Business Development Manager

Ecolab Purification Technologies is seeking a Business Development Manager (f/m/d) to drive profitable growth through the identification, qualification, and conversion of new business opportunities within the power generation market segment. This includes fossil, nuclear, combined-cycle, CHP, district heating and emerging applications. The successful candidate will combine technical credibility, commercial judgment, and disciplined execution to develop customer relationships, advance complex opportunities, and accelerate adoption of Purification Technologies solutions throughout Europe.

This role focuses on new customer acquisition and market expansion through active pipeline management, technical consultation, and long-cycle opportunity development. The Business Development Manager works closely with Sales, Marketing, RD&E, Regulatory, Supply Chain, Applications, and other partners to develop customer solutions and deliver profitable growth.

How You’ll Make An Impact

• Develop and execute business development plans for the market segment described above, application, customer portfolio, or geography
• Identify, prioritize, qualify, and pursue new customer and application opportunities aligned with business growth objectives
• Build and manage a qualified opportunity pipeline, maintain accurate opportunity data, and provide timely sales forecasts
• Lead customer discovery to understand technical, operational, economic, and commercial requirements
• Apply working knowledge of ion exchange technologies, chemistry, and customer processes to establish credibility and connect customer needs with appropriate solutions
• Coordinate pilots, product evaluations, specifications, and technical validation activities to advance opportunities through the sales cycle
• Collaborate with Sales, Marketing, RD&E, Regulatory, Supply Chain, Applications, and other partners to develop solutions and address barriers to commercialization
• Develop customer value propositions and business cases that clearly articulate solution impact and support opportunity conversion
• Support pricing, proposal development, and commercial negotiations in partnership with sales and business leadership
• Provide voice-of-customer and market feedback to inform product, marketing, and commercial priorities
• Build productive relationships with customers, channel partners, OEMs, and other stakeholders relevant to the assigned opportunity portfolio
• Transition won opportunities to the appropriate account management or field sales team with clear documentation and continuity
• Manage complex, long-cycle opportunities that may require multiple stakeholders and extended technical validation

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, science, business, or a related field.
• Minimum 3 years of lead-generation, sales-development, business-development, technical sales, or relevant field experience in power, industrial water treatment, ion exchange, utilities, or a related technical market.
• Experience working with power-industry customers, technical stakeholders, plant operations, utility accounts, or related Purification Technologies applications.
• Demonstrated ability to identify customer needs, develop opportunities, and move complex work through a sales process
• Ability to communicate technical and commercial concepts to customers and internal stakeholders
• Ability to travel as required for the assigned market and customer portfolio
• Fluent English and willingness to travel regularly across the defined European territory, anticipated to be up to 50% based on customer, project, and business needs.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with ion exchange power-generation water treatment, including condensate polishing, demineralization, steam-cycle chemistry, and nuclear water treatment applications. resin-based separation, water treatment, or an adjacent technical market.
• Knowledge of power-plant chemistry, water treatment, condensate polishing, waste treatment or ion exchange resin applications.
• Several years of experience with complex B2B sales cycles involving pilots, specifications, technical validation, OEMs, or multiple decision-makers.
• Experience in relationship management, value-based selling, pricing, and negotiation.
• Strong commercial acumen, analytical problem-solving skills, and disciplined use of CRM and forecasting tools.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a matrix environment and coordinate across functions without direct authority.

About Ecolab

At Ecolab, we prioritize our talent-first philosophy by creating the most capable and diverse team to excel at our nearly three m