Business Development Lead

Job Title: Business Development Lead – North East
Salary: Competitive with benefits package
Location: North East England (including Teesside)
Contract: Permanent

IES Utilities Group Ltd is a leading UK utility provider delivering end-to-end utility solutions across Power, Gas, Water, Telecoms, District Heating, and Renewables. IES provides survey, design, construction, and maintenance services nationwide, supporting clients in building and operating resilient, future-ready infrastructure networks. Headquartered in Manchester, IES continues to grow as a trusted partner across regulated and competitive utility markets, underpinned by a strong commitment to safety, innovation, and sustainability.

The North East and Teesside region represents a major strategic growth area for IES, driven by significant investment in power networks, industrial decarbonisation, renewables, hydrogen, CCUS, and major infrastructure programmes. The region is home to a dense concentration of utilities, network operators, industrial clients, and public-sector stakeholders, many of whom are central to the UKs energy transition.

To capitalise on this opportunity, IES is seeking a Business Development Lead for the North East. This role will be responsible for developing and executing a regional growth strategy, leveraging an established network across the North East and Teesside to originate, shape, and secure new work across power and wider energy infrastructure. The role will focus on early engagement, senior stakeholder relationships, and positioning IES as a partner of choice for complex, multi-discipline utility projects.

To lead business development activities across the North East and Teesside by building strong, trusted relationships with key customers and stakeholders, identifying new opportunities, and aligning IESs technical and commercial capabilities with customer investment programmes. The role will act as the front end of the sales and opportunity pipeline, working closely with operational, technical, and commercial teams to convert strategic engagement into sustainable revenue growth.

• Act as the senior business development presence for IES across the North East and Teesside
• a strong existing network across utilities, power, energy, and infrastructure clients to generate new opportunities.
• Develop and maintain a clear regional business development plan aligned to IESs strategic objectives.
• Build and sustain multi-level relationships with customers, including engineering teams, commercial leads, and C-suite stakeholders.
• Lead early engagement discussions on forthcoming programmes, frameworks, and capital investment plans.
• Present IESs capabilities and value proposition confidently at senior leadership and executive level.
• Identify opportunities across power networks, energy infrastructure, and multi-utility projects, including complex and multi-discipline works.
• Work closely with technical, design, and delivery teams to shape solutions that meet customer needs and risk profiles.
• Provide high-quality market intelligence to estimating and bid teams to improve bid strategy, competitiveness, and win rates.

• Support the development of compelling, differentiated proposals that reflect IESs technical strengths and regional delivery capability.
• Track and report on the regional opportunity pipeline, providing clear forecasts and updates to senior management.
• Represent IES at industry events, forums, and regional stakeholder groups to enhance brand presence and visibility.
• Ensure a seamless handover of secured opportunities into delivery teams, maintaining customer confidence and continuity.

• Strong and demonstrable network across the North East and Teesside region.
• Proven experience in a business development or strategic sales role within utilities, power, or energy infrastructure.
• Technical background or strong technical understanding of power and/or energy systems.
• Experience engaging, influencing, and presenting to senior stakeholders and C-suite decision-makers.
• Strong commercial acumen, with experience…