Aviation faces an existential crisis due to its climate impact, with no apparent roadmap for meaningful carbon reduction, let alone meeting Paris Agreement emissions targets. That is where Universal Hydrogen (UH2) comes into play. Our aspiration is to fuel the global aircraft fleet with our revolutionary hydrogen modular capsule-based logistics network, which seamlessly links green hydrogen production with consumption without costly fixed infrastructure.

With over 200 hydrogen fuel cell regional aircraft under LOI across 16 operators, UH2 is on track to be among the single largest global purchasers of green hydrogen. You are the deal maker that will connect our airline customers with hydrogen producers worldwide. With long-term, high volume contracts you have the opportunity to help create a new global market for green hydrogen.

To fuel our aircraft with the most economical liquid hydrogen, you will develop our liquid hydrogen offtake and sales strategy across most regions globally. Transitioning aviation to hydrogen will define how fuel service needs to evolve, versus the current way jet fuel is exchanged. You will define and negotiate trading mechanisms, risk management strategies, and global partnerships that need to be setup to support the exponential growth planned for our entry into service and beyond. You and your new team will work closely with the wider operations team and the global sales organization to develop the clean hydrogen trading business that will be implemented globally, spearheading the execution of the wider value chain. This is your opportunity to play a critical role in the decarbonization of aviation this decade.

About the Role

• Translate clean hydrogen demand to offtake and sales strategies specific to the regions of operation.
• Negotiate clean hydrogen offtake agreements, and support sales activities to ensure terms, conditions, and pricing is optimal for UH2.
• Develop innovative mechanisms, contractual terms, and hedging strategies to manage UH2 financial risks associated with clean hydrogen trading.
• Make continuous improvements to the trading strategy and terms to ensure that hydrogen is competitive with fossil fuels.
• Develop clean hydrogen offtake, trading, distribution, and sales marketing research and strategy.
• Build a team of hydrogen fuel purchasing, trading, and pricing experts.

About You

• Demonstrated expertise in negotiating energy purchasing/offtake agreements at the decision-maker and C-suite level, preferably with international experience.
• Extensive leadership background in clean hydrogen, renewable energy, or LNG, as well as a wealth of experience in the energy industry (exposure to aviation fueling is a plus).
• Experience in DOT/PHMSA certification of storage/distribution of dangerous goods; exposure to surface transportation of liquid hydrogen highly preferred.
• In-depth knowledge and experience with industry-leading risk management, hedging, and energy trading practices.
• Expertise to develop a completely new business setup for aviation hydrogen fuel management and be comfortable with challenging existing jet fuel and hydrogen reselling standards.
• Ability to work effectively across international borders and time zones, with a focus on our entities in France and California.

About Us

At Universal Hydrogen, our mission is to fuel carbon-free flight and reduce the climate impact of air travel. We are stitching together the end-to-end hydrogen value chain for aviation, both for hydrogen fuel and hydrogen-powered airplanes. We are building a transport and logistics network that moves hydrogen from production facilities to airports over the existing freight infrastructure, eliminating the need for costly new pipelines and storage facilities. Our system utilizes specialized capsules that safely store hydrogen during transit and also act as modular fuel tanks that load directly onto aircraft. We are also developing powertrain conversion kits to retrofit existing airplanes and enable new airplanes to fly on hydrogen. Founded by former executives from Airbus, United Technologies, Google, and DARPA, and backed by investors such as Playground Global, JetBlue, Toyota, and Airbus, we are convinced that hydrogen is the best and only scalable solution to truly decarbonize aviation, and we want to bring it to market decades sooner—by 2025.

We strive for a culture that is empowered, collaborative, open, and human-centered. We are driven by a sense of urgency to address climate change through the near-term decarbonization of commercial aviation. We recognize that people have a diverse set of preferences for work conditions and hours that optimize for their overall productivity and wellness, and both our cloud-based IT setup and flexible work policy reflects this. However, because we are building physical products, most roles will require working at our facility at Hawthorne Airport in Los Angeles most of the time.

Our compensation and benefits package promotes transparency, equitability, and long-term employee well-being, while rewarding individual and team performance. This includes cash bonuses and significant equity participation for all salaried employees, employer-paid health insurance coverage, generous parental leave, a pet-friendly headquarters located at Hawthorne Airport in Los Angeles, and generous paid time off. As a young company, we are actively working to expand the benefits we provide—including childcare, retirement, parental, and mental health benefits—and we’re always open to feedback on what’s most important to you. 

We know that no two candidates are the same, and we want to give you the opportunity to present yourself in the best way possible. Don’t hesitate to let us know how we can support a great recruitment process for you—whether that includes off-hours interview scheduling, captioning/transcription services, or other accommodations. We value diversity in all its forms, and encourage people from all backgrounds to apply, especially if you share in our mission to decarbonize air travel.

Our total compensation for this position can range from $149,800 to $219,800. The ranges provided are our reasonable estimate of the base and total compensation for this role. The actual amounts may vary based on factors such as experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities related to the position.

Please note that for the health and safety of our employees, we require all employees to provide proof of up-to-date COVID-19 vaccinations as recommended by the CDC (or a valid exemption).