Co-founder Role/COO

Celeste IQ is looking for a commercial co-founder to own go-to-market and land its first utility customers.

Celeste IQ is a data governance platform for regulated industries, starting with mid-market utilities. It sits between a utility's data and the decisions that depend on it, so operators can trust their records for compliance, operations and AI.

The role
You own everything between a working product and a paying customer. Tim owns product, domain and the technical roadmap; you own revenue and the company's operating rhythm.
In the first 12 months you would:

• Sign the first 2–3 design partners and agree their conversion to full price up front.
• Build the sales motion: buyer, budget line, pricing and a repeatable path through utility procurement.
• Co-lead the pre-seed raise and investor relationships.
• Set up partnerships with the consultancies and vendors that already sell into utilities.
• Run operations as the team grows, including hiring and the 16-month plan.

Who we're looking for
Someone who has sold complex software or services into utilities or similar regulated infrastructure, and wants to build a company rather than join one.

Must have

• A track record of closing enterprise deals with utilities, energy or critical-infrastructure buyers.
• Existing relationships with the people who sign off on data, compliance or operations spend.
• Comfort working before there is a salary, a brand or a sales team.
• The judgment to disagree with the founder and still ship together.

Good to have

• Experience raising early-stage capital or working closely with investors.
• Background in data governance, GIS, asset management or compliance software.
• Prior time as a founder or first commercial hire at a startup.

What's on offer
This is a co-founder seat with founder-level equity, not an early-employee grant.

• Title: Co-founder, with COO or CRO to suit your background.
• Equity: a founder stake with standard vesting and a cliff, agreed together and documented by company counsel.
• Salary: deferred until the round closes, then a funded role in the 16-month plan.
• Scope: a full partner in company decisions, including the raise and the first hires.