Sales Manager, Ford Energy

Ford Motor Company; Richmond (VA); On-site; USD 142,000 - 268,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance

Paid time off

Vehicle discount program

Tuition assistance

Job summary

Ford Energy is seeking a Sales Manager to drive growth in grid-scale and commercial BESS, reporting to the Director of Sales. You’ll manage the sales pipeline, develop leads, coordinate technical and commercial proposals, and lead customer-facing activities with senior leadership to secure large MSAs.

The role targets major utilities, IPPs, integrators, and data center hyper-scalers, with travel up to 50% and a focus on driving Ford Energy’s market presence in the United States.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Finance, or a related field.
• 5 years of professional experience; 2+ years in technical sales, commercial account management, or business development in BESS/renewable energy.
• Experience selling highly technical, capital-intensive products or complex industrial solutions.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and strategic pipeline leadership.
• Originate and qualify opportunities in data center, utilities, and IPP sectors.
• Manage key accounts and position Ford Energy as a leading domestic BESS provider.
• Analyze market trends and competitor positioning to refine GTM strategies.
• Coordinate and deliver technical and commercial proposals within pricing and risk guidelines.
• Lead cross-functional bid submissions with PMO, Engineering, Finance, Legal, and Manufacturing.

Skills

Rapid Technical aptitude

Commercial acumen

Entrepreneurial drive

Communication skills

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering/Business/Finance

Job description

In this position...

The Sales Manager is a dynamic, customer-facing role responsible for supporting and accelerating the growth of Ford Energy’s grid-scale and commercial BESS business. Reporting directly to the Director of Sales, you will serve as the commercial execution engine for our target customer segments, including major utilities, Independent Power Producers (IPPs), major integrators, and data center hyper-scalers .

In this role, you will own the day-to-day management of the sales pipeline, drive lead development, coordinate technical and commercial proposals, and manage customer-facing activities. This position is ideal for a highly driven, entrepreneurial sales professional with a strong technical aptitude who wants to work alongside senior leadership to secure large-scale Master Supply Agreements (MSAs) and shape the future of the American energy grid.

What you'll do...

• Lead Development & Strategic Pipeline Leadership

• Deal Origination: Identify, qualify, and support the capture of business opportunities within assigned business segments, such as data center, utilities and IPPs.

• Account Management: Serve as a key account manager for designated accounts, helping position Ford Energy as a leading domestic BESS provider.

• Market Intelligence: Analyze market trends, regulatory shifts, and competitor positioning to refine Ford Energy’s go-to-market strategies.

• High-Impact Customer Engagement & Advocacy

• Customer Relations: Build and maintain relationships with technical decision-makers, and project managers at target client organizations.

• Value Proposition & Technical Pitching: Lead high-impact technical workshops, site visits, and factory tours, masterfully articulating Ford Energy’s product capabilities and financial value proposition.

• Customer Voice Integration: Collect and communicate customer feedback regarding technical requirements to product development teams.

• Deal Structuring, Negotiation & Bid Management

• Commercial Support: Contribute to the structuring and negotiation of commercial agreements, including supply and service contracts, in alignment with established guidelines.

• Proposal Coordination: Coordinate the development of technical and commercial proposals, ensuring alignment with pricing and risk guidelines.

• Cross-Functional Orchestration: Mobilize and lead cross-functional teams (PMO, Engineering, Finance, Legal, and Manufacturing) to deliver winning bid submissions under tight deadlines

• Technical & Product Liaison

• Technical Sales Authority: Serve as a trusted advisor to clients on complex technical topics.

• Roadmap Influence: Collaborate with engineering teams in Dearborn and manufacturing in Kentucky to translate customer requirements into future product roadmap features.

You'll have...

Experience & Education:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Finance, or a related field required.

• Professional Experience: 5 years of professional experience, with a strong preference for 2+ years in technical sales, commercial account management, or business development within the BESS, renewable energy, utility, or grid infrastructure sectors.

• Technical Sales Background: Proven experience supporting the sale of highly technical, capital-intensive products or complex industrial solutions.

• Core Skills & Mindset:

• Rapid Technical Aptitude: Ability to quickly learn, master, and articulate complex BESS technology, battery chemistry, and grid-integration dynamics.

• Commercial Acumen: Strong business etiquette, professional presentation skills, and developing financial judgment required to support multi-million-dollar contract negotiations.

• Entrepreneurial Drive: A high-achievement orientation with a competitive, startup mindset—comfortable with ambiguity, proactive in problem-solving, and driven to win. Communication: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to collaborate cross-functionally and cross-culturally.

• Location & Travel:

• Location: Southeast Michigan (Dearborn area) preferred, Glendale, KY or Palo Alto, CA.

• Travel: Moderate to significant domestic travel (up to 50%) to engage with customers, attend industry events, and support site visits, including periodic travel to Dearborn, MI, for alignment and our factory in Kentucky for product reviews.

As an established global company, we offer the benefit of choice. You can choose what your Ford future will look like: will your story span the globe, or keep you close to home? Will your career be a deep dive into what you love, or a series of new teams and new skills? Will you be a leader, a changemaker, a technical expert, a culture builder…or all of the above? No matter what you choose, we offer a work life that works for you, including:

Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage

Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up childcare and more

Family building benefits including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, fertility treatments, and more

Vehicle discount program for employees and family members and management leases

Tuition assistance

Established and active employee resource groups

Paid time off for individual and team community service

A generous schedule of paid holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day

Paid time off and the option to purchase additional vacation time.

This position is leadership level 5 and ranges from $141,700 - $268,300.

Final determination of salary grade will be based on candidate's skills and experience, and base salary will be set within the applicable range according to job scope, responsibility and competitive market value.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Candidates for positions with Ford Motor Company must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, age, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status or protected veteran status. In the United States, if you need a reasonable accommodation for the online application process due to a disability, please call 1-888-336-0660.

Company: As Ford establishes a wholly owned subsidiary focused on Battery Energy Storage Systems, this role will initially be employed by Ford and is expected to transition to the subsidiary within one year.

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