Free The Sea Impact Partnerships & Business Development Manager – Europe (all genders)

Your mission

Free The Sea (FTS) is dedicated to reducing ocean plastic pollution while creating sustainable economic opportunities for coastal communities. We design and implement impact-driven partnerships, recycle ocean-bound plastics, and upcycle products that inspire businesses and consumers alike to take part in the solution.

The Impact Partnerships & Business Development Manager drives both partnerships and commercial business development across Europe, building and scaling impact- and revenue-generating models across three key verticals:

1. Impact Partnerships – Branded collection points connecting coastal households to waste management infrastructure (highest priority)

2. Recycled Plastic Sales – Ocean-bound plastic (OBP) resin for B2B clients

3. Upcycled Product Sales – B2B and retail

This role requires a hands-on, strategic, and highly collaborative professional who can validate market demand, co-develop scalable business models, and serve as a primary connector between internal teams, partners, and markets.

Key Responsibilities

Business Development & Marketing Testing

• Lead business development efforts across impact and commercial verticals in Europe.

• Collaborate with leadership to define growth strategies and market priorities.

• Develop tailored proposals, pitch materials, and contracts reflecting both mission and business outcomes.

• Maintain a real-time CRM pipeline dashboard to track deal progress, conversion rates, and emerging insights.

• Collaborate with internal teams on storytelling, certifications, and traceability tools to support BD activities.

• Coordinate with BD and Sales teams in Indonesia for partnership management.

Impact Partnership Development (Highest Priority)

• Co-develop tailored impact project proposals and funding models addressing ocean plastic pollution and community empowerment.

• Align internal teams on partner deliverables, timelines, and program design.

• Manage partner communications, relationship-building, and reporting throughout the partnership lifecycle.

• Track, evaluate, and improve impact partnership performance using agreed KPIs and partner feedback.

• Represent FTS at sustainability and CSR-focused events, panels, and partnership opportunities in Europe.

Recycled Plastic Sales (B2B)

• Identify and engage potential B2B buyers across Europe for OBP resin.

• Develop commercial proposals and pricing models in coordination with internal teams.

• Validate market demand, pricing, and technical specifications of recycled plastic feedstock.

• Collaborate to co-develop customer-specific recycled plastic grades and samples.

• Support contracts, MoUs, and negotiations with B2B clients.

• Maintain customer relationships from lead generation to account management.

• Ensure full transparency, traceability, and certification readiness for all recycled plastic outputs.

Upcycled Product Sales (B2B & Retail)

• Develop partnerships with retailers, designers, distributors, and product-based businesses.

• Create GTM strategy and launch upcycled products into key markets.

• Collaborate internally to co-develop and commercialize new product lines made from OBP.

• Develop pricing strategies and support go-to-market plans for B2B and B2C channels.

• Ensure brand alignment and storytelling integration for all upcycled product partnerships.

Position Authority

• Acts as primary external-facing representative for B2B customers and partners in Europe.

• Co-develops commercial and impact proposals, including pricing models, with cross-functional input; final approval from leadership.

• Authorized to initiate, lead, and represent FTS in commercial and impact partnership engagements. Final sign-off requires leadership approval.

• Makes decisions on go-to-market strategies, sales tactics, and product launch plans to ensure successful market adoption.

Your profile

Personal Competency

• Leadership & communication skills

• Confidentiality and integrity

• Sustainability and impact measurement

• Technical knowledge of recycling/upcycling

• Financial acumen

• Project management skills

• Presentation skills

• Problem-solving and decision-making

• Understanding of circular economy principles

• Knowledge of recycled and upcycled products

• Cultural sensitivity & market understanding

Functional Competency

• Recycling and upcycling technologies

• Regulatory compliance and standards

• CRM proficiency

Why us?

At Free The Sea, your work directly contributes to reducing ocean plastic pollution and creating sustainable economic opportunities for coastal communities. This is a hands-on, strategic role where you will:

• Build and scale impact partnerships, connecting coastal households to waste management systems.

• Drive commercial growth across recycled plastic and upcycled product verticals, connecting mission with market demand.

• Collaborate across Europe and Indonesia with cross-functional teams, ensuring alignment between operations, impact, and business objectives.

• Own the outcome of your initiatives - from market validation to partnership execution and go-to-market strategies -making a tangible difference in both environmental and social impact.

Join us if you want to combine strategy, business development, and measurable impact in a role where your decisions truly shape outcomes for communities and oceans alike.

Ready to dive in?
Send us your CV, and a quick note on why you’d be a great fit!

We look forward to hearing from you! #LetsFreeTheSea together

About us

WIK Group is a family-owned company with a strong tradition of innovation and responsibility since 1951. Headquartered in Hong Kong, we operate globally with locations in Germany, China, Indonesia, and Switzerland, including our newly established office in Lucerne.

Our vision, “Technology attuned to Nature,” guides everything we do. From circular product design and zero-waste manufacturing to our Free the Sea initiative that transforms ocean-bound plastics into high-quality materials, we strive to create a truly regenerative impact.

We produce over 50 percent of our energy from renewable sources, run mangrove reforestation projects, and aim to reduce water usage by 25 to 50 percent by 2025. As a proud member of the UN Global Compact, we uphold the highest standards in sustainability, ethics, and transparency across all our locations.

Joining WIK means being part of a forward-thinking, people-centered company where sustainability is not just a goal - it is a shared responsibility we live every day.