Sales Economic & Business Development Analyst

American Electric Power•Shreveport, LA

About The Position

Supports the execution of the Sales, Economic & Business Development Group’s program of work through activities that include, but are not limited to, database and system management, corporate and demographic research, location intelligence, marketing communications, and other operational functions. Coordinates and implements projects and programs that support business attraction, revenue growth, and community development within the AEP service territory. The analyst team is broadly responsible for supporting three sub-business groups: OPCO economic development teams, the National Customer team, and the Utility Business Development team. The role manages and implements assigned activities and systems to promote the growth and development of AEP's customer base, assist in the retention and expansion of existing businesses, and organize initiatives and projects that support AEP's revenue, customer experience, and community development goals. The analyst may be assigned to one of the three sub-business groups and would primarily work to support that sub-business group while flexing across the other groups as needed.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business, planning, geography, geographic information systems (GIS), economics, and/or related field of study.
3 years of related work experience.
Excellent computer skills, including Microsoft Office Suite.
Good written and oral communication skills.
Excellent time management skills, ability to multi-task all assigned projects and to effectively prioritize workload.
Flexibility, adaptability, and teamwork.
Experience with Microsoft Power BI and Tableau.

Responsibilities

Manages and implements assigned activities and systems to promote the growth and development of AEP's customer base, assist in the retention and expansion of existing businesses, and organize initiatives and projects that support AEP's revenue, customer experience, and community development goals.
Conducts custom research on companies, industries, and geographic locations, producing relevant reports to support team initiatives (for OPCO Economic Development Teams).
Assists in managing and triaging requests for information (RFIs) and other inquiries, tracking and reporting project progress to ensure timely responses (for OPCO Economic Development Teams).
Supports the development and implementation of strategic plans related to site readiness, customer retention, and event planning by gathering and organizing necessary data (for OPCO Economic Development Teams).
Aids in maintaining contracts and overseeing license access to essential databases and tools required for the team's success (for OPCO Economic Development Teams).
Contributes to the creation of marketing content and materials, engaging with key partners at internal and external events to promote economic development efforts (for OPCO Economic Development Teams).
Assists in serving as a point of contact for the top 200+ national commercial, industrial, and federal/military customers at the corporate level, aiding in communication and relationship management (for National Customer Team).
Supports efforts to grow contacts across multiple customer operating units and divisions, including energy, real estate, finance, and other roles beneficial to the relationship (for National Customer Team).
Aids in preparing materials and coordinating leadership-level interactions between AEP and OPCO leadership to ensure effective communication regarding customer needs (for National Customer Team).
Assists in the sales process by compiling information on AEP product and service offerings, such as economic development initiatives, utility business development (UBD), and green tariffs for customer presentations (for National Customer Team).
Coordinates issue resolution efforts by tracking and managing customer inquiries related to billing, outage communication, construction, power quality, service conversion, and disconnects, ensuring timely follow-up and resolution (for National Customer Team).
Assists in managing information related to equipment sales to customers, including poles, substations, transformers, and other equipment that AEP installs, maintains, and repairs, supporting engineering design and procurement efforts (for Utility Business Development Team).
Aids in compiling data and documentation for material sales, including overhead and pad mount transformers, switches, poles, wire, insulators, cross arms, etc., to support sales initiatives (for Utility Business Development Team).
Coordinates resources and tracks activities related to emergency service restoration efforts, helping to limit disruptions when equipment fails and ensuring efficient response (for Utility Business Development Team).
Supports leasing initiatives by managing inquiries and documentation related to companies leasing space on/in AEP-owned structures, fiber, etc. (for Utility Business Development Team).
Creates work orders and updates project databases to reflect ongoing work (for Utility Business Development Team).
Assists in quoting jobs and maintaining contracts for utility projects (for Utility Business Development Team).
Processes invoices and payment requests and tracks ongoing construction project expenditures (for Utility Business Development Team).
Prepares utility business development financial reports including margin, revenue, forecasts, etc. (for Utility Business Development Team).
Coordinates day-to-day operations related to the Sales, Economic & Business Development Group activities.
Conducts research on companies, industries, and geographic locations, analyzes trends, and reports findings.
Proposes recommendations to achieve Sales, Economic & Business Development goals and objectives.
Interfaces with sales, economic & business development personnel and others within AEP to address specific questions, concerns, requests, or other issues; and ultimately provides exceptional customer service.
Suggests and coordinates process improvement initiatives utilizing internal and external benchmarking, best practices, performance standards, and other available data and information.
Demonstrates the highest standards of ethical behavior and supports the Company's Corporate Compliance Policy.
Fosters AEP's values and culture.
Assumes other duties and responsibilities as assigned.