Business Development & Channels Director

Fluence is seeking a Director Business Development & Channels who will drive business growth by identifying and securing new opportunities, building strategic partnerships, and expanding market presence. The role will manage a small team focused on qualified pipeline growth, shaping how to win, and originating new commercial opportunities. In addition, the role will be responsible for developing and executing Fluence’s channel sales strategy in the United Kingdom and Ireland to drive revenue growth through indirect sales channels like EPCs, renewable energy suppliers, consultancies, software suppliers or other partners. This will include managing partner relationships, creating and implementing targeted sales and marketing programs, overseeing channel-specific performance metrics and compliance. The role requires strong leadership, strategic vision, excellent communication and interpersonal skills, as well as an inherent hunger and ability to spot new opportunities.

Key Responsibilities

• Create and execute growth strategies, implementing comprehensive business development strategies to align with the company's overarching goals, exploring new segments, partners, products and other revenue opportunities.
• Develop and execute a comprehensive channel sales strategy that aligns with the company's overall business and growth objectives.
• Identify, vet, and recruit new channel partners to expand market presence and penetrate new market segments.
• Drive market prioritization, customer segmentation, and marketing campaign design.
• Collaborate with Sales, Marketing, and Strategy teams to define and execute the business development strategy.
• Independently build strong relationships with potential clients and channel partners across their key stakeholders early in their decision-making journey, with minimal support from other customer-facing Fluence teams.
• Serve as a trusted first point of contact, shaping the customer’s understanding of Fluence’s capabilities and value proposition; position Fluence for success with tailored presentations.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key channel partners and serve as their primary point of contact.
• Develop sales and partner enablement programs and marketing materials with the necessary resources, training and support.
• Collaborate closely with Director Sales & Account Management to seamlessly transition qualified leads, ensuring highest likelihood that customer opportunities will transact with Fluence in a timely manner.
• Gather and communicate insights from customer and stakeholder conversations back to Fluence’s Sales, Product, Marketing, and Strategy teams.
• Inform pricing strategies, product development, and go-to-market positioning.
• Monitor and analyze competitor activities and broader market dynamics to identify opportunities for differentiation and growth.
• Identify new revenue opportunities or segments that may be emerging in the market.
• Represent Fluence at industry conferences, forums, and networking events to build brand visibility and thought leadership.
• Proactively identify and pursue opportunities to generate leads.
• Build and maintain relationships with key industry partners, associations, and influencers across the clean energy and energy storage sectors.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Energy, or related field (masters degree / MBA is a plus).
• At least 10 years of experience in sales, business development, or account management, ideally within the clean energy, energy storage, or technology sectors.
• Strong understanding of the energy industry and competitive landscape, ideally with established industry relationships and strong technical understanding.
• Proven ability to build and maintain new customer relationships and to influence early sales stages.
• Demonstrated experience in developing and executing successful channel strategies, with a strong knowledge of the clean energy stakeholder and customer landscape.
• Track record of closing deals with partners or customers.
• Experience working within and leading a cross-functional, matrixed organization.
• Strong communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills with the ability to engage with both technical and commercial stakeholders.
• Highly organized, self-motivated, and proactive in generating and converting leads.
• Confidence working with different AI tools and experience with Salesforce or similar CRM tools.
• Possess an entrepreneurial drive for getting things done and a “whatever it takes” attitude.
• Exhibit a forward leaning posture, high ownership, and diligent pursuit of new opportunities.

Our Culture

At Fluence, our culture is the foundation that drives our ambitious growth strategy and fuels our mission to transform the future of energy. Our core cultural pillars empower us to innovate, collaborate, and lead with purpose, ensuring we continue to deliver unparalleled value to our customers and the world.

• Unleash Voices: We believe every voice matters. We encourage openness, active listening, and decisive action to create a culture where everyone has the opportunity to contribute to our success. We foster an environment where diverse perspectives are heard and valued, driving innovation and progress.
• Customer Fluent: Our customers are at the heart of everything we do. We’re committed to delivering exceptional value that exceeds expectations by understanding our customers' needs and adapting swiftly to meet them. Our deep focus on customer satisfaction drives us to continuously improve and innovate.
• Infinite Impact: We are committed to creating the impossible. We push boundaries to deliver sustainable, game-changing solutions that shape a brighter, more energy-efficient future for all. Our team is passionate about making a lasting impact that will resonate for generations to come.
• All In: We are all in for growth. Our teams are relentlessly focused on identifying and seizing opportunities that propel us forward. We embrace an ownership mindset, pushing ourselves and each other to accelerate progress and create lasting success.