C&I Sales Manager, Distribution

Canadian Solar Inc.•US - California, CA

20d•$120,000 - $140,000•Remote

About The Position

At CS Power Systems, a division of Canadian Solar, we are seeking a highly driven C&I Sales Manager, Distribution to expand our commercial and industrial (C&I) distribution business across the Northeast US. This role is for a builder who will work directly with distributor leadership teams, branch teams, outside sales reps, EPCs, and commercial installers to create real commercial sales momentum. The ideal candidate understands both the distribution landscape and the commercial solar market, possesses a strong hunter mentality, and can influence, educate, and drive action across channel partners. Success in this role means building commercial momentum through distribution, expanding commercial activity within existing partners, increasing module sales, helping distributors become more confident in C&I solar, developing new EPC and installer relationships, activating dormant accounts, creating repeatable commercial growth strategies, and becoming a trusted commercial resource within the channel.

Requirements

5+ years of experience selling into solar distribution channels.
Strong existing relationships within the solar distribution industry.
3+ years of experience in commercial and industrial (C&I) solar markets.
Strong understanding of the C&I sales cycle, customer profiles, procurement process, financing considerations, and EPC workflows.
Proven ability to grow territory revenue and develop new business opportunities.
Experience influencing and supporting outside sales organizations.
Ability to identify decision-makers and navigate complex sales environments.
Strong field presence with a willingness to travel extensively throughout the territory.
Self-motivated with a high sense of urgency and accountability.
Excellent communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills.
Ability to operate independently while collaborating effectively across teams.
Experience with Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Microsoft Office Suite preferred.

Nice To Haves

A hunter who enjoys building business, not maintaining the status quo.
Comfortable spending significant time in the field.
Able to influence distributor organizations at multiple levels.
Commercially minded without needing deep engineering expertise.
Confident leading conversations around C&I opportunities and market strategy.
Highly responsive, organized, and accountable.
Energized by building something new and creating measurable growth.

Responsibilities

Drive commercial distribution growth throughout California and the broader Western U.S. region.
Develop and execute territory growth strategies focused on expanding Canadian Solar’s presence within distribution partners.
Build strong relationships across distributor organizations including outside sales teams, purchasing teams, branch leadership, commercial sales teams, EPCs, and installers.
Identify and activate new commercial sales opportunities through distribution channels.
Help residential-focused distributors expand their commercial solar capabilities and confidence.
Conduct ride-a-longs, branch visits, training, and field engagement activities to support distributor sales teams.
Support channel partners with commercial solar education including project positioning, customer targeting, quoting strategy, and go-to-market execution.
Create pull-through demand by strengthening relationships with EPCs, installers, and commercial developers.
Drive market share growth against key competitors within the commercial distribution channel.
Maintain accurate forecasting, pipeline visibility, and territory planning.
Represent Canadian Solar at trade shows, customer events, and industry conferences.
Collaborate cross-functionally with internal sales leadership, product management, operations, and support team.