax allowance), EU grants, ERDF (EFRE) and other programmes: build the pipeline, actively own and track our running programmes, forge consortia and get applications approved.

• Connect research. Coordinate our research collaboration with Stanford and translate it into funded projects.

• Build the machine, AI-first. Set up your own systems, tracking and automation, so one person can run a funding pipeline that usually takes a whole team. You decide how the role works behind the scenes.

• Take over and scale ReNET-EV. Own our part of the ERDF project ReNET-EV (grid-friendly energy supply for business parks in the Münster/NRW region) and roll the model out to more municipalities.

• Turn municipalities into customers. Win cities, municipal utilities and economic development agencies that use RIZM for heat planning, climate strategy and business park development. Set up offers and procurement routes for the public sector.

• Orchestrate the ecosystem. Bring chambers of commerce (IHKs), economic development agencies, utilities and industry partners together in joint projects.

• Build the data foundation. Tap into public and municipal data that makes our models more precise at regional level.

• Create visibility. References with municipalities and mayors that show publicly what's happening in their region.

• Leadership. Over time, build a small B2G team, including working students.

You're a fit if you

• Have several years of experience in the public sector, politics, municipal utilities, economic development agencies, associations or funding management.

• Have successfully won funding (EU, federal, state) or led consortia.

• Know how municipalities make decisions and buy, and have a strong network in NRW or beyond.

• Understand energy transition topics such as municipal heat planning, grid congestion and flexibility.

• Think like an entrepreneur and see public funding as a path to a business case.

• Are curious about AI and enjoy building your own tools and workflows.

• Speak business-fluent German and bring good English for EU programmes.

What we offer

• A business line you build from scratch, with a direct line to the management team.

• Real financial leverage: what you win shows up directly in RIZM's cash flow.

• A product already running at industrial customers like BMW and BSH.

• Salary plus equity.

How to apply

No cover letter needed. We'd rather hear how you think. Two questions, a few honest sentences each:

• A mayor gives you 5 minutes in an elevator. What do you tell them about RIZM?

• What's the most absurd hurdle you've hit in public funding or procurement, and how did you get around it?