Business Development Lead

3 months ago


Other US Location, Afghanistan Octopus Energy Full time

The energy industry is undergoing the largest transformation since industrialisation at an unprecedented rate of change and we are positioning ourselves to be at the heart of that change.

Our aim is to be the leading global provider of solutions that enable customers to release £30bn of value per annum from distributed energy resources (DERs). We are building a Software as a Service (SaaS) subscription business with a global addressable market of £2.4 billion per annum, by digitally connecting hundreds of thousands of DERs with energy markets.

We have already attained a market leading position and KrakenFlex is a recognised thought leader and innovator in the industry. Our efforts have not gone unnoticed and we are pleased to announce that we now have the full support and backing of Octopus Energy, an award-winning UK energy supplier who share our passion and values.

As we enter the stage of rapid commercialisation we are looking for a Business Development Lead to help drive the growth of our Network Intelligence product offering, increasing our presence and pipeline with electricity system operators. We envisage the 'Business Development Lead' taking on responsibility for generating, nurturing and closing deals across European markets, alongside managing and expanding presence with the existing customer base

You will be empowered to help at every level of our organisation; working collaboratively with our senior leadership and management teams, and across our business development, delivery and technical teams to design and deliver customer oriented propositions that exponentially grow our client base and market share.

What you'll do

  • Develop and deliver new leads through your own pre-existing network
  • Develop and deliver new leads through inbound and outbound channels
  • Develop and deliver excellent in person and remote pitches, which have clearly defined value proposition and show an in depth understanding our our solution, power markets and how we solves customer needs
  • Manage and develop existing customer relationships, through regular account reviews
  • Ability coordinate internal team members (and when required 'self respond' to formal tenders) such as RFI's and RFP's
  • Identify and develop valuable key stakeholder relationships with potential customers and in turn, influence decision making process
  • Work with all functions within KrakenFlex to ensure that you are pitching the 'latest and greatest' our platform has to offer and utilise SME's in the sales process to enhance market and technical value propositions
  • Work with management and executive teams to develop our customer proposition, ensuring value creation for the business and outstanding satisfaction for the customer
  • Prepare and present new business performance / forecast reports defining action plans to improve number of deals closing and annual recurring revenue
  • Take existing pricing models and tailor them based on your understanding of the prospects needs to create optimal commercial proposals
  • Lead contract negotiations, through to close
  • Proactively lead business opportunities without close supervision or hand holding

What you'll need

  • Experience as a SaaS sales lead in the energy industry
  • Experience working with energy related software solutions (preferably trading or ancillary service related)
  • Experience leading pitches / presentations to a very high standard
  • Experience of utilising the latest business development methodologies
  • Experience assessing product fit vs customer needs in the form of discovery and qualification with new business opportunities
  • Experience of developing market leading customer engagement propositions (RFI, RFP's), plans and upskilling the business for successful delivery
  • Experience of being hand on in legal and pricing negotiations
  • Experience using CRM to track deal progress
  • Proven success in delivering an outstanding prospect relationships
  • Proven success in closing deals and increasing annual recurring revenue
  • Ability to engender a high level of confidence from the senior leadership team
  • Good understanding of electricity distribution, main challenges and key players.
  • Worked in the daily operations of a grid operator (DSO/Utility) such as Grid Operations, Control Room, Short Term Planning, Asset Management or as a consultant selling/delivering consulting services or software into grid operators is a plus.
  • Understand the DSO environment including SCADA, GIS, distribution grids, etc.
  • An understanding of and experience with software and/or data and/or technology hardware
  • Excellent communication skills showing the ability to summarise complex problems and recommend concise plans of action
  • Effective risk management and negotiation skills - able to balance competing demands for resource to ensure best overall outcome
  • A proven ability to build relationships at every level of large organisations, especially the c suite.
  • Eye for detail, with a very clear and organised approach to account management and delivery
  • Fluent in English AND French, German or Spanish

Why else you'll love it here

  • Wondering what the salary for this role is? Just ask us On a call with one of our recruiters it's something we always cover as we genuinely want to match your experience with the correct salary. The reason why we don't advertise is because we honestly have a degree of flexibility and would never want salary to be a reason why someone doesn't apply to Octopus - what's more important to us is finding the right octofit
  • Octopus Energy is a unique culture. An organisation where people learn, decide, and build quicker. Where people work with autonomy, alongside a wide range of amazing co-owners, on projects that break new ground. We want your hard work to be rewarded with perks you actually care about We won best company to work for in 2022, on Glassdoor we were voted 50 best places to work in 2022 and our Group CEO, Greg has recorded a podcast about our culture and how we empower our people
  • Visit our perks hub - Octopus Employee Benefits

If this sounds like you then we'd love to hear from you.

Studies have shown that some groups of people, like women, are less likely to apply to a role unless they meet 100% of the job requirements. Whoever you are, if you like one of our jobs, we encourage you to apply as you might just be the candidate we hire. Across Octopus, we're looking for genuinely decent people who are honest and empathetic. Our people are our strongest asset and the unique skills and perspectives people bring to the team are the driving force of our success. As an equal opportunity employer, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected attribute. Our commitment is to provide equal opportunities, an inclusive work environment, and fairness for everyone.