Business Development Director

Position Overview

CALSTART has an immediate opening for a highly-motivated and skilled leader to join our team as Business Development Director.  This role will lead all activities to identify, propose and secure funding from public agency as well as foundation and commercial sources for our growing portfolio of projects. The Director will lead all grant writing activities, including establishing and managing a proposal decision and review process to increase and guarantee quality and win rate.   Additionally, our new Business Development Director will develop and maintain:

  • A refined set of organizational qualifications for core activities (tech program management and reporting; data collection and analysis; market assessment; fleet implementation support)
  • Representative examples of successful projects (case studies) for use in proposals
  • A 12-18-month calendar of funding timelines and proposal deadlines
  • A list of key public, foundation, and corporate funders with whom CALSTART has or should have a relationship
  • An outreach plan and schedule to reach new potential funders
  • Regular check-in briefings with all key funders to keep abreast of their priorities and keep them updated on CALSTART’s activities and capabilities
  • A tracking and monitoring system of potential project revenues

The position will report to the Executive Vice President and ideally be based in Pasadena, California at CALSTART’s headquarters; other CALSTART office locations are possible based on the candidate and qualifications.

About CALSTART

CALSTART’s mission is to make the air healthy to breathe, prevent climate change, strengthen the nation, and create jobs by growing the clean transportation technology industry.  With more than 27 years of experience, CALSTART is recognized both nationally and internationally as an effective industry catalyst organization.  CALSTART’s member companies are diverse and include Tesla Motors, UPS, Ford, The Union of Concerned Scientists, Borg Warner, Peterbilt, General Motors, Freightliner, Volvo, and Southern California Edison.  CALSTART focuses its work in four major areas: cars, buses, trucks, and fuels. CALSTART advances each of these sectors by supporting technology development, assessing and validating new technologies and products, accelerating market growth by supporting clean vehicle incentive programs, providing policy guidance and implementation, and giving value-added services to its member organizations.  CALSTART is a national organization headquartered in Pasadena, California with regional offices in California, Colorado, Michigan, and New York.  If you want a career where you are making a real impact benefiting both society and the environment, you should consider coming to work for CALSTART.

Our Ideal Candidate will have:

  • Strong and deep knowledge of strategic business development and the ability to tie organizational goals to pursuit strategies and plans
  • Exceptional proposal development and submission experience with a proven high win ratio
  • Be a well-developed marketer with strategic sales knowledge and a focus on shaping and winning proposals and projects

  Minimum Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in a related discipline, Master’s degree a plus
  • Extensive (>10 years) closely related experience in business development; non-profit business knowledge a plus
  • Knowledge of the advanced transportation industry and technologies necessary; deep expertise a plus
  • A proven track record of winning government contract funding
  • Expertise in creating and securing industry-funded project work; foundation funding experience a plus
  • Strong program oversight and project management experience
  • Proven organizational management and team leadership
  • Exceptional presentation, stakeholder management, and writing skills
  • Knowledge of project budgeting
  • Strong organizational and planning capabilities and the ability to multitask multiple pursuits at once
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite of applications (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook)
  • Willingness to travel within North America

Additional Skills and Experience

The following skills and experience are not required but will be considered very favorably:

  • Advanced degrees and certifications in engineering, technology, business, policy or relevant fields
  • Knowledge of organizational revenue forecasting
  • Have existing contacts and relationships with relevant industry, public funding agency, and foundation representatives desired
  • Certificate in project management and other relevant skills
  • Specific sector knowledge of and expertise with advanced transportation technologies and fuels including electricity, hydrogen, fuel cells and energy storage, natural gas, bio- and renewable fuels

Compensation and Benefits

CALSTART offers a strong compensation package:

  • Annual salary is based on experience and capability
  • We offer competitive health, dental and vision benefits
  • Competitive company contribution to an employee retirement plan
  • Employee Incentive Program (bonus) yearly based on performance
  • Commuter benefits for alternative transportation
  • Commitment to employee growth and skills development

The full-time position is located in the CALSTART Pasadena Headquarters Office; other office locations possible based on candidate (Michigan, New York, Colorado, Northern California)

How to Apply

If you are up to this challenge, we invite you to apply for the position of Business Development Director at CALSTART.  Qualified candidates, please submit a cover letter and complete resume as soon as possible by emailing [email protected].

CALSTART, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. As such, CALSTART offers equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, gender, religion, age, nationality, social or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, pregnancy, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. These opportunities include all terms, conditions, and privileges of employment, including but not limited to recruiting, hiring, job placement, training, compensation, benefits, discipline, advancement, and termination. Women and minorities are strongly encouraged to apply.