Chief Growth Officer

Chief Growth Officer (CGO)

The Engine is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting Tough Tech entrepreneurs solving the world's most challenging problems. We provide founders with the infrastructure, capital access, and operational support needed to turn breakthrough science and technology into real-world impact.

We are seeking a Chief Growth Officer (CGO) to lead the next stage of growth at The Engine. The CGO will oversee partnership strategy, revenue growth, and market positioning, while serving as a senior thought partner to the CEO and leadership team.

This role is ideal for an experienced Tough Tech entrepreneur or commercial leader who has scaled companies, built first-of-a-kind (FOAK) projects or facilities, and is energized at being an evangelist for Tough Tech entrepreneurs in the ecosystem.

Responsibilities

• Design and own a growth strategy across partnerships, sponsorships, and collaborators that advances our mission and expands our impact
• Source, structure, and close strategic partnerships with corporates, foundations, and ecosystem players that unlock capital and capabilities for our organization
• Build and maintain a high-value network of commercial partners and investors across tough tech sections such as climate tech, sustainability, industrial decarbonization, biotech, and adjacent sectors
• Represent the organization as a visible leader in the tough tech ecosystem through speaking engagements, content, and thought leadership
• Act as a collaborative thought partner to the CEO and leadership team, helping to shape overall strategy, long-term planning, and board engagement
• Serve as a subject matter expert and mentor to resident company CEOs, helping them sharpen go-to-market strategy, build commercial pipelines, and prepare for major milestones such as pilots, FOAK deployments, and exits
• Bring pattern recognition from scaling companies and leading exits/acquisitions to help founders navigate inflection points
• Design and refine value propositions for partners and portfolio companies that leverage our unique position as a tough-tech incubator
• Build, manage, and mentor a high-performing growth team (e.g., partnerships, business development, fundraising) and foster a culture of execution, learning, and collaboration
• Step into leadership conversations and key decisions as needed, with the ability to "fill in for the CEO" in external settings
• Identify emerging industries, technologies, and markets that align with our thesis in climate tech, industrial decarbonization, biotech, and broader tough-tech
• Bring a hands-on, roll-up-your-sleeves approach, with willingness to jump into gaps and help the organization grow and evolve

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in growth-oriented roles (e.g., founder/CEO, commercial leader, business development, partnerships, or corporate development), ideally in a tough tech sector.
• Direct experience as a tough tech entrepreneur, founder, and/or CEO, or as a senior commercial leader in a scaling tough tech company.
• Demonstrated success building and executing partnership strategies that deliver measurable outcomes (e.g., revenue, pilots, FOAK deployments, strategic alliances).
• Experience working with startups and helping companies scale through key stages (from early pilots to commercial scale, including funding rounds and/or exits).
• Strong track record managing and growing teams in high-ambiguity, mission-driven environments.
• Ability to operate effectively in board and senior stakeholder settings, including preparing materials and presenting strategy.
• Deep networks across commercial partners and investors relevant to climate tech, sustainability, industrial decarbonization, biotech, or related industries.
• Passion for emerging technologies and tough tech innovation, with the ability to quickly understand new technical domains and their commercial applications.