Sales Lead – Business Development, Industrial Energy & Decarbonisation

Path to Zero GmbH

Sales Lead managing the entire sales cycle from outreach to closure in industrial decarbonization. Building customer relationships in the energy-intensive industry and shaping sales processes for growth.

Posted 7/7/2026full-timeKarlsruhe • 🇩🇪 GermanySeniorWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in B2B Sales and Business Development, with a strong focus on pipeline management, customer acquisition, and relationship building in energy-intensive industries. Proficient in communicating with both technical and non-technical stakeholders, while effectively managing the sales cycle from outreach to closing.

Highest-signal resume keywords

B2B Sales ExperiencePipeline ManagementCustomer AcquisitionNegotiation SkillsFluent in German and English

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Sales Cycle ManagementProposal CreationClosing DealsLead QualificationCold OutreachDecision-Intelligence Software DemosAccount DevelopmentUpsellingCRM ManagementTechnical Pain Point Identification

Soft Skills

Strong DriveClosing OrientationIndependent Working StyleStructured ApproachEffective Communication

Industry Keywords

Energy-Intensive IndustriesIndustrial Energy SystemsEnergy-Market TopicsStakeholder EngagementContent-Driven Marketing

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

As Sales Lead / Business Development you are responsible for the entire sales cycle – from initial outreach to closing
You build our pipeline, win new customers in energy-intensive industries, and develop long-term business relationships
Pipeline & New Customer Acquisition: Build and maintain a reliable pipeline – from first contact to close
Outbound Acquisition: cold outreach, cold calls, LinkedIn and email outreach in energy-intensive industries
Qualification of inbound leads generated by our content-driven marketing and content strategy
Discovery: identify technical and economic pain points of industrial customers
Positioning as a sparring partner rather than a pure product seller
Running demos of our decision-intelligence software (with subject-matter support from the team)
Proposal creation, negotiation, and closing – including structuring pilots and POCs as entry points
Further development of acquired accounts and identification of upsell opportunities (Consulting ↔ Software)

Requirements

What you’ll need

At least 2 years of B2B sales experience – what matters is not the duration but a clear, demonstrable track record as a successful closer (achieved and exceeded targets, closed deals)
Strong drive and closing orientation: you independently advance the sales cycle and push deals across the finish line – even when they require explanation and involve multiple decision-makers
Willingness and quick aptitude to learn about industrial energy systems and energy-market topics – enough to speak with energy managers and plant managers on equal terms (technical depth is provided by our team)
Confidence communicating with both technical and non-technical stakeholders – at management and plant level
Independent, structured working style and discipline in pipeline and CRM management
Excellent German and English skills

Benefits

Comp & perks

Personal learning & development budget for conferences, training and industry events
Hybrid work with an office in Karlsruhe, flexible working hours and project-dependent travel