Principal Business Development Manager – Air & Water OEM

At GE Appliances, a Haier company, we come together to make “good things, for life.”  As the fastest-growing appliance company in the U.S., we’re powered by creators, thinkers and makers who believe that anything is possible and that there’s always a better way.  We believe in the power of our people and in giving them the freedom to explore, discover and build good things, together.

The GE Appliances philosophy, backed by three simple commitments defines the way we work, invent, create, do business, and serve our communities:  we come together ,  we always look for a better way , and  we create possibilities .

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire and must be able to maintain such authorization without current or future employer or school sponsorship. GE Appliances will not sponsor employment-based visas for this position now or in the future.

Interested in joining us on our journey?

As GE Appliances’ Principal Business Development Manager – A&W OEM, you will lead the identification, prioritization, and advancement of OEM growth opportunities across manufacturers, plumbing/HVAC distributors, contractor roll-up groups, and other strategic channel partners. You will serve as a key commercial subject matter expert for the A&W OEM space, shaping account and segment pursuit strategies, evaluating opportunity fit, and translating external market needs into actionable business requirements and cross-functional execution plans. In this role, you will influence commercial priorities and operational readiness by partnering closely with product, engineering, operations, quality, supply chain, service, and finance teams, as well as Haier engineering, manufacturing, and product management teams in China. This is a highly autonomous individual contributor role with direct impact on OEM pipeline quality, profitable revenue growth, customer acquisition strategy, and the development of scalable OEM commercial processes and operating discipline.
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Principal Business Development Manager – Air & Water OEM
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USA, Louisville, KY

How You'll Create Possibilities

OEM Growth Strategy, Portfolio Prioritization & Pipeline Leadership (30%)

- Develop and execute OEM growth strategies for assigned customer and channel segments, including target-account prioritization, whitespace identification, and pursuit planning.
- Identify and prioritize manufacturers, plumbing/HVAC distributors, contractor organizations, strategic sourcing customers, and adjacent channel partners with OEM, private label, or branded program needs.
- Build, manage, and continuously refine a qualified opportunity pipeline using market mapping, relationship development, proactive outreach, industry events, and referrals.
- Establish account-entry and expansion strategies, including stakeholder mapping, customer need assessment, opportunity screening criteria, and pursuit sequencing.
- Own pipeline visibility, opportunity governance, and forecast discipline for active pursuits, ensuring leadership has clear insight into conversion outlook, timing, and commercial risk.

Opportunity Leadership, Solution Shaping & Commercial Execution (30%)

- Lead complex OEM opportunities from initial engagement through discovery, business case development, solution definition, proposal coordination, commercial alignment, negotiation support, and transition to launch.
- Assess customer requirements, competitive alternatives, volume potential, margin profile, supply implications, technical feasibility, and execution risks to determine opportunity attractiveness and viability.
- Partner with internal stakeholders to define commercially sound and operationally executable OEM solutions aligned to customer requirements and enterprise capabilities.
- Influence pricing assumptions, scope alignment, launch expectations, and agreement structure by coordinating inputs across commercial, operational, and technical teams.
- Drive resolution of key barriers to conversion by clarifying tradeoffs, surfacing decision points, and aligning stakeholders on recommended path forward.
- Track win/loss themes, opportunity conversion patterns, and recurring commercial obstacles to improve future pursuit quality and close effectiveness.

Market Insight, Business Planning & OEM Capability Development (20%)

- Monitor market activity, sourcing trends, customer demand signals, channel shifts, and competitor positions to identify actionable OEM growth opportunities and emerging risks.
- Synthesize customer and market feedback into business cases, segment recommendations, and opportunity prioritization guidance for internal stakeholders.
- Contribute to commercial planning by recommending pursuit focus areas, target segments, customer strategies, and capability needs that support OEM growth objectives.
- Identify common market pain points, unmet needs, and recurring deal barriers to inform process improvements, offer refinement, and longer-term OEM channel development.

Cross-Functional Leadership, Global Alignment & Launch Readiness (20%)

- Serve as the commercial lead across cross-functional teams to connect customer requirements with product, engineering, operations, quality, supply chain, service, and global manufacturing capabilities.
- Partner with Haier teams in China and U.S.-based stakeholders to align on technical requirements, timing, manufacturing considerations, and launch readiness expectations.
- Communicate customer requirements, decision timelines, pricing needs, competitive threats, and program risks to the appropriate stakeholders to support timely decisions and execution alignment.
- Lead structured handoff and launch-readiness coordination for awarded business to support an effective transition from pursuit to execution.
- Contribute to the development of scalable OEM tools, commercial processes, qualification frameworks, and operating practices that improve opportunity selection, execution consistency, and functional performance.

