Data Center OEM Business Development Manager

There's a Place for You at Capital

A career at Capital Electric is more than a job. You're investing in a brighter, more sustainable future together and joining a team that makes a real difference for our customers. Capital Electric offers electrical products and services to contractors. If it helps bring electricity to an office, home, factory or other building - you can find it here. We operate in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, and are part of the Sonepar group, the world's #1 electrical distributor with over 45,000 associates around the globe.

Being "Powered by Difference" means we respect and value diverse perspectives. Within Capital Electric, we offer a supportive culture and great benefits, and as part of the larger Sonepar group, we can offer exciting opportunities to grow your career.

Data Center OEM Business Development Manager

Industry: Electrical Distribution - Data Center, OEM & Critical Infrastructure Markets

Position Summary

The Data Center OEM Business Development Manager is responsible for leading growth within the data center OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) market segment, including hyperscale operators, colocation facilities, mission critical environments, and manufacturers that build data center infrastructure systems. This role develops strategic partnerships, identifies major project and OEM opportunities, and serves as the organization's subject matter expert on data center requirements, electrical systems, and procurement processes.

The position requires strong technical understanding, deep industry knowledge, and the ability to collaborate cross functionally with internal sales teams, engineering teams, and supplier manufacturers.

Key Responsibilities

Business Development & Market Growth

• Identify, target, and secure new business opportunities with Data Center OEM's.
• Develop and execute a strategic plan for growing electrical distribution sales in the data center OEM segments.
• Expand relationships within engineering, procurement, operations.
• Monitor capital projects, expansion initiatives, retrofit programs, and requirements across the data center market.

Technical & Industry Expertise

• Serve as the internal SME on data center electrical systems such as switch gear, UPS, breakers, busway, power distribution, grounding, cooling-related electrical requirements, and related infrastructure.
• Work closely with supplier partners to ensure competitive positioning, product alignment, and technical support for major data center projects.
• Provide guidance to field sales teams on data center procurement processes, safety standards, commissioning requirements, and OEM specifications.

Project & Proposal Management

• Lead bid responses, large project proposals, and technical quote development in partnership with vendors and internal teams.
• Ensure accuracy of bill of materials, pricing, specifications, and deliverable timelines.
• Track major project opportunities from early design stages through award, construction, and commissioning.

Relationship & Account Management

• Build strong relationships with decision makers at OEMs, design build firms, and data center operators.
• Conduct onsite visits, presentations, and technical discussions with engineering and operations stakeholders.
• Represent the company at data center industry events, OEM conferences, and critical infrastructure forums.

Sales Enablement & Internal Collaboration

• Provide training and development to internal sales teams on data center market trends, OEM product lines, and competitive differentiators.
• Partner with supplier manufacturers to coordinate joint sales calls, product demos, and solution presentations.
• Maintain active communication with regional sales teams to drive alignment and support account penetration.

Reporting & Pipeline Management

• Maintain a detailed opportunity pipeline and regularly report project status, forecasted revenue, margins, and key account activity.
• Analyze market trends and competitive intelligence to inform strategy and leadership decision making.
• Ensure accurate tracking of awarded business and maintain documentation for strategic accounts and OEM partners.

Qualifications

• 3-7+ years of business development or sales experience in data centers, OEM, electrical distribution, critical power, or industrial infrastructure markets preferred
• Strong knowledge of electrical products, power systems, and data center infrastructure solutions (e.g., UPS, switch gear, PDU, busway, cable tray, cooling).
• Experience working with OEMs, EPC firms, consulting engineers, or mission critical contractors preferred.
• Proven ability to manage complex technical opportunities and long project cycles.
• Excellent communication, technical presentation, and relation shipbuilding skills.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across sales, operations, engineering, and supplier partner teams.

Key Competencies

• Technical product and system understanding
• Strategic business development
• Relationship and account management
• Project opportunity…