Sparkfund is an energy transition partner built to accelerate the energy transition by transforming the built environment into a productive, resilient, climate-adapted extension of the grid. We do this by partnering with utilities and building owners to provide program management, project implementation, and financing services and capabilities to our partners' customers. Together, we are creating a more equitable, resilient, and sustainable energy future.
Position Summary
Sparkfund is hiring experienced sales professionals to work closely with our Utility Partner to originate and develop innovative energy efficiency projects for commercial and industrial customers. These roles will be responsible for building and maintaining strong relationships with customers, prospecting and originating project opportunities for these customers, and coordinating within our Utility Partner’s and Sparkfund’s teams and organization to develop and pitch project proposals to customers. These are new roles within Sparkfund that will play a critical role in a new area of growth for Sparkfund.
These roles will be employed by Sparkfund but will be seconded to our Utility Partner. These team members will have access to our Utility Partner’s office, systems, equipment, training materials, and other information and resources necessary to successfully engage and sell to their customers.
These roles can be Sr. Manager- or Director-level, depending on experience. These roles will directly report to a Director on Sparkfund’s Customer Solutions team, but they will also indirectly report to the Sparkfund Program Manager who manages our relationship with this Utility Partner as well as to our Utility Partner’s Program Manager.
These roles require entrepreneurial and strategic sales professionals with strong communication and organization skills who are hungry and driven to make an impact with the company and the communities we aid.
Location & Travel
This is a hybrid role requiring 2-3 days in our Utility Partner’s Minneapolis, MN office every couple of weeks, at least. Candidates must be based in Minneapolis-St. Paul metro areas and must be willing to commute to the office regularly.
This role will also require 10-20% travel to customer offices and locations for scheduled meetings, pitches, presentations, etc. Additionally, we expect you to travel to Denver, CO and / or other US cities for organized team and / or company gatherings to collaborate with other members of the team / company, learn the ins and outs of our business, and contribute to our company culture.
Key Responsibilities
- Prospect and identify leads for our Utility Partner’s energy efficiency program in close collaboration with customers as well as internal and external teams.
- Lead the development and presentation of energy efficiency and electrification projects and proposals, coordinating with internal stakeholders within the Utility and Sparkfund to ensure timely development and ensuring the customer’s needs are represented and accounted for at all stages of development.
- Lead and coordinate contract presentation, negotiation, and execution.
- Develop, manage, and forecast sales strategy to achieve or exceed the set quota for the program, including creating and managing a sales plan, monitoring sales performance, and adjusting strategies as needed to hit or exceed quota.
- Establish and maintain relationships with customers, communicating regularly to understand their needs, provide project updates, and ensure customer satisfaction.
- Monitor and track industry developments, competitors, market intelligence, and pricing strategies, sharing trends and findings with the wider team.
Required Skills & Qualifications
- 5-10 years of sales experience within the utilities or energy industries.
- Effective ability to build and maintain relationships and trust internally and externally, including a consultative approach to relationship management and meeting preparation (organized, anticipatory, goal-oriented).
- Strong written and verbal communication skills with an ability to communicate effectively for different audiences, including technical and non-technical audiences as well as audiences at different levels of an organization.
- A self-starter with the initiative and drive to identify and do what it takes to deliver outcomes as well as the growth mindset to strive to improve.
- Proven ability to demonstrate good judgment and composure in difficult situations and with incomplete information.
- Experience effectively managing multiple projects and priorities simultaneously with the demonstrated mental agility and ability to switch between contexts quickly.
Preferred Skills & Qualifications
- Proficient financial acumen, including a strong understanding of project economics as well as energy project financing solutions (leases, loans, etc.).
- Proficient technical acumen, including experience with one or more (ideally more) of our core technologies: HVAC, building controls, solar, battery storage, generation, EVSE, or lighting.
- Experience using pricing tools to model project economics across different contracting structures.
- Familiarity with the energy services and financing industries, including financing solutions, leases, loans, or as-a-service agreements.
- Competency in software and cloud-based information management tools – especially with Salesforce, Google Workspace, Slack, Asana, Excel, PowerPoint, and/or project management tools.
- Dedication to what we’re building at Sparkfund and a passion for combating climate change.
- Competitive compensation and stock option plans - we believe in shared ownership.
- Comprehensive benefits package including medical, vision, and dental insurance as well as disability and life insurance.
- Flexible vacation policy and observance of all federal holidays.
- 8 weeks gender-neutral paid leave for caregivers when they have a new addition to their families and an additional 4 weeks of paid leave for birthing parents.
- A one-time, work-from-home stipend to help cover any equipment, hardware, etc. you need to set up your remote office.
- A monthly allowance of $100 to help cover phone and WiFi expenses.
We Want You To Know
You can be a great candidate even if you don't fit everything we've described above. You can also have important skills we haven't thought of. If that's you, don't hesitate to apply and tell us about yourself. We are dedicated to environmental stewardship, and recognize we need diverse perspectives to successfully tackle this massive challenge. To change the world, we must first change ourselves, which is why Sparkfund has created a space that sources viewpoints from people who look and think differently.
We are committed to diversity and building an equitable and inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds and experiences, and we're taking steps to meet that commitment. Sparkfund is an Equal Opportunity Employer and provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. Sparkfund will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records consistent with federal, state, and local legal requirements.
What We Do
Sparkfund powers organizations by providing access to the latest energy technology in a new and better way—through a simple monthly subscription model backed by a no risk guarantee. We partner with contractors, ESCOs, manufacturers, utilities, and energy retailers to deliver the Sparkfund Technology Subscription, transforming how businesses implement energy technology. Sparkfund seeks to create positive change for the world by deploying solutions that make good business sense and are good for the planet.
