Technical Business Development Strategist – Distribution
Overview
We are designing the grid of the future!
As a Technical Business Development Strategist – Distribution, you will bridge deep utility and engineering expertise with market strategy and business development to help EPE identify, shape, and pursue meaningful opportunities across Distribution Planning, Distribution Design, and Grid Modernization.
This is not a traditional sales role. You will bring first-hand technical and utility experience to understand the challenges our clients face, identify where EPE can provide value, and engage utility leaders as a credible technical partner. You will work closely with EPE’s Distribution leaders and Business Development team to evaluate markets, research utilities, identify the right stakeholders, develop targeted account strategies, and translate client challenges into actionable opportunities and scopes of work.
You will stay connected to engineering practices and industry developments while building relationships with utility managers, directors, engineers, and executives. Success in this role means helping EPE pursue the right clients, with the right services, at the right time, for the right reasons.
Responsibilities
How you can make an impact:
- Analyze the distribution utility market, including capital investment plans, regulatory filings, rate cases, integrated resource and distribution system plans, reliability initiatives, grid modernization programs, DER integration, and load growth, to identify opportunities aligned with EPE’s capabilities.
- Translate market trends, regulatory developments, emerging technologies, and industry challenges into actionable business development strategies and recommendations for Distribution leadership.
- Develop data-driven target utility lists, assess addressable market opportunities, and establish business development priorities and goals in collaboration with Distribution leadership and the broader Business Development organization.
- Represent EPE as a technically credible resource in discussions with utility engineers, managers, directors, and executives to understand client priorities, operational challenges, infrastructure needs, and long-term strategic objectives.
- Translate utility challenges into tailored solutions across Distribution Planning, Distribution Design, and Grid Modernization, clearly articulating how EPE’s engineering capabilities support client business, operational, regulatory, reliability, and resiliency objectives.
- Research target utilities to identify decision-makers, technical influencers, procurement stakeholders, and executive sponsors, leveraging industry knowledge, professional networks, and existing EPE relationships to establish meaningful engagement opportunities.
- Partner with Business Development Managers and Account Managers to develop account-specific engagement plans, strengthen strategic client relationships, expand stakeholder connectivity, and pursue new and existing utility account opportunities.
- Conduct discovery discussions to uncover immediate and emerging client needs, evaluate technical and commercial alignment, and qualify opportunities based on strategic fit, client priorities, market demand, and potential for long-term engagement.
- Collaborate with Distribution leadership and technical subject matter experts to translate client needs into qualified opportunities, preliminary scopes of work, technical approaches, deliverables, assumptions, schedules, and resource requirements.
- Develop proposal content and scopes of work, establish technical positioning and differentiators, define win themes, and support pursuit strategies in coordination with technical leadership and the Business Development organization.
- Contribute to RFP reviews and bid/no-bid decisions by assessing client relationships, technical capabilities, competitive dynamics, market intelligence, resource availability, and probability of success.
- Maintain continuity from initial market research and client engagement through opportunity qualification, proposal development, and transition to project delivery teams, ensuring alignment between client expectations and proposed solutions.
- Maintain practical knowledge of distribution engineering practices, emerging technologies, industry standards, and EPE’s service capabilities through technical collaboration, selective participation in engineering studies, and engagement with subject matter experts.
- Represent EPE at targeted utility conferences, technical forums, industry working groups, and strategic events to strengthen relationships, gather market intelligence, identify emerging opportunities, and enhance EPE’s market presence.
- Communicate client insights, competitive intelligence, regulatory developments, and industry trends to Distribution and Business Development leadership to refine service offerings, strengthen pursuit strategies, and guide the development of future capabilities.
Qualifications
Bring your passion, here's what’s needed:
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Power Systems Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
- Minimum of 7-10+ years of experience in the electric utility industry, engineering consulting, or a closely related power systems environment
- Significant hands-on experience in Distribution Planning, Distribution Design, Grid Modernization, DER integration, reliability, resiliency, asset management, distribution operations, or related disciplines.
- Demonstrated experience working directly with electric utilities and understanding the interactions among engineering, planning, operations, regulatory, procurement, and executive organizations.
- Strong understanding of electric distribution systems, utility engineering practices, infrastructure investment drivers, and the technical and operational challenges facing utilities.
- Working knowledge of distribution planning methodologies, design practices, grid modernization initiatives, DER integration, electrification, load growth, reliability, resiliency, asset management, and emerging distribution technologies.
- Ability to research and interpret regulatory filings, utility capital investment plans, distribution system plans, grid modernization initiatives, and industry publications to identify market trends and business opportunities.
- Demonstrated ability to connect regulatory, technical, operational, and investment drivers to client needs and potential consulting opportunities aligned with EPE’s capabilities.
- Experience developing technical scopes of work, engineering proposals, study plans, technical recommendations, presentations, and other client-facing deliverables.
- Strong consultative communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage credibly and effectively with utility engineers, managers, directors, executives, and other technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Demonstrated ability to independently research target accounts, identify key stakeholders, develop account engagement strategies, uncover client needs through strategic questioning, and advance business development opportunities.
- Strong research, analytical, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to synthesize complex technical, regulatory, and market information into actionable client strategies and business recommendations.
- Excellent technical writing and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate complex engineering concepts, develop compelling proposals, and articulate the value of consulting services in terms of client business and operational objectives.
- Proven ability to build trusted client relationships through technical credibility, industry knowledge, and consultative engagement, while collaborating effectively across Business Development and multiple technical Lines of Business to advance strategic initiatives.
- Preferred qualifications include prior electric utility employment, an active Professional Engineer (PE) license or advanced technical degree, established industry relationships, and experience in technical consulting, account strategy, proposal development, or client advisory services. Candidates should demonstrate an understanding of how regulatory requirements, emerging technologies, DER adoption, load growth, reliability expectations, resiliency needs, and utility investment priorities are shaping distribution systems. Willingness to travel to client meetings, conferences, industry events, and EPE offices as needed is required.
Lead the Change!
Be a part of an innovative team shaping the grid of the future through advanced energy intelligence. For more than half a century, Electric Power Engineers (EPE) has partnered with power and energy clients across the globe, providing consulting expertise and energy intelligence software solutions for complex engineering and grid modeling challenges. As leaders in the renewables space, we are focused on building a modern, secure, and resilient grid. Join us in making an impact on the communities we serve and the environment in which we live. Together we can transform the future of energy.
How we support you:
- Comprehensive health and wellness benefits including medical, dental, and vision with 100% premium coverage for you
- Generous PTO and paid holidays
- MyShare Employee Ownership Program
- Work with industry leaders
- 401K, up to a 4% match (100% vested from day 1)
Location: This position will be remote US
Travel: Occasional travel may be needed (10% or less)
EPE is an equal opportunity/AA/Disability/Veteran employer. The EEO is the Law poster, and its supplement are available using the following links: EEOC is the Law Poster
Third-Party Recruiting Notification
EPE does not accept unsolicited resumes from third-party recruiters. Any unsolicited third-party resumes forwarded by recruiters to EPE via our career page or to any of our managers or employees will be considered public information, may be treated as a direct application from the person identified in the resume, and will not be eligible for placement fee payment to the agency. EPE will not pay a fee to a third-party recruiter or agency without a previously signed third-party agreement and has not coordinated their recruiting activity with the appropriate member of the Talent Acquisition team.
#LI-KM1