Director of Market Development

Groundswell, Inc.; Maryland; Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) match

Development days

Home internet allowance

Paid vacation and sick days

Job summary

Groundswell, Inc. seeks a seasoned Director of Market Development to advance community-driven resilience projects from ideation to operation, focusing on Maryland, DC, and Virginia with expansion to other states.

The role requires building partnerships with communities, utilities, and funders while managing complex grant and project pipelines. The successful candidate will lead cross-functional teams, drive scalable resilience hub development, and secure diverse funding to support planning

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum of 8 years in business development and/or project development.
• Proven success working with local community leaders, municipalities, and/or funders.
• Experience in clean energy or community development fields preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to secure funding from public, philanthropic, corporate or other sources.

Responsibilities

• Identify and secure sites for resilience hub development, including feasibility studies and community resilience planning.
• Complete a pipeline of Maryland resilience hub feasibility studies with external consultants.
• Identify funding streams (private philanthropic, corporate, public) to cover costs from planning through construction.
• Secure at least $500,000 in funding in the first 12 months via grants, sponsorships, or other sources.
• Manage development stages and coordination across technical, financial, legal, and other experts.
• Develop relationships with community hosts, municipal leaders, utilities, and funders to maintain a backlog of projects.
• Maintain up-to-date records in Gratava (Salesforce) and report on activity and lifecycles.
• Collaborate with Market Development, Fundraising, Project Development, and Marketing to position Groundswell for funding.
• Manage grant deliverables and reporting for funded projects.

Skills

Community development

Fundraising

Business development

Project management

Stakeholder engagement

Communications

Salesforce CRM

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

Salesforce CRM

Job description

This is an inspiring opportunity at the intersection of clean energy and community development for a seasoned business development leader with a demonstrated track record of advancing community-benefiting projects from initial ideation through permission to operate. Groundswell is a community power organization that expands access to affordable clean energy through Community Solar, residential energy efficiency programs, Community Resilience Hubs, and the Gratava data platform — and the Director of Market Development will be a critical team member responsible for delivery and growth.

The Director of Market Development (“Director”) will develop and lead an organized process of business development to drive replicable resilience planning and resilience hub project construction and thereby deepen Groundswell’s presence beginning in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia. The incumbent will be a master professional of community-level communication, business development, and project management. Expanding Groundswell’s reach and advancing projects for Community-driven resilience planning will be a critical component of this role. This role will build and cultivate strategic relationships with prospective partners, communities, and other key stakeholders, helping translate community needs and market opportunities into meaningful partnerships and viable projects. The Director will partner internally to engage local communities and deliver key education and services to diverse stakeholders in multiple markets during overlapping project lifecycles.

There are currently a number of existing and potential funding opportunities together with projects in various stages of development which all must be evaluated for continued development. Beginning in Maryland with resilience hub feasibility studies, the Director will learn “The Groundswell Way” while working closely with two external resources to complete outstanding technical studies. Other feasibility studies are still to be initiated in Georgia and in Indiana.

The ideal candidate is a values-aligned, mission-driven professional who has proven in business development to benefit local community institutions. Organization, communication, project management, and a strong teamwork orientation are paramount for success.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Business Development to Drive Project Advancement

• Identify and secure potential sites for resilience hub development, to include feasibility studies and community resilience planning.
• Complete a pipeline of community resilience hub feasibility studies in Maryland by working closely with two external consultants who each represent their own areas of technical expertise.
• Work to identify funding streams (private philanthropic, corporate, and public sources, with any associated and requisite lending arrangements) to cover the cost of resilience hubs, from planning through construction.
• Through a combination of grant writing, RFP responses, corporate sponsorship, equipment donations, and other sources, work within a team to secure no less than $500,000 in the first 12 months either as project restricted or else market-based funding.
• Advance resilience hub projects through initial stages of development including initiation, community engagement and support to present viable resilience hub and community resilience options for Groundswell to consider. This will require operating within a system of project development stages and significant project management leadership that includes technical, financial, legal, and other subject matter expertise.
• Develop relationships with potential community hosts, municipal leaders, utilities, and funders to maintain a pipeline of no fewer than 20 projects across various stages at any given time.
• Maintain up to date records in Gratava (Salesforce) and report on key account activity and project lifecycles.
• Work closely with internal colleagues from Market Development, Fundraising, Project Development, Distributed Energy, Community Engagement, and Marketing to position Groundswell for funding to develop best in class renewable community assets.
• Manage grant deliverables and reporting for relevant funded projects.

