Principal, Business Development

Principal, Business Development

Posting

Start Date:

2/12/26

Responsible for the development of new business opportunities, including contacting municipal and privately owned water and wastewater operations to discuss acquisition.

• Assist in building the business development pipeline and identifying opportunities to maintain a steady flow of projects in line with the business plan; identify, qualify and prioritize leads through appropriate tools, local market data and proactive prospecting.
• Prepare informational material and communication drafts, support the external affairs manager in developing marketing materials that support business development initiatives, update the business development plan and assess risks to commitments for sustainable growth.
• Manage the end-to-end business development cycle for less complex service offerings, coordinate and sometimes lead multifunction deal teams in preparing acquisition proposals and presentations; assist with asset valuation studies, financial analysis and operational viability studies of targeted opportunities with the relevant departments.
• Create market awareness and interest in American Water, develop and maintain the American Water brand image with key industry stakeholders within the designated territory, attend municipal and public meetings as required, and plan and staff trade shows and industry events.
• Evaluate new and emerging technologies, regulatory changes and other relevant factors to identify new business opportunities.

• Infrastructure experience, preferably within the water/waste‑water utility sector.
• Financial and commercial acumen.
• Understanding of legal aspects of the regulatory environment.
• Strong oral and written communication skills, including presentation and report writing.
• Interpersonal skills such as persuasion, negotiation, cooperation and diplomacy.
• Strong financial and legal acumen or willingness to learn.
• Critical thinking, adaptability, strong work ethic and leadership skills, yet a collaborative team player.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel).
• Ability to quickly adapt to professional collaborative environments, deal with ambiguity, take initiative and achieve results.

• Bachelor’s degree required (Engineering, Science, Business, Finance or Marketing preferred).
• 12+ years of work experience, including 6 to 8 years in a business development role; significant experience working with municipal officials is a plus; sound knowledge of the water industry is strongly preferred.

Up to 25%, as required.

Standard indoor office environment.

• Champions safety.
• Customer obsessed.
• Cultivates innovation.
• Nimble learning.
• Drives results.
• Collaborates.