Head of Business Development

U-Solar Clean Energy

About the Role:

• Develop and execute a strategic sales plan to meet annual revenue and pipeline targets across CAPEX and OPEX offerings.
• Drive team performance by closely tracking lead-to-conversion ratios and identifying bottlenecks in the sales cycle.
• Support Technical Consultants in structuring deals and participating in high-stakes client discussions, especially with CXO-level stakeholders.
• Review proposals and pricing to ensure commercial viability and technical alignment before final submissions.
• Sound understanding of the tendering process, including evaluation criteria, submission requirements, and regulatory compliance.
• Experience in managing external channel partners and business consultants to support sales and project acquisition.
• Ensure CRM systems (Zoho) are updated consistently, and dashboards reflect accurate, real-time pipeline data.
• Improve sales velocity and closure rates, contributing to reduced deal cycle timelines and increased win ratios.

Strategic Marketing Collaboration

• Collaborate with the Marketing team to ensure alignment between business development objectives and ongoing marketing strategies across digital platforms, external communications, and industry presence.
• Provide strategic inputs on content, case studies, presentations, and sales collateral to ensure they effectively support sales efforts and reflect U-Solars capabilities.
• Coordinate with the Marketing team to enhance U-Solars visibility through thought leadership, webinars, industry articles, and targeted campaigns.
• Work jointly with Marketing to review campaign performance and assess how marketing initiatives contribute to qualified lead generation and brand engagement.

Strategic Partnerships & Market Expansion

• Identify and collaborate with internal stakeholders to evaluate and support new financial and technology partners to enhance service offerings (e.g., BESS, hybrid energy, automation systems).
• Actively support investor engagement initiatives including pitch deck creation, financial model validation, and due diligence coordination.
• Lead expansion into new geographies, sectors, or client types by studying market dynamics and tailoring outreach strategies for both domestic as well as international markets
• Foster relationships with ecosystem partners including developers, aggregators, funders, and consultants.

Team Development & Commercial Operations

• Build and lead a collaborative and high-performing Sales team across regions.
• Design clear performance metrics, reporting structures, and review processes to foster accountability and ownership.
• Mentor team members through regular feedback, strategic support in deal closures, and career development planning.
• Maintain high levels of engagement and low attrition by promoting a growth-oriented and inclusive team culture.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Design, Projects, and Finance teams to ensure delivery excellence and alignment with customer commitments.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Deep understanding of solar policy, energy markets, and commercial structuring.
• Strong consultative sales, negotiation, and presentation skills with a client-first approach.
• Proficient in CRM tools (e.g., Zoho), MS Excel, PowerPoint, and basic financial modelling.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to prioritize, problem-solve, and drive execution.
• Comfortable working in fast-paced environments and leading through change and scale.

Software Tools:

• Proficiency in CRM platforms (preferably Zoho CRM) for pipeline tracking and reporting.
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Excel for commercial modeling, forecasting, and pricing.
• Experience using PowerPoint and other presentation tools for investor and client-facing materials.
• Exposure to solar design or proposal software (e.g., PVsyst, Helioscope) is advantageous.

Educational Qualifications:

• A Master's degree (MBA/PGDM) with specialization in Marketing, Strategy, or Finance.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Business Administration/Commerce/Science/Arts

Work Experience:

• 8 to 12 years of overall experience, with a minimum of 5 years in a senior leadership role within solar, renewable energy, infrastructure, or related sectors.
• Proven experience in managing the end-to-end tendering process, including bid preparation, submission, and compliance with regulatory and client requirements.
• Demonstrated experience in contract negotiation, cost estimation, and obtaining internal and client-side approvals for commercial proposals.
• Demonstrated success in B2B technical sales and market development.
• Experience managing regional or national-level sales teams and driving multi-stakeholder commercial outcomes.
• Familiarity with EPC and developer-side solar project models, including both ground-mount and rooftop systems.