Lead, Business Development

About the role

Responsible for the development of new business opportunities within the assigned state entity, including contacting municipal and privately owned water and wastewater operations to discuss acquisition. This is a hybrid role with 3 days in the office and 2 days working from home. The position can be located in Greenwood, Sellersburg, or Gary.

Responsibilities

• Assist in building the business development pipeline and identifying opportunities to maintain a steady flow of projects aligned with the business plan.
• Identify, qualify, and prioritize leads using appropriate tools, local market data, and targeted prospecting.
• Prepare informational material and communication drafts; support the external affairs manager in developing marketing materials for business development opportunities.
• Update the business development plan and assess risks to commitments for securing sustainable business growth.
• Manage the end-to-end business development cycle for less complex service offerings; coordinate and sometimes lead multifunction deal teams in preparing acquisition proposals and presentations.
• Assist with asset valuation studies, financial analysis, and operational viability studies of targeted opportunities with appropriate departments.
• Create market awareness and interest in American Water; develop and maintain the brand image with key industry stakeholders within the designated territory.
• Attend municipal and public meetings as required; plan and staff trade shows and industry events.
• Evaluate new and emerging technologies, regulatory changes, and other relevant factors to identify new business opportunities.

Requirements

• 8+ years of work experience, with 5 to 6 years in business development, including significant experience working with municipal officials.
• Strong knowledge of the water industry is strongly preferred.
• Bachelor’s Degree required (Engineering, Science, Business, Finance, or Marketing preferred).
• Up to 25% travel as required.

Skills

• Infrastructure experience, preferably within the water/wastewater utility sector.
• Financial and commercial acumen, including legal aspects of the regulatory environment.
• Strong oral and written communication skills (presentation fluency, report writing).
• Interpersonal skills (e.g., persuasion, negotiation, cooperation, diplomacy).
• Strong financial and legal acumen, or the ability to learn the same.
• Critical thinking, adaptability, strong work ethic, leadership skills, and a collaborative team player mindset.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel).
• Ability to adapt quickly to professional collaborative environments, deal with ambiguity, take initiative, and achieve results.

Work Environment

Standard indoor office environment.