Location: Paris, France

ER Ocean Recherche is redesigning the future of fashion materials through a pioneering approach at the intersection of material design, biotechnology, and environmental responsibility. We are at the forefront of sustainable material innovation, creating eco-friendly alternatives to traditional high-polluting materials, for the circular economy. We convert marine biomass into a portfolio of: polymers, textiles and coated canvas, and ocean rubber. Our primary products, made from organic ocean-based materials, are designed to be high-performance and, at the same time, to reduce environmental impact. We collaborate with local partners along the Atlantic coast of France to support the ocean ecosystem. We have a strong commitment towards ocean conservation.

Our journey started with the CEO Eugène Riconneaus (https://www.eugenericonneaus.com/), a creative director and circular designer with over 15 years of experience in the fashion and luxury industry. Eugène Riconneaus started experimenting with marine biomass in his artworks and collections, resulting in exhibitions at the MoMA in New York, at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, and more. His work explores bio fabrication, biomimicry, and nanostructured marine materials, extending beyond mere technical development. For ER Ocean Recherche, integrating art, science and culture is central to our mission: not only to create materials aligned with the industry trends, but also to actively work to shift consumer behavior through a cultural transformation, inspiring a deeper connection with marine ecosystems.

Role overview
We are a young, human-sized startup seeking a dynamic and multi-skilled individual, able to navigate a fast-growing environment. We are looking for an intern for 6 months / 1 year, or an apprenticeship of 1-2 years. As a Founder’s Executive, you will be the right hand to our C-Levels and a key player in driving strategic initiatives across commercial development, production, fundraising, and project management. You will be exposed to high-level decision-making, investor relations, international partnerships, and the next-gen material ecosystem. You will also work closely with the R&D team to accelerate the time-to-market of our new materials. For this role, an expertise in next-gen materials is a strong nice-to-have. This role requires a strong business acumen. You will work together with other teams and stakeholders (like manufacturing partners and laboratories) to ensure alignment in planning and strategy, and a compelling brand narrative that highlights the unique value of ER Ocean Recherche’s materials. At ER Ocean Recherche, the creative direction and consistency are crucial drivers of growth, and your work will have to reflect our design-driven ethos and aesthetic appeal. This opportunity is a front-row seat in one of Europe’s most exciting positive-impact startups – And obviously you will not be required just to seat and look, you will engage in driving progress.

Responsibilities
Project Management:
- Oversee multiple projects from conception through commercialization.
- Ensure projects are completed on time, within budget, and meet quality standards.
- Conduct market research to identify new opportunities, potential clients, partners and emerging trends.
- Prepare presentations for key meetings with partners and public institutions.

Commercial and Fundraising support:
- Participate in preparing investor materials (business plans, pitch decks, updates, data room).
- Perform grant applications to fund commercial scaling.
- Commercial development, including implementation of sales strategies to drive growth in new and existing markets.
- Represent the company at industry events and conferences to promote our product.

Operational support:
- Support the planning of ER Ocean Recherche’s goals and resources allocation.
- Help standardize processes and contribute to internal documentation.
- Help craft compelling brand narratives and storytelling strategies to present ER Ocean Recherche’s products effectively to clients and the market.

Qualifications:
Education: currently pursuing or recently completed a degree in Business, Marketing, Sustainability, Material Engineering, or a related field. The candidate needs to be at the end of their education, with at least 3-4 years of secondary education (depending on the different schools and countries).

Skills:
- Fluent French (mandatory: several stakeholders in our ecosystem speak only French) and English (mandatory: we negotiate with international clients and need to join international events and conferences)
- Strong analytical and research skills.
- Excellent project management and organizational skills.
- Outstanding communication and interpersonal abilities.
- A good understanding of financial concepts such as reporting, balance sheet creation, cash flow and income statements, as well as forecasting, valuations, and also invoice management, is a nice-to-have.
- Experience with sales, CRM tools, or market research is a plus.

Benefits:
- Competitive salary based on experience.
- Flexible work-life balance.
- Opportunities for professional growth and development.
- Being part of a mission-driven company focused on sustainability.

Location: Paris, France

We are a young, human-sized startup seeking a dynamic and multi-skilled individual. This role requires expertise in polymer science, particularly in creating biopolymers from seaweed, rubber, and other natural sources, as well as strong business acumen to expand our market presence. We develop our materials in-house: to develop our first materials, we collaborated with partners that have their own laboratories, and we are now establishing our own first lab. After developing our materials, we patent them. The mass scale production of our materials is not in-house, we work closely with partners that have their own production facilities. This role will include giving instructions to our production partners. Before the go-to-market of a new material, a series of assessments have to be performed and certifications have to be obtained, and your role will ensure that this phase will work out as smoothly and quickly as possible.

Responsibilities:
Material development:
- Lead the research and development of new bio-based materials, like fiber, leather alternatives, polymers and other sustainable alternatives.
- Formulate and test new compositions for leather alternatives, bio plastics, rubber alternatives and ocean fibers.
- Explore scalable methods to process and refine marine or plant-based raw materials and extraction and purification techniques.
- Iterate and improve our current products to industry standard.
- Collaborate with lab partners to develop prototypes, test formulations and refine production processes.
- Conduct lab-scale experiments (e.g. mixing, compounding, curing) to optimize polymeric systems.
- Enhance existing analysis methods to ensure reliable, repeatable assessments of material properties.
- Work closely with suppliers, production teams, and designers to align technical feasibility with design goals and market needs.
- Implement sustainable and circular supply chain strategy.
- Organize internal and third-party material and product testing.
- Support CTO in IP development, managing the lab and equipment.
- Collaborate with production teams, partners, and labs to scale up manufacturing processes.