Geographic Market Development

• Prioritize Maryland as the primary market development focus, representing approximately 80% of the role’s market development efforts, with secondary focus on Washington D.C. and Virginia.
• Support and advance opportunities in existing Groundswell markets, including Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, and Louisiana in coordination with organizational priorities and resources
• Thoughtfully evaluate and expand into additional states and localities when market conditions, strategic relationships, and enabling policies are sufficiently aligned to support sustained presence and long-term growth.

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Advance cross-functional partnerships, grant communications, and funding opportunities aligned with Groundswell’s mission, strategic goals, and core values, bringing the full marketing and communications toolkit to bear in positioning Groundswell for impact.
• Seek opportunities to drive continuous improvement in Groundswell programs, processes, and practices.

Key values that will be uplifted through the work of the Director of Market Development include:

• Integrity: We uphold the values of Groundswell in every action and decision. We hold ourselves accountable for gathering facts, sweating the details, performing analysis, and validating decisions.
• Transformation: We are smart, adaptable, learn from our mistakes, and are willing to be the first to try new things.

OTHER DUTIES

This position description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required. Duties, obligations, and activities may change at any time, with or without notice.

COMPETENCIES OR SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE

• Excellent organization and verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong Salesforce or similar CRM experience.
• Knowledge of the clean energy and energy justice sector.
• Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional teams of internal and external subject matter experts.
• High level of business acumen and judgement.
• Values-driven and ability to center organizational mission in decision-making.
• Market development, business development, and / or sales experience
• Ability to navigate complex and evolving markets
• Public and private fundraising strategies, including grants, philanthropy, and other funding sources or direct sales experience

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

This position has no current supervisory responsibilities. The Director will, however, manage external contractors as needed.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

This position is based in Maryland, or the Washington, DC area and is expected to work in-office four days per month in alignment with Groundswell’s hybrid/remote work plan.

POSITION TYPE AND EXPECTED HOURS

This is a full-time position. Days and hours of work are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and core hours are from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Occasional evening and weekend work may be required as job duties demand.

TRAVEL

Occasional travel will be required for this role.

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree required, advanced degree preferred but not required.
• Minimum of 8 years of experience in business development and/or project development.
• Must demonstrate past success working with local community leaders, municipalities, and/or funders.
• Professional experience in clean energy, or community development fields preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and secure funding through public, philanthropic, corporate or other financing sources.

SUPERVISION

The Director of Market Development reports to the Senior Vice President of Market Development and Deployment.

COMPENSATION

The salary range for this position is $100,000- $125,000 annually, consistent within Groundswell’s established pay band for this role. This is a full-time position, eligible for Groundswell’s comprehensive employee benefits package.

BENEFITS

• Groundswell pays 100% of the monthly premium for health, dental, vision, and long-term disability for full-time employees in accordance with Groundswell’s policy. Groundswell also covers 50% of spouses and dependents covered under the Groundswell healthcare, vision, and dental plan.
• Matching 401 (k) plan contribution by Groundswell up to 4% for employees who choose to contribute to Groundswell’s 401 (k) plan, with immediate vesting.
• Monthly Development Days to focus on professional development opportunities
• $45 per month to reimburse cellular phone use for business purposes.
• $75 per month to reimburse home internet access for business purposes.
• Fifteen (15) paid vacation days per year; eight (8) sick days; and two (2) personal days. Vacation and sick leave accrue at the start of your employment, restart each year on January 1, and increase with tenure. Personal days begin after six months of employment.
• Groundswell also takes nine (9) paid federal holidays and a holiday break from December 24th to January 1st (inclusive).
• Short-Term Disability Insurance, Long-Term Disability Insurance, and Voluntary Life available.
• Pre-tax benefits such as Smart Benefits, Flexible spending accounts, and Dependent care are also available.

For more information about the organization’s benefits and other personnel policies, Groundswell will provide a new hire orientation within the first week of employment.

Groundswell is an equal-opportunity employer that is deeply committed to the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusiveness and seeks to create a pluralistic community for all.