The Role
Lead regional business development for utility and heavy industrial markets, build executive relationships, identify early-stage projects, position engineered power solutions (STATCOM/SVC, MV/HV equipment), support proposals and commercial negotiations, and manage a 12–36 month pipeline with quarterly forecasts.
Summary Generated by Built In
Job Summary:
The Senior Business Development Manager will be a key driver of strategic revenue growth within the electric utility and heavy industrial sectors. This includes a diverse client base such as investor-owned utilities, municipal utilities, renewable developers, EPC firms, mining, oil & gas, data centers, and large industrial facilities.
This role is responsible for identifying new market opportunities, cultivating deep key account relationships, influencing project specifications at early stages, and ultimately expanding market share for our utility-class electrical equipment and engineered power solutions. The ideal candidate will possess extensive experience in Transmission & Distribution (T&D) or heavy industrial power systems, reactive power compensation, electrical substations, and MV/HV equipment.
Key Responsibilities:
Minimum Qualifications:
Preferred Qualifications:
Performance Metrics:
Thank you for your interest in Southern States LLC. At this time, we are only considering candidates who are authorized to work in the United States and who will not require sponsorship now or in the future. We appreciate your understanding and wish you success in your job search.
The Senior Business Development Manager will be a key driver of strategic revenue growth within the electric utility and heavy industrial sectors. This includes a diverse client base such as investor-owned utilities, municipal utilities, renewable developers, EPC firms, mining, oil & gas, data centers, and large industrial facilities.
This role is responsible for identifying new market opportunities, cultivating deep key account relationships, influencing project specifications at early stages, and ultimately expanding market share for our utility-class electrical equipment and engineered power solutions. The ideal candidate will possess extensive experience in Transmission & Distribution (T&D) or heavy industrial power systems, reactive power compensation, electrical substations, and MV/HV equipment.
Key Responsibilities:
- Strategic Business Development:
- Develop and execute a comprehensive regional growth strategy tailored for utility and heavy industrial markets.
- Proactively identify upcoming capital projects, including substations, transmission upgrades, grid modernization initiatives, and industrial expansions.
- Strategically position company solutions at the pre-specification stage, early in the project lifecycle.
- Manage and track a robust project pipeline with a 12–36-month horizon.
- Account Management & Relationship Development:
- Build and sustain executive-level relationships with key stakeholders across utility engineering & procurement teams, EPC firms, engineering consultants, industrial plant managers, and electrical engineers.
- Act as a trusted advisor, offering expertise on system reliability, power quality, and grid compliance solutions.
- Champion a "Best in Class" customer experience throughout the entire client journey.
- Technical & Commercial Leadership:
- Lead the technical solution positioning for critical offerings, including:
- STATCOM/SVC and other reactive power compensation solutions
- HV & MV substation-class capacitor bank solutions
- Sub-Cycle Transfer & Disconnect Switches
- Advanced Grid Modernization products
- Lead the technical solution positioning for critical offerings, including:
- Collaborate closely with engineering teams to develop compelling proposals and effective bid strategies.
- Provide support for RFP/RFQ responses and lead commercial negotiations.
- Market Intelligence & Strategy:
- Continuously monitor industry trends to identify unmet needs, informing the development of new products and solutions.
- Track interconnection queues, capital budgets, regulatory filings, and infrastructure investments.
- Identify competitive threats and market gaps to refine strategic approaches.
- Provide accurate quarterly revenue forecasts and comprehensive territory reporting.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, or a related field; Electrical Engineering preferred, or equivalent practical experience.
- 10+ years of progressive experience in one or more of the following:
- Electrical utility sales
- Oil & Gas/Petro-Chemical industry
- Heavy industrial power systems
- T&D equipment sales
- Proven track record of successfully closing multi-million-dollar capital equipment deals.
- Strong understanding of:
- Transmission & distribution systems
- Substation design and equipment
- Utility procurement processes
- Ability to effectively manage long sales cycles (typically 6–36 months).
Preferred Qualifications:
- Direct experience selling:
- MV/HV switchgear & substation-class switches
- FACTS devices (STATCOM/SVC)
- HV/MV capacitor banks
- Substation automation solutions
- Knowledge of industry standards and regulations, including NERC, FERC, IEEE, and other relevant utility standards.
- Familiarity with EPC bidding structures and interconnection processes (e.g., ERCOT, CAISO, PJM).
- Proficiency in CRM software (e.g., Salesforce).
Performance Metrics:
- Sales pipeline development (Value, Health, and Growth)
- Qualified lead generation and conversion rate
- New customer acquisition
- Key account penetration
- Overall revenue and revenue growth
- Gross margin contribution
Thank you for your interest in Southern States LLC. At this time, we are only considering candidates who are authorized to work in the United States and who will not require sponsorship now or in the future. We appreciate your understanding and wish you success in your job search.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, or related field
- 10+ years progressive experience in electrical utility sales, oil & gas, heavy industrial power systems, or T&D equipment sales
- Proven track record closing multi-million-dollar capital equipment deals
- Strong understanding of transmission and distribution systems
- Knowledge of substation design and equipment
- Familiarity with utility procurement processes
- Ability to manage long sales cycles (typically 6-36 months)
- Authorized to work in the United States and will not require sponsorship now or in the future
- Direct experience selling MV/HV switchgear and substation-class switches
- Experience with FACTS devices (STATCOM/SVC)
- Experience with HV/MV capacitor banks
- Experience with substation automation solutions
- Knowledge of industry standards and regulations (NERC, FERC, IEEE)
- Familiarity with EPC bidding structures and interconnection processes (ERCOT, CAISO, PJM)
- Proficiency in CRM software (Salesforce)
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The Company
What We Do
Southern States, LLC is the world's largest manufacturer of high-voltage disconnect switches and a provider of essential products and services to electric utilities in the U.S. and Canada. The company specializes in high-voltage switching solutions and grid-resiliency technology designed to transfer bulk power, balance loads, and protect critical power infrastructure assets from damaging overcurrents, supporting the electric power grid for over a century.
