The Utility Natural Gas Sales Specialist will work on building relationships with industrial, construction, and commercial builders/contractors. This position will also be responsible for finding new customers, retaining existing customers, preparing and implementing sales plans, working on branding projects, identifying market changes, identifying new areas of opportunity, conducting analyses of the competitive environment, reviewing applications for gas main extensions and new service lines, making site visits to monitor construction progress of gas services, keeping customers informed of progress, and attending various meetings with sales staff, neighborhood associations, civic associations, construction contractors, and industrial and commercial users.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Finds new customers via cold calling, prospecting, and building new relationships.
- Retains existing customers via negotiating, running cost analyses of electric vs. gas to explain cost savings, and other methods.
- Prepares and implements sales plans.
- Works on branding projects.
- Identifies market changes.
- Identifies new areas of opportunity and conducts analyses of the competitive environment.
- Reviews applications for gas main extensions and new service lines for correctness, estimated cost, and GIS accuracy.
- Performs other various office duties such as filing, answering phones, sending emails and letters, as needed.
- Makes site visits to monitor construction progress of gas services.
- Keeps customers informed of progress.
- Attends various meetings with sales staff, neighborhood associations, civic associations, construction contractors, and industrial and commercial users.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in a related field.
- Two years of job experience.
- An equivalent combination of training and experience (as approved by the department) may be used to meet the minimum qualifications of the classification.
- Considerable knowledge of Natural Gas industry practices and terms used.
- Excellent customer service skills.
- Demonstrated ability to organize meetings with staff, community organizations, and outside organizations; and to communicate with a diverse customer base.
- Valid Driver's License with a satisfactory driving record and a valid Commonwealth of Virginia Driver's License within 30 days of hire.
Licenses, Certifications, and/or Other Special Requirements
- Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Outlook, Excel; and GIS (Geographic Information System).