Director, Business Development – Utilities

Director, Business Development – Utilities  
Modern Hydrogen   
Woodinville, WA - Full Time – Remote

The Director of Business Development - Utilities will be responsible for driving transformative revenue growth through the strategic identification, qualification, and closure of large-scale, high-value customer opportunities in the utilities space. This is an elite, individual contributor sales leadership role requiring exceptional relationship-building skills, technical aptitude, and the ability to navigate complex enterprise-level sales cycles. 

As the Director of Business Development - Utilities, you will establish customer relationships and increase market share with new and existing customers. Your ability to collaborate with utilities and their Commercial & Industrial customers is critically important. You must be comfortable working with various technical and non-technical stakeholders at all levels from program managers to field operations, to the most senior executives at corporate, operations, and business development levels. 

This is a remote role which requires ~50% travel to engage with customers and attend industry events. 

Modern Hydrogen is a Seattle-based cleantech startup.  We decarbonize natural gas into clean hydrogen at the point of use. With $100MM in venture capital raised from world-renowned investors including Bill Gates to support our vision, we are seeking best-in-class talent to accelerate our impact. The race to decarbonize the planet is on, and our technology has enormous potential to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors of the economy.   

Key Responsibilities:  

• Define and analyze critical new business development opportunities, developing and executing capture/growth strategies to influence stakeholders and secure wins.  

• Drive the full capture and business development lifecycle, from opportunity identification through contract finalization, tailoring the technical approach and value proposition to address each customer's unique needs, issues, and challenges.  

• Leverage an extensive professional network and industry expertise to proactively engage with C-suite and senior decision-makers at leading natural gas utilities.  

• Conduct in-depth customer discovery to fully understand organizational pain points, decision-making processes, and strategic priorities.  

• Develop and deliver highly compelling, customized value propositions that clearly articulate the technical and commercial benefits of the company's hydrogen solutions.  

• Skillfully navigate prolonged, multi-stakeholder sales cycles, anticipating and mitigating risks, and securing buy-in from cross-functional teams.  

• Provide strategic guidance and technical expertise to support complex commercial negotiations and contract finalization.  

• Collaborate cross-functionally with product managers, application engineers, and executive leadership to refine the overall go-to-market approach.  

• Continuously monitor industry trends, competitor activities, market developments, and customer budgets/requirements through independent research, providing analysis on competitive bids to identify new opportunities and understand customer priorities. 

• Accurately forecast pipeline, manage deal flow, and report on key business metrics to leadership.  

• Other duties as assigned. 

Required Qualifications: 

• 10+ years of experience in complex, enterprise-level sales, with a proven track record of closing large, high-value deals (over $10M USD) in the utilities and/or industrial sectors 

• Extensive network of relationships and influence with C-suite and senior decision-makers at major utilities  

• Demonstrated ability to navigate and overcome obstacles in lengthy, multi-stakeholder sales cycles 

• Deep technical fluency and ability to translate complex concepts into compelling, customer-centric value propositions 

• Exceptional communication, presentation, and negotiation skills, with the ability to build consensus among diverse stakeholders 

• Strong business acumen, financial modeling skills, and commercial/contractual expertise 

• Entrepreneurial mindset, with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment 

• Willingness to travel frequently to engage with customers and attend industry events 

• Strong understanding of utility industry dynamics, decision-making processes, and commercial models 

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (e.g. Excel, Word, PowerPoint), as well as chat and teleconferencing applications (e.g. Teams, Slack). 

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Experience in selling new hardware technology and services especially energy and efficiency projects 

• Background in energy and/or industrial technology sectors  

• Familiarity with hydrogen  

• Advanced degree in engineering, business, or a related technical field  

• Experience with operations and sustainment in support of mission-critical systems and solutions 

• Demonstrated passion for ideation, innovation, and motivating others to act by creating a shared sense of vision or purpose 

This is an extraordinary opportunity for a seasoned sales leader to leverage their extensive industry expertise and network to drive transformative growth for a well-funded, mission-driven cleantech company. If you have the rare combination of strategic vision, technical acumen, and proven track record of closing high-stakes deals, we want to hear from you. 

You are encouraged to apply even if you don't have all the typical qualifications. Modern Hydrogen values diverse experiences, backgrounds and ideas, and we know diversity of thought contributes to our success. We encourage all interested candidates to apply. 

Modern Hydrogen is proud to offer a comprehensive total compensation package designed to support our employees & their families and promote health & wellness.    

• Salary range is $130,000 - $200,000/year (plus incentive bonus structure).   

• Ownership of the company in the form of incentive stock options (ISOs).  

• Retirement matching through Ascensus’ SIMPLE IRA with elective 3% employer match.  

• Company paid medical, dental, vision, life insurance ($100,000), and AD&D for employees. 50% covered for dependents.  

• Optional access to our flexible spending account or health savings account, optional vision insurance buy-up, and additional voluntary life buy-up.  

• Flexible time off to rest and recharge.    

• 8 paid holidays.  

• Flexible working schedules.   

• Parental leave to welcome a new family member.   

• Annual professional development budget.   

• Employee assistance program which includes wellness planning, estate planning, financial counseling and more.    

• Dog-friendly office, fully stocked breakroom, engaging company events, and friendly and fun team!  

• Relocation assistance for those moving from out of state.    

Exact salary may vary depending on job location, job-related knowledge, skills, experience, education, training, certifications/licenses, and other business needs.  

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.  

Applicants must be authorized to work in the US. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire. 

https://modernhydrogen.com/  

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