Sales Development Scientist (m/f/d)

Part-time 50 % (20 h/week) to start, option to move to full-time after 6 months · permanent · start as soon as possible · English-speaking role

We help people pipette light. Our optoWELL is a programmable LED illumination platform for 24- and 96-well plates, used by labs worldwide in optogenetics, photopharmacology and photodynamic therapy. We are a small team in Freiburg and sell directly to scientists around the globe. To grow, we need one more person who wants to leave the bench and create a lasting role in our startup with us.

**What you will own**

- Finding researchers who work with light

- Turning them into qualified leads

- Reaching out, following up, and handing warm conversations over to our CEO

- Keeping the pipeline clean and reporting on it

- A smaller share of routine sales admin (quotes, order confirmations, invoices)

**You will not be an assistant.** You get a clearly defined area, your own numbers, a documented process to start from – and the freedom to improve it.

**What you bring**

- Some background in light-based research – or the curiosity to dive into it with us; it is a small, friendly field and we will show you around

- A Master's degree or PhD in biology, biochemistry, biotechnology, pharmacy, chemistry or a related field – you can read a paper and pull out what matters

- Excellent written English; German is helpful for day-to-day work but not required

- You enjoy writing short, personal messages and are not discouraged by the fact that most people don't reply

- Structured, self-reliant work over weeks with a weekly check-in rather than daily supervision; solid Excel skills

- Nice to have: experience with CRM tools or AI-assisted literature work

**What we offer**

- A proven, documented sales process that already works – you copy it first, then improve it and make it your own if you can

- A role built around one measurable outcome – conversations booked with qualified scientists – rather than a to-do list

- Direct work with the founder, short decision paths, real insight into how a scientific instrument is sold worldwide

- Flexible hours, remote days possible after onboarding, office at the Freiburg Innovation Center (FRIZ)

- €42,000–50,000 gross per year at full-time equivalent, depending on experience – i.e. €21,000–25,000 for the 50 % start; the same rate applies if the role grows to full-time

**What we are really looking for**

Someone who is curious about other people's science and would rather understand a lab's actual problem than pitch a product. Someone who works on their own steam, says so when something is not working, and treats scientists and colleagues with the same respect. If that sounds like you, this is not a side role – it is a seat at the core of a small team.

**How this works**

You will work directly with me, Kathrin – co-founder, CEO, and so far the one doing this job. Send me an email with your CV and two or three sentences on why you want to leave the bench (no cover letter please, and no multi-page AI slop): [email protected]. Then it is simple: a short conversation, a paid two- to three-hour trial task so we both see what the job actually feels like, and fast feedback – you will hear from me within a week, either way.