Sales Operations Manager- Commercial, Ford Energy

Ford • ,

2d • $141,700 - $268,300 • Remote

About The Position

The Sales Operations Manager - Commercial Contract is a high-impact functional role responsible for defining, executing, and safeguarding the commercial contract pipeline and sales operations frameworks within the Ford Energy Sales Organization. In this role, you will serve as the lead authority on structuring, negotiating, and executing complex commercial transactions for utility-scale Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and integrated energy infrastructure projects. As a commercial expert, you will directly oversee the execution of Ford Energy’s most strategic customer-facing negotiations while establishing the standardized sales operations playbooks, risk mitigation frameworks, and deal-approval governance for the organization.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Engineering, Economics, or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience in sales operations, commercial contract management, deal structuring, or a related customer-facing commercial role (or 8+ years with a Master's degree).
• Strong background in leading direct, customer-facing negotiations for high-value capital equipment, utility-scale projects, or complex industrial supply agreements.
• Demonstrated ability to lead fast-paced, startup-style initiatives with influence, and drive consensus within a large, highly matrixed organization—balancing speed, ambiguity, and structure to deliver results.
• Highly organized and meticulous, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and shift timelines in a dynamic, rapidly evolving environment.

Nice To Haves

• Deep domain knowledge of BESS, utility-scale power systems, renewable energy markets, or grid-scale infrastructure.
• Experience implementing or managing enterprise-level Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) systems.
• Demonstrated ability to lead fast-paced, startup-style initiatives within a large, highly matrixed organization—balancing speed, ambiguity, and structure to deliver results
• Able to establish and execute standardized sales operations frameworks and deal-governance guidelines, ensuring operational readiness to scale commercial transactions.
• Skilled at quickly and efficiently “connect the dots” across teams—identifying dependencies, surfacing risks early, and driving resolution to keep initiatives on track bridging gaps and building operational consensus between Sales, Legal, Finance, Engineering, and external customers to drive aligned execution.
• Maintains a direct, relentless focus on deal velocity, contract quality, and risk management, ensuring our most complex commercial commitments are successfully structured and closed with both internal and external alignment.
• Possesses a startup mindset, taking initiative and driving outcomes while collaborating effectively within a large, matrixed organization.
• Enthusiastic about leading, mentoring, and elevating commercial capabilities across the organization, with a commitment to fostering a collaborative and high-performing team culture.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of standardized commercial contracting processes, pricing models, and deal-review governance tailored for BESS projects.
• Champion the adoption and optimization of advanced Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) tools, CRM systems, and commercial tracking databases to ensure seamless transaction execution.
• Take personal accountability for leading high-stakes, customer-facing negotiations and closing Ford Energy’s largest, most complex, or high-risk BESS product supply and service contracts.
• Conduct rigorous commercial and operational risk analyses on proposed deals, designing creative structuring solutions to resolve complex terms while protecting company profitability.
• Function as the central coordinator across Sales, Legal, Finance, Engineering, Procurement, and Manufacturing by facilitating communication, tracking dependencies, and breaking through bottlenecks, and ensuring negotiated commitments are aligned, understood, and executable.
• Navigate and resolve complex post-signature contract modifications, disputes, and commercial changes both internally and with external partners and our customers.

Benefits

• Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage
• Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up child care and more
• Family building benefits including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, fertility treatments, and more
• Vehicle discount program for employees and family members and management leases
• Tuition assistance
• Established and active employee resource groups
• Paid time off for individual and team community service
• A generous schedule of paid holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day
• Paid time off and the option to purchase additional vacation time.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager