Overview

Position title: Head of Business Development
Location: Houston, virtual will be considered
Salary range: TBD
Position type: Full-time & permanent
Schedule: Flexible, with expected availability during regular office hours unless calendar blocked off
Reporting: CEO

About Highwood

Our mission is to collaborate, innovate, and educate our way to a world with effective and affordable emissions management solutions. We believe that working alongside proactive energy companies to understand and lower carbon emissions is key to achieving meaningful and permanent change.

Our team works on the cutting edge of decarbonizing the world’s energy systems. Launched in September 2020, we are a new and dynamic company with massive potential. We pride ourselves on having a strong culture of respect, fun, continuous learning, and hard work. Working at Highwood is not easy – but it can be incredibly rewarding. Join us as we endeavor to overcome some of the world’s biggest challenges and help mitigate the impacts of climate change. Highwood Emissions Management (Highwood) is an equal opportunity employer working to enable diversity in the workforce. We welcome all applicants regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. We also value diversity of worldview, experience, and perspective.

Your Mission

Reducing GHG emissions from the oil and natural gas industry is one of the single greatest short-term impacts that we can make towards decarbonizing our economy. Incentivizing the production, transportation, and end use of low-carbon energy is critical. Highwood is looking to expand its team and is currently seeking to fill the role of Head of Business Development.

Highwood is building our Emission Intelligence Platform (EIP), which allows customers to understand their emissions in new and valuable ways. We are progressing towards MVP and will be establishing EIP as a SaaS product this year.

It is an exciting growth opportunity, where you will use your sales acumen to initially close on existing pipeline and then use that experience to build a highly effective sales organization to address the global market for this SaaS product(s) and solutions.

We are looking for someone with strong sales skills along with experience in selling software to large Oil & Gas operators. Large enterprise selling experience is a requirement in this role. A successful candidate will develop relationships at the highest levels in Sustainability departments in these companies to navigate complex sales. You will report to the CEO.

Expectations:

• Early Market Entry and Expansion: Lead the company’s software solutions into oil and gas environments, identifying growth opportunities and forming strategic alliances to establish a robust market presence.
• Solution Development and Pitching: Craft and refine pitches to effectively convey the value proposition of our offerings.
• Consultative Selling Approach: Employ a consultative sales approach, understanding oil and gas’ unique challenges and goals, and positioning our software as integral to their growth and success.
• Deal Structuring and Negotiation: Negotiate mutually beneficial software deals with ideal customers, ensuring agreements that foster long-term partnerships and revenue growth.
• Product Knowledge and Adaptation: Maintain expertise in our software products, adapting them to meet the evolving needs of clients in dynamic environments.
• Sales Strategy Formulation: Develop and implement sales strategies tailored for Highwood’s stage, employing agile methodologies to penetrate new markets and secure initial deals.
• Relationship Building and Networking: Cultivate relationships within oil and gas senior leadership teams, collaborating with c-suites, economic buyers, and others to generate leads and drive software sales.
• Customer Success and Retention: Ensure successful onboarding and adoption of our software by clients, providing ongoing support to maximize value realization and foster loyalty.
• Continuous Improvement and Innovation: Stay informed on industry trends, leveraging market feedback to collaborate with the product team on enhancements and innovations that maintain our competitive edge.
• Sales process management: Own a pipeline of opportunities and the management and optimization of internal sales process. This includes CRM use,  the handoff from marketing, and to account management.

The Benefits

At Highwood, we are committed to the physical and mental health of our employees and of their families. Here are some of the reasons why our employees love it here:

• Our benefits package is among the best. Each year it includes $1,500 in dental coverage and more for prescription drugs, vision, massage, physiotherapy, psychotherapy, and much more.
• Our benefits package includes your spouse and all children.
• We offer $5,000/year to help cover non-essential educational pursuits of your choice.
• We have an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) – and you don’t need to pay to be a partial owner of Highwood – and share in the success we achieve.
• We encourage employees to take breaks – especially vacation.
• If that’s not enough – our core value is ‘People First’. Check out our Team Promise below.
• Finally, you get to work with the brightest and friendliest colleagues in the business!

About You

Here are some of the things we’re looking for. Note that we don’t expect you to have all of these qualifications, experiences, and/or skills. We often choose to train someone with the right attitude over hiring the wrong person with the right skills.

Experience and Expertise:

• 10+ years of experience in enterprise software sales within the Oil & Gas industry
• 5+ years of experience in SaaS is considered an asset
• Proven expertise in Enterprise Software (SaaS) sales is considered an asset
• Demonstrated track record of achieving/exceeding sales quota and market share goals
• Successful history of selling to executives, VP, and/or “C” level personnel in Oil & Gas companies
• Proficiency in closing deals within the Oil & Gas sector

Skills and Abilities:

• Exceptional organizational and time management skills
• Outstanding interpersonal, verbal, and written communication, analytical, and presentation skills
• Proficiency in developing and leading sales teams, including the creation of efficient sales processes, playbooks, and strategies
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate the value proposition of SaaS solutions, address client concerns, draft proposals, and explain technical details to decision-makers
• Proficient problem-solving abilities, capable of understanding complex issues, identifying opportunities, proposing solutions, and addressing objections
• Meticulous attention to detail, particularly in negotiations and contracts, encompassing contract terms, pricing structures, and technical requirements
• Technical knowledge encompassing the features, benefits, technical aspects, and onboarding process of SaaS solutions
• Effective networking skills, adept at cultivating industry relationships through conferences, engaging potential clients, and leveraging personal networks to generate leads

Procurement and Negotiation Skills:

• Procurement expertise, including experience closing deals with procurement in large oil and gas companies, navigating purchasing policies, decision-making hierarchies, and negotiation procedures related to contracts, pricing, IT security, and legal aspects
• Proficiency in closing deals, including navigating complex procurement processes within the Oil & Gas industry

Team Promise

Highwood’s promise to staff and contractors is to:

• Treat you with respect, fairness, and honesty.
• Give you a voice. We will encourage you to question the way we do things, and we will empower you to speak your mind.
• Understand your goals, insomuch as you are willing to share, and work to help you achieve them.
• Support your growth, promote you, and provide opportunities to expand your network and foster your professional identity.
• Appreciate, recognize, and reward your contributions and wins.
• Make time to have fun and celebrate success.
• Foster an environment that encourages you to share your concerns, no matter how small they might seem.

Your promise to Highwood is to:

• Treat others with respect, value their contributions, and lift them up, even when they fail. You never know how others might be struggling.
• Be patient with yourself. We work on unsolved challenges. We expect mistakes and see them as learning opportunities.
• Strive to continually learn and grow professionally and personally, regardless of where you started and where you might end up.
• Embrace innovation and change – there is no destination.
• Do your best – only you know what that means. Set boundaries and respect them. Take a break when you need it.

APPLY NOW

Please submit a single pdf including your Resume/CV and cover letter by email to [email protected]. The document naming convention should follow the format: LastName_FirstName_head_of_business_development.pdf
Only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted. Thank you for your interest.