Client Development Director-Transmission Strategy & Business Development

Environmental Science Associates (ESA) is a 100% employee-owned environmental consulting firm. We plan, design, permit, mitigate, and restore for projects across our communities, infrastructure systems, open spaces, and wildlands. We are 50 years strong in 21 offices across California, the Pacific Northwest, and the Southeast United States.

ESA is seeking an experienced Client Development Director of Transmission Strategy & Business Development to lead market expansion, strategic client development, and transmission growth initiatives across the U.S. power sector.

This position will be responsible for identifying and converting transmission market opportunities into revenue-generating projects, strategic partnerships, and long-term client relationships. The successful candidate will combine deep transmission industry expertise with a strong commercial mindset, established utility relationships, and demonstrated experience developing and advancing complex transmission opportunities. This role is based out of our office in Tampa, FL with a hybrid schedule.

The role will engage directly with utilities, transmission owners, developers, RTOs/ISOs, infrastructure investors, EPCs, and other energy-sector stakeholders to identify emerging grid needs and position the organization to capture opportunities associated with transmission expansion, new builds, grid modernization, generation interconnection, large-load integration, and grid-enhancing technologies. In addition, this role willhelp ESA expand and scale our transmission business by bringing technical expertise, market insight, client engagement, and project delivery leadership to an already strong and growing ESA platform.

Success will come from partnering across the energy market and technical practices to identify the right opportunities, deliver high-quality results, and grow.

The ideal candidate is a transmission industry leader who is strong with business development and client relationship building, brings a strategic mindset, and understands how to translate grid challenges into commercially viable solutions and long-term client relationships
. The role will assist with: (1) building the transmission strategy, (2) understanding the market, and (3) understanding ESA's capabilities and gaps.

• Bachelor's degree in Program Management, Environmental Sciences, Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 15+ years of experience in transmission, utilities, power infrastructure, renewable energy, or related energy markets.
• Demonstrated success developing business and building executive relationships within the utility and transmission industry.
• Proven experience generating and advancing multi-million-dollar transmission or utility infrastructure opportunities
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• Strong understanding of transmission development, interconnection, grid planning, permitting, and project execution.
• Experience working with investor-owned utilities, public power entities, transmission owners, developers, RTOs/ISOs, EPCs, and other energy-sector stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to translate technical transmission challenges into commercial solutions.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams through complex pursuits and project development.
• Strong executive presentation, negotiation, relationship-management, and commercial skills.

• Develop and execute a national or regional business development strategy focused on transmission development, grid modernization, interconnection, and utility infrastructure
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• Build and maintain a qualified pipeline of transmission opportunities aligned with annual and multi-year revenue targets.
• Identify opportunities through utility capital plans, transmission expansion initiatives, independent system operator, and regional transmission organization (RTO/ISO) planning processes, generation development, large-load growth, reliability requirements, and grid modernization programs.
• Lead the full business development lifecycle from market intelligence and opportunity identification through client engagement, solution development, proposal strategy, contract negotiation, award, and account expansion
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• Develop capture strategies for strategic pursuits and major transmission programs.
• Partner with technical teams to develop differentiated solutions addressing client transmission challenges.
• Maintain visibility into pipeline value, probability of award, timing, competitive position, and expected revenue.
• Support pricing, commercial strategy, contract negotiations, and presentations for major pursuits.

• Develop and maintain a transmission market growth strategy that aligns ESA's capabilities with utility, developer, RTO/ISO investment priorities.
• Partner with the Energy Market Leader, Practice Leaders, and business development teams to identify, prioritize, develop, and advance transmission opportunities that align with ESA's strategic growth objectives.
• Advance the firm's…