Partnership Lead

Location: Cambridge, UK
Company: Tai San Motors Ltd
Employment: Full-time

Tai San is developing next-generation sodium battery technology, with a particular focus on advanced electrolyte systems and high-performance battery cells for applications including mobility, robotics, industrial systems and energy storage.

As we scale our technology, customer programmes and strategic collaborations, we are looking for a Partnership Lead to develop and manage relationships with customers, industrial partners, research organisations and strategic stakeholders.

The Partnership Lead will be responsible for identifying, developing and managing strategic partnerships for Tai San.

This is not a purely commercial sales position. The successful candidate must have a strong technical understanding of battery technology, particularly sodium-ion / sodium-metal batteries and electrolyte systems
, and be comfortable holding detailed technical discussions with engineers, scientists, OEMs and battery manufacturers.

You will act as a key interface between Tai San's technical team and external partners, helping translate customer requirements into technical programmes, pilot projects and long‑term commercial relationships.

Develop and manage strategic partnerships with battery manufacturers, OEMs, mobility companies, energy‑storage companies and other industrial partners.

Lead technical and commercial discussions with prospective customers and partners.

Understand Tai San's sodium battery and electrolyte technologies sufficiently to independently present the technology and respond to technical questions.

Discuss topics including electrolyte chemistry, cell architecture, electrode compatibility, cell performance, safety, manufacturing processes and scale‑up.

Understand customer battery requirements including energy density, cycle life, C-rate, operating temperature, safety, cell format and integration requirements.

Work closely with Tai San's scientists and engineers to translate customer requirements into technical development programmes.

Develop pilot programmes, technical collaborations, joint development agreements, MoUs and commercial partnerships.

Coordinate sample evaluations, battery‑cell testing and customer validation programmes.

Prepare technical‑commercial presentations, proposals and partnership documentation.

Build and maintain relationships with senior technical and commercial stakeholders across the battery ecosystem.

Represent Tai San at industry conferences, exhibitions, customer meetings and technical workshops.

Identify new market opportunities and strategic partners across the UK, Europe and internationally.

Maintain a structured partnership pipeline and ensure timely follow‑up with prospective customers.

Support negotiations relating to commercial agreements, development programmes and long‑term supply opportunities.

Provide market and customer feedback to the technical and management teams to help guide product development and commercial strategy.

The successful candidate should have a good understanding of battery technology and be able to confidently discuss topics such as:

Sodium‑ion and/or sodium‑metal batteries

Lithium‑ion battery technology

Liquid, polymer, gel or solid‑state electrolytes

Electrolyte formulation and electrochemical performance

Cathode and anode materials

Battery‑cell architecture and pouch‑cell development

Ionic conductivity and electrochemical stability

Cycle life, Coulombic efficiency and degradation

C‑rate and fast‑charging performance

Energy and power density

Battery safety and thermal behaviour

Cell manufacturing and scale‑up

Battery testing and validation

Detailed expertise in every area is not required, but the…