Project Management:
- Oversee multiple projects from conception through commercialization.
- Contribute to R&D project planning with key milestones and deliverable with risk management and cost management.
- Maintain clear documentation of developments and findings to ensure smooth communication across all stakeholders.
- Ensure projects are completed on time, within budget, and meet quality standards.
- Conduct market research to identify new opportunities and trends.

Qualifications:
Education: PhD in Polymer Science, Materials Science, Biomaterials, Chemical Engineering, Polymer / Plastic Engineering or a related field.

Experience:
- 5+ years in polymer science with a focus on biopolymers.
- Proven track record in business development and sales, preferably in the sustainable next-gen materials sector.
- Hands-on lab experience in experimental design and execution.
- Familiarity with polymer or textile manufacturing is advantageous.
- Previous exposure to start-up environments, innovation labs, or pilot-scale projects is a plus.

Skills:
- Fluent English (mandatory: we negotiate with international clients and need to join international events and conferences).
- Strong knowledge of bio-based materials and their applications.
- Strong knowledge of chemistry, molecular structures, and analytical techniques (e.g. rheology, spectroscopy, mechanical testings).
- Excellent project management and organizational skills.
- Outstanding communication and interpersonal abilities.
- Patent-related knowledge is a nice to have.

Benefits:
- Competitive salary based on experience.
- Flexible work-life balance.
- Opportunities for professional growth and development.
- Being part of a mission-driven company focused on sustainability.

Qualities we are looking for:
- Someone entrepreneurial, who wants to or has been one before, who can bring significant energy and positivity & throw themselves into leading areas.
- Someone who is very dynamic, who can switch between roles quickly, jumping from task to task, in particular, in terms of putting out fires.
- Someone who is highly productive and loves to get things done, who can kill topics & tasks within a day.
- Someone who is humble. This job deals with highly strategic north star metrics and topics alongside administrative, operational tasks.
- Comfortable in adapting to new methods and equipment with minimal direct training.
- Ability to analyze data, troubleshoot processes, and propose creative solutions.

Location: Paris, France

We are a young, human-sized startup seeking a dynamic and multi-skilled individual. This role requires expertise in polymer science, particularly in creating biopolymers from seaweed, rubber, and other natural sources, as well as strong business acumen to expand our market presence. We develop our materials in-house: to develop our first materials, we collaborated with partners that have their own laboratories, and we are now establishing our own first lab. For this reason, your role will involve managing the partners with whom we will still have to collaborate, and leading the work to set up our lab. A crucial part of this role includes the creation of a strong R&D team, that you will lead as the Head of R&D.

After developing our materials, we patent them, and you will provide a key support in the submission of these patents.

The mass scale production of our materials is not in-house, we work closely with partners that have their own production facilities. This role will include giving instructions to our production partners.

Before the go-to-market of a new material, a series of assessments have to be performed and certifications have to be obtained, and your role will ensure that this phase will work out as smoothly and quickly as possible.

You are responsible for the product development strategy, the creation of a great team to ensure continued business growth, the cultivation of partnerships and the achievement of a product-market fit for our materials.

Responsibilities:
Material Development:
- Lead the research and development of new bio-based materials.
- Formulate and test new compositions for leather alternatives, bio plastics, rubber alternatives and ocean fibers.
- Iterate and improve our current products to industry standard.
- Implement sustainable and circular supply chain strategy.
- Organize internal and third-party material and product testing.
- Define our IP development.
- Manage the lab and equipment.
- Collaborate with production teams, partners, and labs to scale up manufacturing processes.

Project Management:
- Oversee multiple projects from conception through commercialization.
- Contribute to R&D project planning with key milestones and deliverable with risk management and cost management.
- Ensure projects are completed on time, within budget, and meet quality standards.
- Conduct market research to identify new opportunities and trends.

Sales and business development:
- Develop and implement sales strategies to drive growth in new and existing markets.
- Engage with clients to understand their needs and maintain relationships with key clients, industry partners, and institutions.
- Represent the company at industry events and conferences to promote our products.

Qualifications:
Education: PhD in Polymer Science, Materials Science, or a related field.

Experience:
- 7+ years in polymer science with a focus on biopolymers.
- Proven track record in leading R&D teams, preferably in the sustainable next-gen materials sector.
- Proven track record in business development and sales, preferably in the sustainable next-gen materials sector.
- Patent-related activities, like drafting and submission.

Skills:
- Fluent French (mandatory: several stakeholders in our ecosystem speak only French) and English (mandatory: we negotiate with international clients and need to join international events and conferences).
- Strong knowledge of bio-based materials and their applications.
- Excellent project management and organizational skills.
- Outstanding communication and interpersonal abilities.

Benefits:
- Competitive salary based on experience.
- Flexible work-life balance.
- Opportunities for professional growth and development.
- Being part of a mission-driven company focused on sustainability.