Title: Head of Business Development and Sales – Risk Weather Alerts – EDHEC Climate Institute

The EDHEC Climate Institute (ECI) is an applied research center of the EDHEC Business School and supports private and public decision-makers in navigating the challenges of climate change through cutting-edge research and practical tools.

The EDHEC Climate Institute is increasingly positioning itself as an applied research centre specialising in the quantification of physical climate risks. This focus has strengthened through the recruitment of climatologists and the establishment of partnerships with scientific institutions that specialise in modeling wildfire and extreme weather events.

We see clear market opportunities in two key areas:

• Enhancing medium-term weather forecasting.
• Improving short-term weather alerts (early warning systems) with the goal to outperform national meteorological services.

This is a unique opportunity to develop ECI Risk Weather Alerts, through B2B partnerships that can amplify this research and turn it into concrete action. In particular, the Risk Weather Alerts can serve a wide range of stakeholders across different time horizons:

• Medium-term weather forecasts (sub-seasonal to seasonal): these are valuable for resource management and preparedness planning. Key stakeholders include local authorities, public water and emergency management agencies, as well as private sector actors vulnerable to flooding, such as those in agriculture, infrastructure, and industry, or financial actors, e.g. commodity traders. Seasonal weather forecasts can also inform insurance and financial planning, enabling the integration of flood-related risks into parametric insurance products, for instance. This research focus will underpin the first product to be commercialized the ECI Risk Weather Alerts.
• Short-term weather alerts (days): these are essential for Early Warning systems, supporting evacuation planning and real-time emergency response. Primary users include emergency services, municipal authorities, civil protection agencies, and local communities, all of whom depend on timely, accurate, and up-to-date information.

Today, weather data is used by a wide range of global stakeholders, including major investors, asset managers, commodity traders, insurers, and consultants. We believe there is significant potential to enhance and tailor this content to better meet the specific needs of these users and unlock even greater value.

We are now hiring a Head of Business Development & Sales in our Nice (preferred) or Paris office.

This is an opportunity to join a growing and global team that is bringing new and disruptive products to different public and private stakeholders with previously unavailable data which is developed internally and through scientific partnerships.

We are seeking candidates with a strong track record in building businesses, particularly through the development and sale of financial products, technical solutions, or service-based contracts. The ideal candidate will have demonstrated the ability to independently drive business growth and successfully open new markets.

A key requirement for this role is a strong aptitude for business development, coupled with an entrepreneurial mindset and an appetite for shaping products and launching new ventures.

Experience collaborating with diverse stakeholders, particularly scientific or technical teams, is highly valued. The successful candidate will play a key role, when needed, in aligning our product offering with market demands, working closely with developers and technical teams to ensure product-market fit.

As the business grows, the candidate will also be responsible for building and managing a high-performing sales team—recruiting sales executives, setting clear objectives, and overseeing performance in line with the company’s strategic roadmap.

The ideal candidate must therefore have the ability to effectively present science-based, benchmark-driven solutions to a diverse range of clients—including sophisticated, high-level stakeholders. The successful candidate will also be comfortable, on the other hand, championing a technically complex, model-driven product in markets that may be unfamiliar with data-intensive or quantitative approaches—in other words, introducing a disruptive innovation.

Prior experience in developing or selling advanced data products that involve modeling or quantitative elements (e.g., weather forecasting, risk modeling, or climate analytics) will be considered a significant advantage.

The role also involves active lead generation and hands-on business development, including regular travel to engage with clients—initially focused on the European market. A high degree of autonomy is expected in executing the business roadmap, adapting the product to meet market demands, and providing structured, ongoing feedback to senior stakeholders and partners.

Compensation is competitive but highly dependent on meeting sales targets. 

To apply for this offer, please send a CV and a cover letter to: [email protected].