Business Development Engineer

Development Engineer- Regional

Project and Business Development Regional Engineer

Cordia is seeking a dynamic individual with strong business development acumen and a background in engineering to drive growth and development for our Midwest district energy systems. This role emphasizes business development, strategic planning, and stakeholder relationship management, while also leveraging engineering expertise to support project execution and technical solutions.

Key Responsibilities:

- Business Development:

Identify and pursue new business opportunities, develop strategic partnerships, and expand market presence for Cordia's energy solutions.

- Lead Generation:

Generate new leads and opportunities within the region, applying data and technical solutions to identify behind-the-meter opportunities.

- Client Relationship Management:

Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, stakeholders, and partners to ensure customer satisfaction and long-term collaboration.

- Strategic Planning:

Develop and implement business strategies to achieve growth targets and enhance the company's competitive position.

- Project Management:

Oversee the planning, execution, and delivery of projects, ensuring alignment with business objectives and client needs.

- Engineering Support:

Provide technical expertise and engineering solutions for the design, construction, and operation of thermal energy production and distribution systems.

- Cross-functional Collaboration:

Work closely with engineering, operations, and other teams to ensure seamless integration of business and technical aspects.

- Results Tracking:

Track and report on leads, opportunities, MOUs, LOIs, acquisitions, deal creation, proformas, financial models, and modeling outcomes.

- Other Duties as Assigned:

Perform additional tasks as required to support business development and engineering functions.

Ideal Qualifications:

- Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Construction Management, or related field required.

- 2+ years of experience in technical sales, applications engineering, or design, construction, or operation in the energy or related industry.

- Proven experience in business development, strategic planning, and client relationship management.

- Direct experience in combined heat and power, central utility plants, and utility distribution systems, or industrial HVAC is a plus.

- Registered Professional Engineer (PE) preferred, but not required.

- Active membership in professional societies such as IEEE, ACS, AEC, ASME, ASHRAE, etc., is a plus.

- Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.

- Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

- Located in the Midwest, preferably based out of Omaha, NE, or nearby, with willingness to travel as needed.

Experience and Skills:

- Experience in design, construction, project management, and operation of steam boilers, hot water boilers, chilled water, combined heat and power, and power generation plants for utility, industrial, or institutional projects.

- Broad understanding of district energy production, utilization, and control technologies.

- Good working knowledge of electrical and mechanical design and construction principles for boilers, chillers, cooling towers, switchgear, generators, steam and hot water distribution systems, and chilled water distribution systems.

- Proficiency in Microsoft Office products, including Microsoft Project, SharePoint, Excel, and PowerPoint.

- Experience with Oracle NetSuite or similar ERP system preferred.

- Experience with Salesforce or CRM system preferred.

- Detail-oriented and self-motivated high achiever with the ability to handle multiple concurrent tasks and perform duties in a collaborative working environment.

Principal Responsibilities & Key Results:

- Provide engineering support for customer development opportunities, including developing alternate solutions, justifying financial preferences for solutions, and analyzing financial returns for Cordia, including potential presentations to customers.

- Assist the President of the Region, General Manager, Business Development Manager, and Corporate Development team in securing approval for acquisitions or development of new District Energy and CHP projects.Soliciting proposals and selecting consulting engineers for feasibility studies and preliminary engineering.

- Running performance models to evaluate expected performance characteristics for selected technologies.

- Working with outside equipment and system vendors and engineering consultants to develop project scope, budget, and schedule.

- Providing all aspects of technical sales support to the sales and business development team.

- Working closely with Cordia’s Corporate Engineering, Construction, and Finance personnel to develop project scopes, costs, savings, schedules, and financial expectations, including leading presentations to Cordia’s Executive Leadership Team prior to submitting a project proposal.

- Identify and cultivate business relationships with target customers and develop and present energy solutions and services that meet customers’ needs and objectives.

- Prepare responses to requests for proposals for acquisitions and new projects.

- Support the development of economic and financial models for new projects.

- Lead the project development and upfront design process for new business opportunities, including:

- Guide third-party engineering firms to meet desired results.

- Maintain relationships with Cordia customers throughout the tenure of contracts to ensure customer satisfaction.

- Perform other duties as required.

- Travel as required (valid driver’s license at all times).

- Provide engineering support for plant operations and maintenance activities.

- Complete studies and analyses to support operational improvements or resolve operational performance issues and inconsistencies.

- Assist with root-cause analysis and recommendations for modifications associated with equipment failures.

- Plan, secure approval for, and execute tasks requiring engineering direction.

- Manage internal resources, contracted engineering services, and construction contractors for assigned projects.

- Assist in the annual development of 10-year Capital Expenditure and Major Maintenance plans.

- Prepare and submit project expenditure requests through Cordia’s procurement management system.

- Manage approved capital and major maintenance projects, maintaining ownership of budget, schedule, and design and construction contracts.

- Generate Statements of Work, engineering technical specifications, Requests for Proposals, assist in evaluating bids, and make recommendations for purchasing decisions for assigned projects.

- Manage contract deliverables for approved projects.

- Ensure compliance with Cordia policies and procedures associated with project planning, accounting, expenditure forecasts, and retirement/replacement of capital assets.

- Assist in developing long-term sustainability and decarbonization goals for the plant and customer, including new innovative solutions and problem-solving.

- Provide support to Business Development with engineering new client construction projects to provide service to customers.

- Strong familiarity with right-of-way projects/construction, utility design, and drawings.

Working Conditions:

- The selected individual will be expected to work extra hours when necessary and when workload requires.

- The nature of the position requires extensive internal and external contacts.

- Must maintain a valid driver’s license.

- Employee is required to work safely, following the guidelines of the Cordia Safety Program.

- While on plant operation visits, the employee is expected to wear a hard hat, safety vest, hard-toed boots, hearing protection (when required), and safety glasses.

Reporting Structure:

- Position shall report directly to the President of the Midwest Region.

Salary & Benefits:

- This position is a full-time salaried position. Cordia offers a competitive package of salary and benefits.