Manager of Business Development (104.25

Manager of Business Development

Golden State Water Company is one of the largest investor-owned water utilities in the United States. We deliver quality, reliable water to more than 1 million people in over 80 communities throughout California. Golden State Water has been in business for more than 90 years because we put customers first.

The Manager of Business Development leads business development efforts for GSWC, focusing on identifying, analyzing, developing, and negotiating water and wastewater utility customer growth opportunities. This position will develop and execute strategies, build relationships with key stakeholders, and manage new business opportunities. The incumbent in this position must be able to combine analytical skills with an ability to communicate effectively with various internal and external stakeholders.

The Manager is responsible for identifying, evaluating, and securing new business opportunities to support the Company's overall growth strategy and the California Public Utilities Commission's (CPUC's) and State Water Resources Control Board's (SWRCB's) policy goals. The position involves developing strategic relationships, expanding market presence, and working cross-functionally to ensure successful execution of new business initiatives. This role also requires leading and performing a wide variety of substantive, complex, and analytical business, regulatory and rate making-related tasks associated with business development activities, including but not limited to the acquisition of existing and troubled water and wastewater systems and green field developments.

The Manager will track industry trends, assess competitive dynamics, and manage the business development pipeline from opportunity identification through deal execution.

Essential duties and responsibilities include: pro-actively generating and identifying leads for new business and locating new prospects by contacting potential partners or industry leaders; organizing meetings with relevant stakeholders, sellers, and developers to discuss new business opportunities; performing analyses of potential new business opportunities to assess the financial, operational, and regulatory impacts and presenting recommendations to executive leadership for consideration; overseeing the preparation of proposals for acquisitions and new developments, including coordination with internal stakeholders to gather necessary information;

overseeing the response to requests for proposals from government/municipal and privately owned water and wastewater systems seeking to sell their systems; coordinating with legal counsel and internal stakeholders of successful acquisition targets to oversee due diligence efforts and to ensure draft agreements and contracts comply with Company and regulatory requirements; assisting the Regulatory Affairs team in developing effective strategies for regulatory approval of acquisitions;

testifying as an expert witness in support of acquisition filings with the CPUC; providing monthly reports to executive team summarizing status of potential opportunities and analyses of unsuccessful bids; creating and managing an annual business development plan; working effectively with executive leadership to develop long term strategic plans and relationships; closing new business ventures by developing and negotiating agreements, integrating the new entity, and communicating with existing business operations.

Qualities of a successful person in this position include: balancing multiple project assignments; analyzing situations accurately and taking effective action; reasoning logically and creatively; utilizing a variety of analytical and research techniques to screen potential business leads; demonstrating ability to manage projects, personnel and work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders; maintaining composure under stressful situations; completing assignments independently or with minimal supervision;

working productively and effectively when faced with time pressures, disruptions, or multiple responsibilities; making sound decisions based on the information available; presenting key facts, points, or inferences in writing in a clear, organized, and concise format; possessing excellent oral and written communication skills; reading, interpreting, and analyzing data and presenting ideas and information effectively; writing a complex report that includes facts, conclusions, and recommendations;

reading and understanding technical materials; interpreting and synthesizing information across different or multiple sources; coordinating work assignments with other managers and executives in the Company; demonstrating knowledge of regulation and cost of service issues; understanding industry tariffs and rate design; demonstrating ability to negotiate settlements, contracts or agreements.

Minimum position qualifications include: bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in…