About this role
Director, Business Development – Power & Utilities
Location: Somerset, NJ / Mid-Atlantic Region Job Type: Full-time Schedule: Monday through Friday; hybrid and client-facing Travel: Approximately 30–50% for client meetings, account development, industry events, and other business needs
About Us
CARIAN is a purpose-driven, woman-owned consulting and advisory firm dedicated exclusively to the power sector. We partner with leading electric and gas utilities to provide strategic advisory and disciplined execution across program management, business intelligence, and field execution oversight. Guided by integrity, trust, excellence, and accountability, our team helps deliver complex capital programs and build the resilient energy infrastructure that communities depend on.
Position Overview
CARIAN is seeking a Director, Business Development – Power & Utilities to lead strategic account development and new business growth across the electric and gas utility market.
This is a senior, client-facing role within CARIAN's commercial organization, working directly with executive leadership and service-line leaders to expand existing relationships, establish new utility accounts, and strengthen CARIAN's business-development capabilities.
The Director will own a focused portfolio of strategic utility accounts and be responsible for developing account strategies, building senior relationships, identifying client needs and opportunities, navigating procurement pathways, coordinating internal resources, and maintaining momentum from initial introduction through first engagement and account expansion.
Strong candidates may come from utility business development, strategic accounts, engineering or professional services, or from senior utility roles where they developed strong industry relationships and the commercial judgment to apply those relationships to business growth.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Account Development
Own and execute business-development strategies for a focused portfolio of priority electric and gas utility accounts
Expand existing client relationships across additional business units, operating companies, geographies, and service lines
Develop new relationships with senior utility executives, operating leaders, program leaders, procurement organizations, and other key decision makers
Build and maintain account plans covering organizational structure, client priorities, capital programs, relationships, procurement pathways, opportunities, competitors, and next actions
Develop clear pathways from initial relationship to first engagement and from initial engagement to broader account growth
Maintain consistent follow-through across long-cycle utility relationships and opportunities
Opportunity Development
Proactively identify client needs and opportunities rather than relying solely on published RFPs
Work with CARIAN's executive and service-line leaders to connect client challenges with relevant capabilities across program management, PMO and project controls, field services, advisory, energy efficiency, digital solutions, and related utility services
Coordinate executive introductions, client meetings, follow-up activity, and pursuit strategy
Identify appropriate MSA, procurement, contracting, and task-order pathways
Support go/no-go decisions and commercial strategy for priority pursuits
Help convert successful initial engagements into larger, recurring client relationships
Commercial Leadership
Help establish and continuously improve CARIAN's account-management, pipeline, CRM, and business-development cadence
Maintain clear visibility into qualified opportunities, relationship activity, next actions, timing, and account status
Provide leadership with relevant market intelligence regarding client priorities, capital programs, procurement activity, competitive positioning, and emerging opportunities
Coordinate CARIAN's network of senior utility advisors and industry relationships where appropriate
Work closely with Marketing, Talent Acquisition, and service-line leadership to support new pursuits and anticipated client needs
Represent CARIAN at selected utility-industry conferences, client events, association meetings, and other relevant forums
Qualifications
10+ years of relevant experience in the electric utility, gas utility, power, energy, engineering, infrastructure, consulting, or professional-services market
Demonstrated ability to build and maintain senior-level relationships within the electric and/or gas utility industry
Demonstrated experience developing business, strategic accounts, client relationships, market opportunities, or comparable growth initiatives
Strong understanding of how utilities operate, organize, procure professional services, and make purchasing decisions
Ability to identify client needs and translate them into actionable commercial opportunities
Strong executive communication, judgment, organization, persistence, and follow-through
Ability to work effectively with technical and operating leaders without needing to personally serve as the technical subject-matter expert
Ability to independently manage multiple strategic accounts and long-cycle opportunities
Ability and willingness to travel regularly for client and market-facing activity
Bachelor's degree preferred; equivalent senior-level utility or industry experience will be considered
Preferred Experience
Existing senior relationships across multiple electric or gas utilities, particularly in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic
Experience developing or managing utility accounts for an engineering, consulting, program management, infrastructure, or other professional-services firm
Experience in transmission, distribution, substations, capital programs, PMO, project controls, field services, grid modernization, energy efficiency, or related utility services
Experience establishing new utility relationships and expanding initial work into broader, recurring engagements
Familiarity with utility MSAs, RFPs, task-order structures, professional-services contracting, and procurement processes
Prior utility experience in external affairs, governmental affairs, regulatory affairs, regional leadership, operations, engineering, capital delivery, or another role involving broad senior-level relationships
Experience using CRM and account-management systems to maintain disciplined commercial activity and pipeline visibility
Work Location
This is a hybrid, client-facing role that may be based from CARIAN's Somerset, NJ headquarters or elsewhere in the Mid-Atlantic region for a candidate with strong utility-market relationships.
Candidates based outside the Somerset area must be able to travel regularly to CARIAN headquarters for leadership meetings, planning sessions, and other business needs.
Travel will primarily consist of client meetings, account-development activity, industry events, and regional market travel, with additional travel as business needs require.
Why CARIAN
Purpose-driven work – Help deliver infrastructure that powers communities
Industry reputation – Trusted by leading utilities for our reliability and results
Career growth – Help build CARIAN's commercial organization and play a direct role in the company's continued expansion
Collaborative culture – Join a team that values delivery excellence and long-term relationships
Competitive total rewards – Strong compensation, full benefits, 401(k) match, and meaningful work
Equal Employment Opportunity
CARIAN is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We hire and develop talent based on qualifications, performance, and business needs. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. As a woman-owned firm dedicated to the power sector, we are committed to building a team that reflects professionalism, expertise, and integrity at every level.
Compensation
The base salary range for this role is $125,000 – $175,000 annually. This range represents a good-faith estimate at the time of posting; actual compensation will depend on experience, qualifications, skills, industry relationships, and business needs. CARIAN offers a competitive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid time off, holidays, and 401(k) participation with company match. This position is eligible for a discretionary annual performance bonus based on company and individual performance.