Business Development Director - Utilities

The Business Development Director - Utilities is responsible for opening and developing priority utility relationships that create sustainable growth for the Power & Energy business. The role is primarily a new-logo and early-stage relationship-development position: building access to targeted investor-owned utilities, municipal utilities, and electric cooperatives; understanding how each client buys; identifying the right entry point; and creating qualified opportunities that can grow into long-term strategic accounts.

This role works as part of a coordinated commercial team. The Business Development Director leads relationship creation and early opportunity development, while Strategic Account Management focuses on expanding established strategic accounts. Seller-doers, technical leaders, executive sponsors, estimating, and Sales Operations are brought into pursuits at the right time. Success requires disciplined prioritization - focusing resources on the utility accounts where Atwell and NEI have an attractive market opportunity, a credible right to win, and a clear path to meaningful work.

Salary Range: $175,000-$225,000 / year

The salary range above is based upon the Denver, Colorado labor market. NEI bases salaries on the Denver, Colorado labor market for both local and remote team members.

• →Meet or exceed assigned order intake targets while supporting appropriate profitability and pursuit discipline.
• →Build meaningful relationships and executive access within a defined portfolio of priority utility targets rather than broadly pursuing every available opportunity.
• →Create and execute account-entry plans for assigned targets, including relationship maps, buying centers, procurement pathways, incumbent providers, likely entry points, and clear 30/60/90-day actions.
• →Identify the most credible initial opportunity to open a relationship, then coordinate the appropriate technical and commercial resources to pursue it.
• →Develop relationships across multiple levels of the client organization, including business leaders, engineering, project/program leadership, procurement, and other key influencers.
• →Use existing Atwell and NEI relationships, referrals, executive sponsors, seller-doers, industry contacts, and market networks to accelerate access to target accounts.
• →Qualify opportunities before significant pursuit resources are committed, considering strategic fit, relationship strength, client need, funding, timing, competitive position, delivery capacity, profitability, and probability of win.
• →Coordinate with Strategic Account Managers when a developing relationship reaches the point where the primary growth motion shifts from market entry to systematic account expansion.
• →Partner with utility technical leaders and seller-doers to establish technical credibility and translate client needs into solutions across transmission, substations, distribution, system studies, field services, land, environmental, permitting, and other relevant Atwell capabilities.
• →Identify opportunities to bring multiple Atwell capabilities to the client while maintaining one coordinated client experience.
• →Maintain an accurate, current view of assigned accounts, relationships, opportunities, next actions, and expected timing in the CRM.
• →Provide realistic pipeline and order intake forecasts and proactively communicate changes, risks, and resource needs.
• →Capture market intelligence including capital programs, procurement cycles, MSAs and vendor qualification requirements, competitive dynamics, client priorities, and emerging utility needs.
• →Represent the organization at targeted industry events and client meetings where participation directly supports priority-account development.
• →Work with Sales Operations, estimating, pursuit support, and marketing to ensure opportunities move through a consistent commercial process from qualification through proposal and handoff.

• Order intake and qualified pipeline created from assigned utility targets.
• Progress penetrating priority new-logo accounts, including meaningful relationships, executive access, vendor/MSA qualification, and first opportunities.
• Quality and depth of relationship coverage within assigned accounts, not simply number of contacts or meetings.
• Conversion of early-stage targets into qualified pursuits, first wins, and ultimately strategic accounts.
• Forecast accuracy, CRM discipline, and clear next actions across the assigned portfolio.
• Pursuit selectivity and efficient use of technical and estimating resources.
• Collaboration across Power & Energy and the broader Atwell platform, including successful cross-service opportunities

• Demonstrated success developing business with electric utilities, preferably investor-owned utilities, municipal utilities, and/or electric cooperatives.
• Established utility-industry relationships and the ability to create credible access to senior decision-makers are strongly preferred.
• Working knowledge of how utilities plan, procure, qualify vendors, establish MSAs, fund capital programs, and award engineering or construction-related work.
• Ability to understand client needs and credibly coordinate technical discussions involving transmission, substations, distribution, interconnection, system studies, grid modernization, and related infrastructure.
• Strong commercial judgment with the discipline to prioritize the right accounts and opportunities rather than simply maximize bid volume.
• Ability to build trust across commercial and technical teams and work effectively in a seller-doer culture.
• Excellent communication, relationship-building, facilitation, and executive-presence skills.
• Self-motivated, organized, accountable, and comfortable operating in a fast-paced professional-services environment.
• Coachable, curious, and committed to continuous improvement.
• Proficiency with CRM systems and willingness to maintain timely, accurate account and opportunity information.
• Ability to travel regularly for priority client development, industry events, and internal coordination.

Experience: 8+ years of business development, strategic account, utility, engineering, construction, or related industry experience; direct utility-market experience strongly preferred.

Education: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution preferred. Relevant utility-industry experience and relationships may be considered in lieu of a specific degree discipline.

Industry knowledge: Commercial understanding of engineering, construction, and power infrastructure markets.

Work Environment: Office, remote, client, conference, and project-site settings as required.

Travel: Approximately 30-40%, with travel concentrated around priority accounts and targeted industry activity.

Physical Activities: Ability to travel and participate in client/project-site meetings; must be able to lift up to 25 lbs.

Managerial Responsibility: Individual contributor role unless otherwise assigned. Responsible for independently managing assigned account-development plans, priorities, CRM activity, and commitments in coordination with commercial leadership.