CVC/VC Associate, Energy/Climate Tech (West Coast)

Join a globally recognized and innovative automotive company as a CVC Associate focused on Energy and Climate Tech for the West Coast region. This is a unique opportunity to play a key role in identifying and investing in cutting-edge startups and technologies that align with the company’s mission for carbon neutrality, advanced mobility, and future ecosystems.

This role is ideal for a junior-level candidate with 2–4 years of experience in venture or corporate venture capital, who is hands-on with sourcing and closing investments, and is looking to grow with a dynamic and technically driven team.

Candidates with corporate open innovation experience (without investment background) are also viable if they have sourced startups and successfully matched them with internal business units. The ideal candidate is intellectually curious, technically strong, and energized by building connections and shaping the future of deep-tech and sustainability ecosystems.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Investment (~70%)

• Independently source, identify, propose, and lead investment opportunities with the Corporate Venturing team.
• Lead initial vetting and filtering of deals based on technical and strategic relevance.
• Propose investment opportunities to internal stakeholders with structured deal proposals (target: ~1 per week once ramped).
• Collaborate with the Japan-based technical units to assess potential for business unit collaboration.
• Manage the full lifecycle from sourcing to internal investment proposal and post-investment monitoring (e.g., board observer role as applicable).
• Support business unit collaborations even if deals don’t move forward for investment.

Network Expansion & Ecosystem Engagement (~30%)

• Build and maintain a strong VC/CVC network, enhancing brand awareness on the West Coast region.
• Lead the internal investment process for selected deals and identify high-quality investment opportunities involving transformational technologies.
• Create and present investment proposals weekly to relevant team and stakeholders.
• Act as the primary interface for portfolio companies and support internal open innovation startup collaborations.
• Attend 5–10 events per quarter and actively participate in a minimum of 2 per quarter (e.g., startup judging, reverse pitches, panel discussions).
• Represent the company at key ecosystem events to increase brand visibility and strengthen sourcing pipelines.
• Identify high-value events and proactively pursue speaking or judging opportunities.

Required Skillset

• 2–4 years of experience in CVC or VC, with hands-on sourcing, proposing, and closing of investments. (CVC preferred.)
• Deep-tech investment experience required.
• Bachelor’s degree in a technical field is required: Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Biomedical, Material Science, etc.
• Strong understanding of corporate innovation dynamics and/or experience pairing startups with business units for collaboration (e.g., via open innovation roles).
• Exposure to one or more of the following domains: Mobility, Energy, Climate Tech, Smart City, Robotics, AI, Advanced Manufacturing, or Automotive/Transportation.
• Demonstrated ability to ramp quickly on technical subject matter and operate in a fast-paced, self-driven environment.
• Strong communication and presentation skills – essential for internal proposals and external startup engagement.
• Proactive, highly organized, and capable of managing multiple workstreams independently.
• Comfortable with cross-cultural collaboration, particularly with Japan-based teams.

Bonus Skillset

• Background in corporate open innovation (especially if involved in startup sourcing and POC facilitation).
• Familiarity with Japanese business culture is highly preferred.
• Master's degree or MBA is a plus.
• Experience with tools like PitchBook, Crunchbase, and startup ecosystem platforms.

Location: Mountain View, CA. (Hybrid, 4x minimum onsite)

Travel: Domestic and international travel up to 30% may be required.

Type: Contract to hire (6 months)

• Conversion will be based on review of performance.