Director, Business Development, Region North

Wärtsilä Energy leads the transition towards a 100% renewable energy future. We help our partners to accelerate their decarbonisation journeys through our market-leading technologies and power system modelling expertise. These cover decarbonisation services, future-fuel enabled balancing power plants, hybrid solutions, energy storage and optimisation technology, including the GEMS Digital Energy Platform.

Did you know Wärtsilä has delivered 79 GW of power plant capacity and more than 130 energy storage installations in 180 countries around the world?

In this fast changing world of energy, we are constantly on the lookout for future-oriented talent to join our team and to work towards enabling sustainable societies through innovation in technology and services - together. Want to join the ride?

Director, Business Development, Region North

Position Overview

Lead and drive Wärtsilä's Energy Business sales operations across the Northern region, developing strategic customer relationships and delivering exceptional business growth. This key leadership role is responsible for New Build Sales for Engine Power Plants, managing a high-performing team of Business Development Managers while reporting to the Energy Business Director for the region.

About the Role

As the Director/General Manager of Business Development, you will shape our market presence and drive sustainable growth in a rapidly evolving energy landscape. This position offers an exceptional opportunity to influence the energy transition in a key global market while advancing your career in a world-leading energy solutions company.

Location: The position is permanent, and we’re open to candidates based anywhere in the U.S. While it’s ideal for someone to be located in the Central or Eastern Time Zone, we’re also considering candidates in other U.S. regions as well as international locations.

What you will be doing:

• Lead and drive the sales strategy within the designated region, ensuring alignment with overall business objectives and delivering optimal sales performance.

• Own the New Build Sales function for Engine Power Plants across the region, identifying opportunities, building strong client relationships, and securing new business.

• Report directly to the Energy Business Director for the region, collaborating closely to execute strategic initiatives and contribute to long-term growth.

As Director, Business Development – Region North , your work will focus on these responsibilities:

• Leading the sales function, setting strategic direction and driving performance to achieve business targets.
• Overseeing and leading large-scale sales projects, ensuring cross-functional collaboration and alignment with business objectives.
• Developing and implementing sales strategies and policies for the assigned region.
• Being responsible for sales expansion, ensuring new product introductions, services sales collaboration, and active relationship management with existing and potential customers.
• Ensuring customer focus by understanding customers’ business drivers and managing customer relations from both new build and life-cycle perspectives.
• Establishing and monitoring sales performance metrics and targets in the region, such as Order Intake and Margin, and creating a reliable sales forecast for the rolling five quarters.
• Balancing the application of the Wärtsilä sales contract policy in customer negotiations and internal BUCC reviews.
• Mentoring and developing the sales team, fostering a culture of innovation, learning, and professional growth.
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with key clients and partners to ensure customer satisfaction and business development.
• Collaborating with cross-functional teams to align sales strategies with overall business plans, such as Growth & Development and Services Sales.
• Driving the use of analytics and market insights to identify sales opportunities and improve sales effectiveness.
• Managing budgeting and resource allocation within the sales function to maximize efficiency and results.
• Developing thought leadership and participating in speaking engagements.

To be successful in this role, we expect you to have:

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business Administration, Energy Systems, or a related field. MBA or equivalent advanced degree preferred.

Experience:

• Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in sales, business development, or commercial operations within the energy or power generation sector.

• Proven track record in leading Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Sales, including order intake, margin management, and contract negotiation.

• Experience managing and developing high-performing sales teams across diverse geographies.

• Demonstrated success in customer relationship management and lifecycle engagement strategies.

Skills:

• Strategic & Commercial Acumen

  • Strategic planning and execution

  • Market development and demand creation

  • Risk/reward-balanced contracting

  • Sales forecasting and pipeline management

  • Business case development and margin optimization

• Sales & Customer Engagement

  • New Build sales leadership in the energy sector

  • Customer lifecycle management (from new build to service)

  • High-level customer relationship management

  • Negotiation and deal-closing expertise

  • CRM and sales enablement tools proficiency

• Leadership & Team Development

  • Sales team leadership and coaching

  • Performance management and talent development

  • Cross-functional collaboration (especially with ES&O, EPP, and ES)

  • Change management and transformation leadership

• Analytical & Operational

  • Market trend analysis and competitive positioning

  • Data-driven decision-making

  • Contract and commercial risk assessment

  • Sales performance metrics and reporting

• Personal Attributes:

  • Visionary: Able to define clear direction and inspire teams toward long-term goals.

  • Customer-Centric: Deeply understands customer drivers and tailors solutions accordingly.

  • Collaborative: Works effectively across organizational boundaries and cultures.

  • Resilient: Maintains focus and adaptability in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.

  • Ethical: Leads with integrity, aligned with Wärtsilä’s Code of Conduct and The Wärtsilä Way.

  • Decisive: Makes informed decisions confidently, even under uncertainty.

  • Empowering: Fosters a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous learning.

  • Innovative: Seeks new approaches to improve business value and customer outcomes.

Others:

• Willing and able to travel up to 40% of the time, both domestically and internationally.

Please note that interviews may begin during the application period, so we encourage early submissions.

Last application date: 13/10/2025

Candidates for regular U.S and Puerto Rico positions must be a U.S. citizen, national, or an alien admitted as permanent resident, refugee, asylee with valid work permit or temporary resident under 8 U.S.C. 1160(a) or 1255a(1). Individuals with temporary visas such as E, F-1, H-1, H1B, H-2, L, B, J, or TN or who need sponsorship for work authorization now or in the future, are not eligible for hire.

For applicants that reside in CA/CO/WA, the salary range is $200,000 - $ 246,000.

For applicants that reside in NY, the salary/salary range/hourly wage range is $ 193,000 – $ 237,000.

The amounts listed are the base pay range; additional compensation may be available for this role, such as shift differentials, standby/on-call, overtime, premiums, extra shift incentives, or bonus opportunities. Eligibility to participate in: the discretionary incentive plan assigned to the level of position upon offer of employment; medical, dental and vision coverage, 401(k) plan and flexible spending accounts, subject to plan terms; Company-paid benefits such as life insurance, short- and long-term disability, subject to applicable waiting periods. Paid time off (PTO) is accrued on a per-pay period basis in accordance with tenure in the Company; a new hire can expect 17 days per year. Twelve (12) Company-paid holidays.

Individuals hired for positions that require on-site customer interactions and/or in-person travel may be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or other country-specific vaccinations, unless otherwise prohibited by law.

Wärtsilä North America values our employees. We offer a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package. Wärtsilä North America is an EOE/AA employer.

At Wärtsilä we value, respect and embrace all our differences, and are committed to diversity, inclusion and equal employment opportunities; everyone can be their true self and succeed based on their job-relevant merits and abilities.

Effective January 2025, Wartsila companies in the USA have implemented a new hybrid work model. Most employees who live within 40 miles of an office will work 2 days per week in office. This model will provide our employees the flexibility of working from home, while also providing the benefits of in-person collaboration twice a week. Roles that require extensive travel (e.g. select Field Service or Business Development roles) are exempt and may be full-time remote. We will be happy to provide more information during your interview process.

Please note that according to Wärtsilä policy, voluntary consent for a security check may be required from candidates being considered for this position, depending on the applicable country.

This is Wärtsilä

Wärtsilä is a global leader in innovative technologies and lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets. Our team of 18,300 professionals, in more than 230 locations in 77 countries, shape the decarbonisation transformation of our industries across the globe. Read more on .