HYDRO VAC SALES & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Job Type
Full-time

Description

POSITION SUMMARY

The Hydro Vac Sales & Business Development Manager is responsible for developing new business, expanding existing customer relationships, and securing profitable hydro excavation and related service opportunities. The position partners closely with Hydro Operations to align customer commitments with crew availability, equipment capacity, safety requirements, pricing, and service delivery expectations.

This role serves as a primary customer-facing representative for the Hydro Vac business. The position identifies prospects, conducts field and customer visits, prepares proposals, negotiates service terms within approved authority, obtains orders and service contracts, maintains the sales pipeline, and supports strategic market expansion. Success in this role requires strong industry knowledge, disciplined sales activity, accurate forecasting, and consistent coordination with operations and leadership.

Reasonable Accommodations Statement

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable Accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

- Actively prospect for and develop new hydro excavation, vacuum truck, utility, industrial, civil construction, pipeline, infrastructure, and emergency-response business opportunities.
- Customarily and regularly conduct sales activity away from the Company’s place of business, including customer offices, project sites, pre-bid meetings, industry events, and market visits.
- Make sales and obtain orders or contracts for Hydro Vac services by identifying customer needs, presenting service capabilities, preparing proposals, and closing business within approved pricing and contractual authority.
- Build and maintain productive relationships with contractors, utilities, municipalities, industrial customers, engineering firms, facility owners, and other prospective or existing clients.
- Partner with Hydro Operations to evaluate scope, equipment requirements, crew availability, scheduling expectations, site conditions, and operational feasibility before commitments are made to customers.
- Conduct jobsite visits and customer meetings to gather scope details, identify service requirements, and communicate relevant operational information to estimating, operations, safety, and management.
- Prepare and deliver accurate proposals, quotations, presentations, statements of work, and service recommendations in accordance with Company standards.
- Negotiate pricing, service terms, schedules, and customer expectations within established authority; elevate nonstandard terms, material risks, or exceptions for approval.
- Maintain a current and accurate sales pipeline, customer contact history, opportunity status, activity records, forecasts, and supporting documentation in the designated systems.
- Develop account plans and territory strategies that support revenue growth, customer retention, geographic expansion, equipment utilization, and profitability objectives.
- Monitor market activity, competitor positioning, customer needs, upcoming projects, and industry trends; provide actionable information to leadership and operations.
- Coordinate customer handoffs to Hydro Operations and remain engaged throughout service delivery to support communication, issue resolution, repeat business, and customer satisfaction.
- Follow up on completed work, address commercial questions, and pursue additional opportunities while ensuring operational concerns are promptly routed to the appropriate leader.
- Support bid reviews, prequalification requirements, customer onboarding, vendor setup, and contract-document collection in partnership with internal departments.
- Participate in trade associations, networking events, customer functions, and other business-development activities that strengthen the Company’s market presence.
- Meet established activity, pipeline, revenue, margin, customer retention, and new-business goals while supporting safe and responsible growth.
- Promote a positive safety culture and ensure sales commitments are consistent with Company policies, customer requirements, and applicable safety and compliance standards.
- Adhere to Company Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), affirmative action, safety, quality assurance, ethics, and compliance programs.
- Perform other duties and special projects as assigned to support sales, operational, and organizational objectives.

Requirements

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Qualifications

- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Construction Management, Engineering, or a related field; an equivalent combination of education and directly related experience may be considered.
- Minimum of five (5) years of business development, outside sales, account management, estimating, or customer-facing experience in hydro excavation, utility construction, civil construction, industrial services, vacuum truck services, pipeline, infrastructure, or a related industry.
- Demonstrated ability to prospect, develop customer relationships, prepare proposals, negotiate terms, and close service-based sales opportunities.
- Working knowledge of hydro excavation services, vacuum truck applications, underground utility protection practices, project scoping, and construction or industrial customer requirements.
- Ability to understand job scopes, interpret customer requirements, identify operational risks, and coordinate effectively with field operations and safety personnel.
- Ability to analyze pricing, costs, margins, market information, and sales data to support profitable growth and sound business decisions.
- Excellent planning, organization, follow-through, problem-solving, presentation, negotiation, and relationship-management skills.
- Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to interact effectively with customers, employees, vendors, and executive leadership.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and customer relationship management, estimating, or reporting systems.
- Must be dependable, trustworthy, self-directed, and capable of maintaining confidential business and customer information.
- Valid driver’s license with an acceptable driving record and the ability to travel regularly within the assigned market.

Preferred Qualifications

- Seven (7) or more years of outside sales or business development experience in hydro excavation, utility construction, vacuum truck, pipeline, infrastructure, or industrial services.
- Established relationships within relevant contractor, utility, municipal, industrial, engineering, or infrastructure markets.
- Experience with public and private bid opportunities, customer prequalification, service agreements, and contract review processes.
- Experience using CRM platforms, sales forecasting tools, digital takeoff or estimating systems, and operational reporting platforms.
- Experience supporting emergency response, storm restoration, planned outages, or time-sensitive infrastructure work.
- Knowledge of OSHA, DOT, environmental, and customer-specific safety requirements applicable to field service operations.

Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Construction Management, Engineering, or a related field preferred. Equivalent directly related education and experience may be considered.

Computer Skills:

Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, CRM, estimating, and reporting systems preferred.

Certificates & Licenses

Valid driver’s license with an acceptable driving record. Relevant sales, construction, safety, or industry certifications are preferred but not required.

Other Requirements

The position requires regular travel to customer locations, project sites, and industry events. The employee must be able to work a schedule that varies according to customer and business needs and must comply with all site-specific personal protective equipment and access requirements.

Chain Electric Company is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. All applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, age, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status or any other protected status where otherwise qualified.