The Overlooked Roles Powering Climate Tech Start-up Success
Why do some climate tech start-ups scale while others stall? It is not enough to hire engineers or data scientists alone. Success depends on roles that bridge the gap between technology, policy, market, and measurable impact.
In this article, we highlight key non-technical roles such as Commercial Leads, Policy Generalists, Customer Success Managers with sustainability expertise, Community and Partnerships Managers, and Impact Analysts. We look at how they help early-stage ventures succeed. We also explain why recent geo-political tremors mean that these roles are more relevant than ever.
Why technical talent is not enough
Climate tech start-ups tend to focus early hiring on engineers, scientists, and product developers. This makes sense, as technical innovation forms the backbone of the sector. But product alone is not a business. Without commercial traction, policy alignment, and credible impact reporting, even the most technically impressive solution can falter.
In June 2025, Business Insider reported that climate start-ups in the United States are facing a severe slowdown following cuts to federal clean energy tax credits and Department of Energy (DOE) funding. Some have paused operations or exited the market entirely, with founders describing the environment as a “graveyard of companies.”
These policy shifts highlight the limits of technical hiring. When market conditions change, start-ups need people who can respond strategically - by rethinking revenue models, navigating new regulations, or shifting geographies. That is where overlooked roles become essential.
The overlooked roles that build resilience
Here are some critical roles that are often under-prioritised in climate tech hiring but directly shape early-stage outcomes. We aren’t saying that these roles need to be full-time people. That is one option, but there are great ‘fractional’ advisers available, as well as agencies or other third party resources.
Commercial Lead
This role connects the technical vision to real-world demand. A Commercial Lead identifies product-market fit, secures early customers, builds sales pipelines, and ensures the climate value proposition is clear. They understand both how to monetise innovation and how to position it in an impact-driven ecosystem.
Product Manager with sector depth
While product management is common in tech, climate tech products often have unique regulatory, scientific, or operational constraints. A Product Manager with sector depth—whether that’s energy systems, agriculture, transport, or carbon markets—can align cross-functional teams and ensure the product solves real-world problems.
This person bridges engineering and end-users, translates scientific findings into design choices, and builds features that reflect not just user needs but also policy constraints and climate goals. They also ensure that impact metrics are embedded into product architecture from the start, supporting reporting and verification downstream.
Marketing and Communications Lead
In the early stages, founders often lead on storytelling—but this quickly becomes unsustainable. A Marketing and Communications Lead takes on the critical work of building visibility, shaping the company narrative, generating leads, and establishing trust. In climate tech, the stakes are higher: the right messaging can clarify complex science, build credibility with investors, and accelerate customer adoption.
A good comms lead can turn impact reports into compelling case studies, translate policy wins into media coverage, and drive inbound through content marketing. This is especially valuable when operating in emerging markets or new categories where education is part of the sale.
Policy Specialist
Climate regulation is complex and constantly shifting. A Policy Specialist monitors changes, interprets laws, and guides internal decisions. They also build relationships with regulators, which can be critical during pilot phases or when applying for subsidies and grants.
Customer Success Manager (CSM) with sustainability expertise
CSMs typically ensure clients stay happy and engaged, but in climate tech, they also help customers understand complex environmental metrics and integrate those into their operations. A sustainability-savvy CSM can reduce churn, increase upsell opportunities, and turn customers into advocates.
Community and Partnerships Manager
This person connects the start-up to the wider ecosystem. They build bridges to NGOs, local governments, universities, and corporates. These connections often result in pilots, media exposure, grant opportunities, or valuable feedback loops.
Office Manager or Operations Coordinator
While not glamorous, the role of an Office Manager - or more broadly, an Operations Coordinator - is vital to keeping start-ups running smoothly. From handling scheduling and expense reports to managing internal systems, onboarding, and vendor relationships, this person frees up the rest of the team to focus on core work.
In lean teams, administrative overload can derail momentum. A capable office manager becomes the operational glue. They ensure team members are not buried in logistics and can focus on delivering technical, commercial, or impact outcomes. They also often double as culture champions—setting the tone for how people collaborate, celebrate wins, and communicate during crunch periods.
Automation Specialist
Efficiency is everything in early-stage start-ups, especially in resource-constrained environments. An Automation Specialist can design and deploy low-code or AI-driven tools to streamline repetitive tasks across sales, onboarding, compliance, hiring, and customer support.
This role might build workflows that extract impact data from IoT sensors into dashboards, automate regulatory form submissions, or integrate AI chatbots into customer success pipelines. The result is reduced manual work, better use of talent, and a faster pace of execution. In climate tech, where many companies juggle science, compliance, and commercial growth, smart automation buys back time and reduces burnout.
Grant and Fundraising Specialist
For mission-driven start-ups, grants, philanthropic capital, and blended finance are often essential to get through the valley of death. A Grant and Fundraising Specialist identifies opportunities, manages applications, ensures compliance, and builds relationships with climate funders and development finance institutions.
