Business Development Manager - Commercial Solar

Gilder Search Group; Minneapolis (MN); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Health Savings Account

SIMPLE IRA with 3% company match

Job summary

Gilder Search Group seeks a Business Development Manager for the commercial solar sector in Minnesota. You will generate and qualify opportunities, build relationships with property owners, developers, and contractors, and guide opportunities from outreach through handoff to our operations teams.

This role focuses exclusively on commercial solar and offers strong earning potential through base pay plus commission and OTE.

Qualifications

• Commercial solar business-development experience required.
• Proven track record of generating, advancing, and closing commercial solar opportunities.
• Strong knowledge of project economics, incentives, and sales cycles.
• Experience selling to commercial property owners, developers, or institutional clients.

Responsibilities

• Develop new commercial solar opportunities throughout Minnesota.
• Build relationships with property owners, business leaders, developers, EPC firms, contractors, and strategic partners.
• Generate opportunities across commercial solar, roofing, EPC services, and subcontracted projects.
• Build and manage a consistent pipeline of qualified opportunities.
• Lead consultative conversations around energy needs, project economics, financing, incentives, operating savings, and long-term value.
• Own opportunities from prospecting and qualification through proposal development and internal handoff.
• Collaborate with experienced development, engineering, estimating, construction, and operations teams.
• Identify additional opportunities involving commercial solar O&M, inspections, troubleshooting, and system remediation.
• Maintain accurate CRM activity, forecasts, and follow-up.
• Represent our client within Minnesota’s commercial, construction, real estate, and renewable-energy communities.

Skills

Commercial solar

Prospecting

Relationship building

Closing skills

Executive communication

Education

Engineering/Technical background (bonus)

Job description

Business Development Manager – Commercial Solar

Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Compensation: Competitive base salary + commission
On-Target Earnings: $200,000+

The Opportunity

Our client is an established, vertically integrated commercial solar company seeking an experienced Business Development Manager to generate new commercial and industrial opportunities across Minnesota.

This is a high-impact opportunity for a proven commercial solar professional who wants strong earning potential and the ability to help shape a growing business-development function. You will build relationships with commercial property owners, business leaders, developers, EPC firms, contractors, and strategic partners—taking ownership of opportunities from initial outreach through internal handoff.

This is exclusively a commercial solar position. It does not involve residential or door-to-door sales.

What You’ll Do

• Develop new commercial solar opportunities throughout Minnesota.

• Build relationships with property owners, business leaders, developers, EPC firms, contractors, and strategic partners.

• Generate opportunities across commercial solar, solar and roofing, EPC services, and subcontracted projects.

• Build and manage a consistent pipeline of qualified opportunities.

• Lead consultative conversations around energy needs, project economics, financing, incentives, operating savings, and long-term value.

• Own opportunities from prospecting and qualification through proposal development and internal handoff.

• Collaborate with experienced development, engineering, estimating, construction, and operations teams.

• Identify additional opportunities involving commercial solar O&M, inspections, troubleshooting, and system remediation.

• Maintain accurate CRM activity, forecasts, and follow-up.

• Represent our client within Minnesota’s commercial, construction, real estate, and renewable-energy communities.

What We’re Looking For

• Commercial solar business-development is required.

• A demonstrated record of generating, advancing, and closing commercial solar opportunities.

• Strong knowledge of commercial solar project economics, incentives, technical considerations, and sales cycles.

• Experience selling to commercial property owners, businesses, developers, public-sector organizations, or institutional customers.

• Strong prospecting, relationship-building, presentation, negotiation, and closing skills.

• The ability to communicate credibly with executives, property owners, engineers, contractors, and technical teams.

• A self-directed and accountable approach with excellent follow-through.

• Minnesota residency or established relationships within the local market are strongly preferred.

• An engineering, electrical, construction, or related technical background is a valuable bonus.

Why Join?

• Competitive base salary plus commission

• On-target earnings of $200,000+

• A strong portfolio of completed commercial projects

• A vertically integrated team that can take projects from initial evaluation through long-term operation

• Multiple revenue opportunities across commercial solar, EPC, roofing, and O&M

• Health insurance and Health Savings Account

• SIMPLE IRA with a 3% company match

• The opportunity to help shape the company’s commercial growth strategy