Other related duties as assigned:

- Support trade shows, customer meetings, and internal business reviews.
- Contribute to reporting, opportunity tracking, and commercial documentation.
- Provide informal guidance and commercial context to cross-functional partners supporting OEM pursuits.
- Perform other related duties as assigned.

What You'll Bring to Our Team

Qualifications, Education, and Experiential Background

- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Engineering, Supply Chain, or a related field; equivalent experience may substitute for educational requirement.
- 7+ years of relevant experience in OEM sales, B2B technical sales, business development, national account sales, channel development, or related commercial roles in manufacturing or industrial environments.
- Demonstrated experience leading complex opportunities through a structured commercial process from prospect development and qualification through proposal development, negotiation support, and launch transition.
- Experience evaluating customer needs, commercial tradeoffs, technical constraints, and execution risks to shape practical, profitable business opportunities.
- Experience influencing cross-functional stakeholders across product, engineering, operations, supply chain, quality, service, and finance in support of commercial outcomes.
- Experience working with customers in HVAC, plumbing, water heating, water treatment, building products, distribution, or related manufacturing sectors.

Preferred Qualifications/Education/Experience

- Experience selling to or working with OEM manufacturers, plumbing/HVAC distributors, contractor roll-ups, consolidators, national service platforms, or strategic sourcing teams.
- Existing network in plumbing, HVAC, water heating, water treatment, building products, contractor services, distribution, or OEM channels.
- Experience supporting private label, OEM supply, branded program, or cross-border manufacturing partnerships.
- Experience collaborating with global manufacturing, engineering, or product teams to support customer solutions and launch readiness.
- Experience helping establish commercial processes, qualification frameworks, or go-to-market discipline in an emerging or growth-oriented business space.

Working Conditions & Travel Requirements

- Working conditions are typical for a remote, office, and customer-facing environment.
- Frequent travel (~80%) required for prospects, customers, industry events, GE Appliances locations, and manufacturing partners, including international travel to Asia as needed.
- Role may require occasional off-hours meetings to support collaboration across time zones.

Position Competencies (Required Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities)

- Domain Knowledge & Technical Expertise – Serves as a recognized commercial resource in OEM business development, channel strategy, and technical/commercial selling within HVAC, plumbing, water, or related manufacturing environments, applying deep knowledge to shape viable growth strategies and customer-specific solutions.
- Problem Resolution & Critical Thinking – Anticipates and resolves difficult, often complex commercial and operational issues by evaluating customer requirements, margin implications, technical constraints, supply considerations, and execution risk where standard approaches may not fully apply.
- Execution, Planning & Scope – Contributes directly to OEM commercial planning and leads significant opportunity, process, and pursuit improvements by managing complex business development work from market targeting through launch transition with a high degree of autonomy.
- Communication, Influence & Stakeholder Engagement – Exercises strong influence with customers and cross-functional partners by translating market needs and technical considerations into actionable business requirements, pursuit strategies, and well-supported commercial recommendations.
- Professional Contribution, Autonomy & Leadership – Operates with minimal day-to-day oversight as a highly experienced individual contributor, driving high-impact outcomes through structured coordination, sound judgment, stakeholder alignment, and informal leadership across internal teams.

Preferred Competencies:

- Cross-Border Collaboration – Works effectively across U.S.- and Asia-based teams to align customer requirements, technical feasibility, execution expectations, and program timing in support of complex OEM opportunities.
- OEM/Private Label Commercial Acumen – Applies strong commercial judgment in OEM supply, branded program, private label, or strategic sourcing environments to evaluate opportunity fit, structure business cases, and improve program conversion quality.

#LI-REMOTE#LI-REMOTE

Our Culture

Our work is centered on our People and Culture as reflected in our Zero Distance philosophy and we recognize the importance of reaffirming our commitment to inclusion and diversity (I&D). This underscores our commitment to fostering an environment where every individual feels valued, connected, and empowered to contribute, while positioning our organization to adapt seamlessly to the evolving needs of our workforce and communities.

This reflects our dedication to creating solutions that: Empower colleagues by fostering an environment where all voices are heard, valued, and encouraged to contribute. Strengthen communities where we live and work. Reinforce a culture of belonging, purpose, and engagement. Reflect the diversity of the communities we serve through our workforce, products, and practices.

By further embedding Zero Distance into our People and Culture framework, we will continue to build a deeply connected organization. We are cultivating a culture of engagement, belonging, and connection, because while attracting new talent remains a priority, retention is a cornerstone of our strategy.

GE Appliances is a trust-based organization. It is important we offer our employees the flexibility they need to do their best work while balancing the needs of the business and individuals. When you join GE Appliances, you will have the opportunity to work with your leader to create a flexible work arrangement that balances the needs of the individual, team, and organization.

GE Appliances is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.

GE Appliances participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S

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