Sales Manager, Ford Energy

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

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

Dental coverage

Vision coverage

Parental leave

Back-up childcare

Tuition assistance

Paid time off

Paid holidays

Vehicle discount

Job summary

Ford Energy is seeking a Sales Manager to accelerate growth of its grid-scale and commercial BESS business, engaging major utilities, IPPs, integrators, and hyperscale data centers. You will own the sales pipeline, drive lead development, and coordinate technical and commercial proposals.

Based in the United States with travel up to 50%, you will report to the Director of Sales and work with senior leadership to secure large MSAs and shape the energy grid's future.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, business, finance, or related field.
• 5 years of professional experience; 2+ years in technical sales or business development in BESS/renewables.
• Experience in selling capital-intensive, technical solutions.

Responsibilities

• Lead development & strategic pipeline leadership for Ford Energy's BESS offerings.
• Drive deal origination with utilities, IPPs, data centers and integrators.
• Manage key accounts and coordinate technical & commercial proposals.
• Lead cross-functional teams to deliver winning bid submissions under deadlines.
• Engage in negotiations and structure commercial agreements within guidelines.

Skills

Lead generation

Pipeline management

Strategic deal origination

Account management

Market intelligence

Technical sales

Negotiation

Bid management

Cross-functional leadership

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Finance, or related field

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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