Business Development Engineer Jobs in Chicago, IL

The Business Development Manager develops new customer relationships and drives revenue growth through strategic prospecting and consultative sales of commercial HVAC services and capital equipment projects. This hunter role requires commercial HVAC or related building services experience combined with proven new business development capabilities.

The position requires working knowledge of commercial HVAC systems and the ability to conduct facility assessments, identify equipment replacement opportunities, and develop financial justifications with appropriate support from service and estimating teams. The Business Development Manager must establish credibility with facility managers and building owners while managing complex sales cycles involving both technical and financial decision‑makers.

Success requires combining HVAC industry knowledge with financial analysis skills (ROI modeling, lifecycle cost analysis), hunter sales competencies (prospecting, competitive displacement), and the ability to operate increasingly independently as experience with PremiStar's approach develops.

The role focuses exclusively on new customer acquisitions through both capital equipment projects and preventive maintenance service contracts. Upon contract execution, new customers are transitioned to Account Management for ongoing relationship ownership.

Develop and execute territory‑specific prospecting plans identifying target accounts with both service contract potential and capital project opportunities (aging equipment, deferred maintenance, inefficient systems).

Cold call facility managers, property managers, and building owners to uncover both immediate capital needs and ongoing service dissatisfaction with incumbent contractors.

Identify opportunities leading with service agreements such as capital equipment projects (replacements, retrofits, system upgrades) and other services for new customers.

Build credibility and rapport with key decision‑makers (facility managers, building owners, CFOs) during the sales cycle to understand equipment needs, navigate approval processes, and secure contract signatures or project sales for successful transition to Account Management.

Provide market intelligence and customer feedback to internal teams (service operations, product development, pricing) regarding service improvement opportunities, competitive threats, equipment preferences, and recurring customer pain points to enhance PremiStar's competitive positioning.

Prepare comprehensive proposals and quotes for both service contracts and capital projects, including detailed scope of work, equipment specifications, pricing with line‑item transparency, credit terms, payment schedules, project timelines, and warranty coverage using company standards and pricing tools.

Manage complete sales process from initial prospect qualification through proposal development, stakeholder presentations, contract negotiations, and final close (signed contracts, deposits, purchase orders) for both capital projects and service agreements.

Conduct regular facility site visits to assess commercial HVAC equipment conditions, evaluate capital replacement opportunities, build relationships with facility staff and decision‑makers, identify service contract needs, and document equipment distress indicators for proposal development.

Maintain accurate pipeline and customer records in CRM system or customer tracking system used and participate in regular sales forecasting and planning meetings to report on opportunities, obstacles, and revenue commitments.

Partner with account manager to transition new customers to existing accounts support.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, engineering, construction management, or related field, OR
• Associate’s degree or technical certification in HVAC/Refrigeration with 2+ years commercial HVAC experience, OR
• High school diploma (or GED) with 5+ years commercial HVAC, building services, or facilities‑related sales experience.

Experience:

• 3–5 years’ experience in commercial HVAC sales, building services sales, facilities management, or related technical B2B sales with demonstrated new customer acquisition success.
• Business development experience: track record of proactive prospecting, cold calling, and winning new accounts.
• Strongly preferred: commercial HVAC industry experience (sales, service, facilities management).
• Experience selling both capital equipment/projects and ongoing service contracts.
• Knowledge of commercial HVAC equipment types and maintenance requirements.
• Track record of competitive displacement.
• Understanding of commercial building operations.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations: n/a

Skill Requirements:

• Demonstrated ability to sell complex B2B sales involving facility managers, building owners, or technical decision‑makers with sales cycles of 3+ months and contract values of $25K+.
• Proven ability to sell technical products/services requiring customer needs assessment, solution positioning, and value justification (specific HVAC knowledge can be developed).
• Ability to develop or learn to develop financial justification such as ROI analyses, cost comparisons, and business cases supporting purchasing decisions.
• Demonstrated ability to work in territory‑based sales role with regular customer site visits and daily travel.
• Exercise discipline with sales process, pipeline management, forecasting – with CRM a plus.
• Personal computer skills, strong typing ability, and knowledge of Microsoft Office.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Must be able to conduct site visits in mechanical rooms, rooftops, and other equipment locations. May require climbing ladders, working in temperature extremes, and wearing PPE.

This job operates in both an office and a field environment. Must be able to sit and/or stand for extended periods of time.

Reasonable accommodation will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions unless doing so presents an undue hardship in the company’s business operations.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. Employees understand the above job description and agree to comply with and be subject to its conditions. Employee further agrees this job description does not alter their at‑will employment status. Employees understand the company reserves the right to delegate, remove, expand, or change all responsibilities. Employees acknowledge that they can fulfill the above duties with or without reasonable accommodation.

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