Channel Business Development Manager Jobs in Oak Ridge, TN

Job Overview
Are you ready to Electrify economies and energize communities? This business development professional will identify, evaluate, and generate new product ideas within the Electric Utility Enclosures market. This individual will engage directly with key stakeholders-including Investor-Owned Utilities (IOUs), Rural Electric Cooperatives (REC's), and Municipal Utilities-to understand unmet needs, emerging challenges, and innovation opportunities. Partnering closely with our Hubbell sales organization, this role focuses on building strong relationships with Standards Engineers, linemen, field operations personnel, and procurement influencers to generate actionable product concepts that align with market demand and company strategy.
Must reside within 3 to 4 hours of Knoxville, TN.
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A Day In The Life
• Drive customer and market driven product ideation by identifying trends and solution gaps in utility operations, construction, maintenance practices, and safety processes.
• Build and maintain strong, trust-based relationships across IOUs, REC's, and Municipal Utilities.
• Conduct regular field visits, ride-alongs, and technical conversations with Standards Engineers, linemen, and operations teams to uncover pain points and unmet needs.
• Serve as the "voice of the customer" internally, translating real-world challenges into validated product opportunity concepts.
• Collect market intelligence on trends such as grid modernization, resiliency, electrification, renewable integration, and workforce challenges.
• Collaborate with engineering and project management to scope, prioritize, and develop business cases for new product ideas.
• Work in tandem with Hubbell sales to strategically engage key accounts and unlock access to technical and standards groups.
• Support the Hubbell sales team during customer meetings, demonstrations, pilot programs, and product evaluations related to new concepts.
• Partner with marketing to develop messaging that aligns with customer needs and utility operational language.
• Map out key utility organizations, decision makers, influencers, and approval pathways within targeted accounts.
• Monitor competitor activity, technology shifts, regulatory changes, and utility procurement processes.
• Support long-term strategic planning by providing insights on market sizing, adoption barriers, and product fit.
• Present findings, insights, and opportunity assessments to leadership.
• Guide internal teams to prioritize opportunities with the strongest technical fit and market viability.
• Ensure customer expectations and field realities are incorporated into product design and pilot validation.
What will help you thrive in this role?
• 5+ years of experience in the electric utility industry, product development, technical sales, or related field.
• Strong understanding of utility distribution operations, field practices, or standards processes.
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships with utilities, including engineers and field personnel.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to travel to customer sites regularly.
• Preferred: Direct experience working with Standards Engineers, operations leaders, and linemen.
• Preferred: Familiarity with utility safety practices, grid hardware, construction methods, or maintenance workflows.
• Preferred: Technical or engineering background desirable but not required (Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or similar).
• Preferred: Experience influencing cross-functional teams and leading customer-driven product ideation.
Hubbell Incorporated
Hubbell creates critical infrastructure solutions that power our customers, communities, people and the planet. Our company is strategically aligned around enabling grid modernization and electrification. As more products plug in to an aging grid, Hubbell solutions enable the transition to a more reliable, resilient and efficient energy infrastructure. Founded in 1888 our innovation has made us a leading global manufacturer of high quality electrical and utility solutions enabling customers to operate critical infrastructure reliably and efficiently.
The company operates in two segments. Hubbell Utility Solutions (HUS) enable the grid to conduct, communicate and control energy across utility applications and Hubbell Electrical Solutions (HES) are essential to managing power across a wide range of industries and applications. Our vertical market solutions can be applied to markets including Data Centers, Renewables, Commercial Buildings, Industrial, Telecom and Transportation. Supporting both of our business segments is our corporate and Hubbell Unified Business Solutions teams that provide consistent process, tools technologies across our businesses.
We are committed to operating sustainably and ethically while promoting an inclusive and supportive culture for our people to grow and develop in their careers. Our employees proudly work and serve our communities from our headquarters in Shelton, CT, across the United States and around the globe.
Hubbell Utility Solutions
Hubbell Utility Solutions (HUS) enable the grid to conduct, communicate and control energy across utility applications. HUS provides the critical components that allow the grid to reliably transmit and distribute energy, as well as the communications and controls technologies to make the grid smarter and more flexible.
Hubbell Incorporated, its subsidiaries and affiliates, is an EO Employer AA: M/F/Veteran/Disability. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other protected class.
The above summary of position responsibilities and requirements is not intended, and should not be construed, to be an exhaustive list of duties, skills, efforts, physical requirements, or working conditions associated with the position. It is intended to be an accurate reflection of those principal position elements essential for making decisions related to position performance, employee development, and compensation.