Business Development Manager, Power Generation & Data Infrastructure Fabrication

Crenlo•Bentonville, AR

About The Position

The Business Development Manager for Engineered Enclosures and Power Infrastructure will establish Crenlo's presence in power generation, utility and grid infrastructure, and data center power infrastructure. This is a new-account hunting role focused on opening doors with OEMs, packagers, EPCs, developers, and integrators; qualifying opportunities that fit Crenlo's fabrication, welding, and finishing capabilities; and winning programs that add volume to Crenlo's plants, beginning with Greeneville, Tennessee. Products include engineered steel enclosures, control and relay houses, e-houses and switchgear structures, genset and turbine packaging enclosures, and related heavy weldments. The successful candidate is expected to bring active industry relationships and build an independent pipeline without relying on marketing leads or a finished product catalog. The role reports directly to the Vice President of Sales and works closely with plant leadership, engineering, estimating, and operations, but has no direct authority over the plants. Crenlo is an AI-forward organization; the manager is expected to use AI tools for prospecting, research, market analysis, and pursuit preparation, verify their output, and learn new tools quickly. Success measures include a go-to-market plan, a prioritized target list and account contact maps, at least 25 initial meetings, initial RFQs and submitted quotes, supplier qualification activity, and a qualified pipeline within the first 90 days. Within six months, success includes a qualified pipeline of at least twice the annual awarded-value target, a first program award, approved vendor status at multiple target accounts, and active channel partners. The first-year 2027 target is $30 million in new business awarded, measured as peak annual value: $12 million in power generation, $15 million in utility and infrastructure, and $3 million in data center infrastructure, at or above the approved margin floor and revenue-per-production-square-foot screen. The role also requires accurate Salesforce records, regular reporting, and clean award-to-launch handoffs.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
At least 7 years of B2B sales or business development experience in power generation, utility and grid infrastructure, or data center markets, with a record of opening new accounts.
Background with an enclosure, e-house, control house, or modular power building manufacturer; a contract fabricator or manufacturer serving power and electrical equipment OEMs; or an EPC, developer, or manufacturers' representative firm in these markets.
An active network of decision makers and influencers at OEMs, packagers, EPCs, utilities, or data center developers that can be used immediately.
Track record of meeting or exceeding new-business quotas, with awarded programs that can be named and sized.
Experience selling engineered-to-order or custom-fabricated steel products and ability to read drawings, specifications, and cost breakdowns.
Experience navigating approved vendor lists, supplier qualification, and long sourcing cycles.
Experience using Salesforce CRM for pipeline management, forecasting, and reporting.
Excellent written and verbal communication, presentation, and negotiation skills, including at the executive level.
Demonstrated use of AI tools in a commercial or business setting, or clear evidence of rapid, self-directed learning of new technology.
Based in or willing to relocate to the Bentonville, Arkansas area.
Ability to travel 60 to 80% of the time.

Nice To Haves

Working knowledge of UL 508A, NEMA enclosure ratings, IEEE standards, and utility or data center specification practices.
Familiarity with a value-based selling methodology, such as Force Management Command of the Message.

Responsibilities

Build and work a prioritized target list of OEMs, packagers, EPCs, developers, and integrators across power generation, utility and grid infrastructure, and data center power markets.
Open new accounts using existing relationships and consistent weekly outbound prospecting; lead discovery, secure meetings, and qualify Crenlo with target customers and approved vendor lists.
Build and maintain a pipeline capable of delivering annual awarded-value targets through long sourcing and supplier-qualification cycles.
Map decision makers, influencers, and sourcing authority in target accounts and develop relationships across engineering, sourcing, project, and executive levels.
Track market demand, capacity, sourcing trends, and competitive offerings, identifying where Crenlo can compete on capability, lead time, and cost.
Communicate customer requirements, expected certifications and standards, and competitive needs to leadership, engineering, and operations.
Plan and lead Crenlo's presence at relevant industry events, including POWERGEN International, DistribuTECH, and Data Center World, and convert event participation into qualified meetings and RFQs.
Lead RFQ pursuits with estimating, engineering, and plants from drawing review through quote submission.
Set pursuit pricing strategies and screen opportunities against revenue and gross-profit-per-square-foot benchmarks and the margin floor before quoting; make and defend early go/no-go decisions.
Negotiate commercial terms within approved authority and escalate specified matters, including tooling amortization, margin or policy deviations, price or effectivity changes, no-quote decisions, and volume or terms commitments, to the Vice President of Sales.
Develop relationships with EPCs, manufacturers' representatives, integrators, and developers who can specify Crenlo or introduce it to projects; structure partner arrangements within approved terms and set pipeline and activity expectations.
Secure plant and engineering alignment on capacity, finishing, and lead-time commitments before quotes are submitted.
Lead award-to-launch handoffs, documenting program requirements, customer contacts, and commitments for the receiving plant and account team.
Report pipeline, forecast, and pursuit status to the Vice President of Sales weekly and raise risks early.
Keep target lists, contact maps, opportunities, quotes, and forecasts current in Salesforce.
Use Crenlo's AI and analytics tools for account research, market analysis, and customer-facing preparation, and verify generated output before use or sharing.
Meet the stated first-90-day, first-six-month, and first-year business development milestones and awarded-value targets.