Unlike traditional fundraising roles focused solely on VC, this person understands the language and strategy of grant-makers. They know how to articulate impact, coordinate with policy teams, and report on fund use. In Europe, where Horizon and national-level climate grants are expanding, having this expertise in-house can unlock critical non-dilutive capital.
Impact Analyst
Investors and customers increasingly expect measurable results. An Impact Analyst helps quantify climate outcomes - emissions reduced, energy saved, biodiversity protected etc - and ensures those numbers are robust and verifiable. These professionals work across teams to build models, collect data, and deliver reports that stand up to scrutiny.
In July 2025, Politico cited a Morgan Stanley survey in which 56% of companies said they already experience direct business impacts from climate change. That statistic creates pressure on start-ups to show their impact with rigour and clarity. Firms with dedicated impact staff are better prepared to meet that challenge.
Why these roles are urgent now
The climate tech funding environment is increasingly volatile. In the United States, President Trump’s proposed budget would reduce clean energy and climate tech funding by $3.7 billion compared to the previous year, according to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ). The Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office saw delays or rollbacks, which disproportionately affect early-stage firms.
Start-ups that had Policy Generalists on staff were able to pivot faster, apply for remaining grants, or explore international markets. For example, several US founders are reportedly relocating to Europe to access EU subsidies and carbon markets, as detailed in Business Insider’s coverage (Business Insider).
Elsewhere, PitchBook reported that some climate companies are repositioning themselves to appeal to defense-sector investors, using messaging like “climate security” or “resilient infrastructure.” These pivots were often led by Commercial teams and Communications staff who could understand investor psychology and realign the narrative (PitchBook).
Hiring for resilience and alignment
When hiring for these roles, the strongest candidates tend to share a set of attributes. They move comfortably across functions, work well with technical and non-technical teams, and stay aligned with the mission under pressure.
Cross-functional agility is key. A Policy Generalist should be able to work with product managers and regulators. A CSM must explain emissions data clearly to both customers and internal engineers. Mission alignment matters too. Start-ups working on long-term systemic change need people who care about climate and are motivated by more than financial outcomes.
Resilience is another essential quality. The climate tech space moves fast, and teams often face sudden shifts in policy, funding, or market conditions. People who thrive in ambiguity and show initiative tend to stick around and contribute at key moments.
Strong communication is critical. Non-technical hires often serve as translators—making sure impact data is clear, helping sales teams understand science, or supporting policy engagement.
Finally, collaboration and trust are fundamental. Many of these roles exist to connect the dots between internal teams, investors, customers, regulators, and partners. That requires emotional intelligence and a shared sense of purpose.
Structuring ethical, diverse, and sustainable teams
Mission-driven companies need structures that reflect their values. Hiring underappreciated but high-impact roles is part of that, but so is investing in long-term team wellbeing and inclusion.
Founders can embed ethics and resilience through specific practices:
Set clear expectations early. Talk about values and feedback from the first onboarding conversation. Align incentives around outcomes that matter—climate impact, trust, transparency—not just speed or growth.
Encourage continuous learning. Provide team-wide access to training on climate science, policy updates, customer research, and inclusive leadership. Many start-ups also invite guest speakers from the communities they aim to serve.
Support wellbeing as strategy. Flexible hours, mental health support, and paid time off are not perks—they are essential tools for avoiding burnout in a high-stakes sector.
Invest in diversity at every level. Diverse teams make better decisions, attract broader partnerships, and build more equitable products. This is especially true in climate tech, where disproportionate burdens fall on the Global South, low-income communities, and marginalised groups.
Building your climate tech team for impact
The world’s most promising climate innovations will not succeed on technical brilliance alone. They need the backing of agile, ethical, impact-driven teams that can navigate real-world systems. Now is the time for founders and investors to rethink hiring priorities.
Founders and early teams should start by identifying gaps in expertise that are not technical. Do you understand the policy risk around your product? Can you translate its impact to customers and investors? Are you building real partnerships with your community?
Start by mapping key growth barriers and aligning hires accordingly. If adoption is slow, consider bringing on a sustainability-literate CSM. If regulations are shifting, prioritise a Policy Specialist, even for a short-term assignment. If impact claims are getting scrutiny, hire an Impact Analyst who can build a strong data framework.
These roles should be part of leadership conversations from the beginning. They are not add-ons. They are essential to building the kind of climate tech company that can scale with integrity and resilience.
If you are building a climate tech company, ask yourself:
Have we filled the key non-technical roles that drive adoption, trust, and resilience?
Are we prepared for policy shifts and funding cycles?
Can we back up our impact claims with credible data?
If not, now is the time to act. Reach out to Nexus for guidance on talent strategy and access to a network of climate-literate professionals.
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