Smart Air is a small Beijing-based social enterprise that promotes DIY air purifiers as a low-cost solution to indoor particulate air pollution. We’re a little different from many startups in that we’re out to help solve a serious health problem, not drive Ferraris.

Our goal is simple: We want everyone coping with air pollution to know that there’s no need for them to spend thousands of dollars on air purifiers to keep themselves and their families safe. Why? Because the technology inside of air purifiers is not mysterious, advanced, or costly, a point which is often lost in the marketing of many companies selling more expensive devices.

We work towards this goal by providing low-cost ($33) purifiers backed by open data and responsible testing, and by holding workshops where we teach people about air pollution and how to make their own air purifier.

To date in China we’ve shipped nearly 15,000 of our purifiers and held 35 workshops together with partner organizations around the country, and we’ve got a lot of exciting things in the pipeline here in China. We’re looking for a talented, passionate person to lead that work.

Read more below if you’re interested or tell a friend!

Primary Responsibilities

• Run Stuff: You will have day-to-day overall responsibility for Smart Air in China. The only person you’ll answer to is our founder Tom (who, fortunately for you, is pretty cool). This is a startup, there aren’t many people, and there’s a lot to get done. You will handle the entire gamut of tasks, from setting high-level strategy right down to the nitty gritty of answering individual customer emails. It is not always glamorous, but it is deeply gratifying if you’re the kind of person who gets a kick out of being responsible, reliable, and setting your own schedule.


• Market Us: We’re still learning about the best channels and partners through which to market ourselves. Once again, we’re a startup and we’re self-funded, so you won’t have a ton of money to throw at marketing efforts. You’re going to have to be persistent and creative. Partnerships will be key. So will WeChat. Luckily for you, you’re marketing a great company with great people and a great mission. People want to work with us, and like hearing about us. You’ll figure it out.


• Workshops: You’ll lead workshops for locals and expats on how to build their own air purifiers, and also figure out how we can expand the number of workshops we offer.


• Build Out Retail Channels: We currently sell our products on Taobao and our website. We’d like to expand onto a number of other platforms, among them WeChat retail and e-commerce merchants (JD.com, Suning, etc.). We are also thinking about possibly opening a physical storefront. All this will involve a lot of work, which you will be responsible for carrying forward.


• Oversee New Product Rollout: We’re deep into development of a new air purifier, targeting a late-2015 release date. It will be all the things Smart Air purifiers are now — namely, affordable and effective — in a pretty, user-friendly package. In short, it will be awesome. It will be your job to make sure everyone in China knows about this thing, and to oversee all efforts related to its rollout.


• Media interviews: Tom does many of our interviews, but since he’s based in the US he can’t handle everything. You will be asked to be the face and voice of Smart Air in dealings with a wide variety of media platforms here in China.

There’s more, but those are the high points. It’s a lot of work, but you will have latitude to hire people to help you achieve your goals.

Requirements

We’re looking for someone based in Beijing. Fluency in English is mandatory, and fluency in Mandarin is basically mandatory. (If you’re not at least somewhat conversational, you’ll have to make a good case for why it doesn’t matter.) Doesn’t matter what country you’re from. We’d need a commitment of at least a year, with preference given to those willing to work longer and help grow the business. 


Other than that, we’re flexible as far as previous experience and qualifications are concerned. None of us were experts when we started either!

Salary

Smart Air is still a small social enterprise. We keep our margins as low as possible so that we can help more people afford clean air. The world doesn’t need yet another company trying to pump people for insane profits for clean air. That means we can’t offer huge salaries, companycars, or stock options, but you will get tons of emails from people thanking you for helping them breathe clean air.

That said, the salary for this position will be competitive, in the sense that you will be able to live a comfortable life in Beijing. You won’t be flying first-class to Bali every other weekend, but you also won’t have to go without your creature comforts.

One perk worth mentioning is that you’ll get to work out of our lovely, sunny new office, in an extremely convenient location just across the street from the Australian Embassy in Sanlitun, just a couple minutes’ bike ride from some of Beijing’s best food and nightlife options.

If you’re interested in applying, send your resume (or the link to your LinkedIn page) to matt@smartairfilters.com. Please also include a brief written introduction to yourself, which should explain why you want to work for us, and why you think we should hire you. No need for formal cover letters, just be clear and to the point. That’s it! Looking forward to hearing from you, and please feel free to pass this job description to any friends who you think might be interested.