Description

Benefits:

• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• 401k Employer Match
• Bonus Incentives
• Extensive Training & Career Development Programs
• Tuition Reimbursement Program
• Medical, Dental and Vision plans
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• And more!

Responsibilities & Expectations:

The Commercial Manager is responsible for leading all commercial activities for the transformer repair, remanufacturing, field service, and new/surplus unit sales business based out of the IPS Denver Kingston facility. This role owns the full opportunity lifecycle, from initial customer inquiry through quotation (ITO) and execution (OTR) driving profitable growth, managing commercial risk, and ensuring an unmatched customer experience. This in-person position partners closely with Operations, Engineering, and Sales to align pricing strategy, commercial risk management, contract execution, and project delivery while achieving revenue, margin, and quote velocity targets. The ideal candidate brings transformer experience, urgency, and leadership presence needed to adapt quickly to internal and external customer needs while guiding the team to deliver world-class projects. Additionally, the ideal candidate would possess significant experience in both power transformers and special transformers.

Leadership Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary commercial point of contact for key accounts, ensuring customer satisfaction and addressing commercial escalations promptly.
• Oversee pricing models for transformer rewinding, oil testing, retrofitting, and emergency field services to maximize profitability while remaining market competitive.
• Identify new business opportunities, target emerging markets (e.g., renewable energy integration, data centers, grid modernization, etc.), and grow the client base.
• Actively manage CRM pipeline for entire Denver Kingston P&L and oversee CRM opportunity generation for house accounts.
• Lead, develop, and support a team of five commercial resources.
• Build training plans and growth strategies to support commercial competency development across the team.
• Manage employee responsibilities including interviewing, hiring, training, assigning work, evaluating performance, recognizing achievement, addressing discipline, resolving complaints, and solving problems.
• Contribute to long-term planning and the overall IPS Transformer business strategy.
• Develop and execute a 3-year commercial roadmap focused on standardization, process improvement, talent development, and scalable growth.
• Lead negotiations for service level agreements (SLAs), master service agreements (MSAs), and emergency repair contracts with utility, commercial, and industrial clients.
• Jointly accountable for year-over-year revenue and profitability growth with Engineering Manager and Area General Manager.

Commercial Pipeline & Quote Management

• Lead and manage the full ITO (Inquiry-to-Order) and OTR (Order-to-Remittance) processes for all transformer repair, remanufacture, and field service opportunities.
• Review RFQs, customer specifications, and scope requirements to develop accurate, competitive proposals.
• Establish pricing strategies that balance market competitiveness with margin objectives.
• Define commercial terms including milestone billing, payment terms, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Oversee proposal approval delegations, quality, turnaround time, and win rates.

Contract & Risk Management

• Review and negotiate customer contracts, terms, and conditions to minimize risk exposure
• Identify commercial, technical, and schedule risks and align mitigation strategies with cross-functional teams
• Ensure compliance with contractual obligations throughout project execution
• Manage change orders, claims, and contract modifications to protect profitability

Financial Performance & Margin Ownership

• Own revenue, margin, and backlog performance for transformer service operations
• Partner with Operations and Engineering to ensure cost estimates, job execution, and final billing align with targets
• Analyze pipeline, booking trends, and forecast accuracy

Customer & Market Engagement

• Serve as a key commercial point of contact for customers
• Build and maintain strong relationships with utilities, industrial clients, and internal partners
• Support the development of long-term agreements, service programs, and strategic accounts
• Provide responsive communication on proposals, schedules, and project updates

Process & Continuous Improvement

• Improve quoting speed, accuracy, and consistency across the business
• Implement standardized commercial processes, tools, and KPIs
• Identify opportunities to reduce cycle time, improve win rates, and increase margins
• Support digital tools and ERP utilization for quoting and project tracking

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Customer Engagement

• Collaborate with Engineering on scope definition, technical solutions, and proposal development
• Partner with Operations to ensure commercial commitments align with operational capacity and turnaround times
• Support Sales in opportunity qualification, pipeline management, and strategic pursuits
• Drive alignment across departments to deliver on customer commitments and financial targets
• Engage with clients to support major proposals, RFP/RFQ responses, customer site visits, lunch-and-learns, and technical presentations.
• Help translate technical findings into clear customer-facing recommendations and ensure IPS solutions are properly aligned.
• Maintain professional and technical knowledge through educational workshops, professional publications, networks, and industry participation.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Competencies:

Education & Professional Credentials

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Mechanical Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Master's degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, or a related field strongly preferred.
• Six Sigma Green Belt certification desired.

Technical Expertise

• 5-10+ years of commercial management, business development, or sales leadership experience strictly within the transformer, power system, electrical apparatus, or heavy industrial repair industry.
• Strong foundational understanding of transformer technology (oil-filled/dry-type, special purpose transformers).
• Candidates with experience in special transformers (EAF, regulating, rectifying, mobile, phase shifting, or grounding) preferred.
• Ability to read and interpret outline and nameplate drawings required.
• Strong knowledge of transformer construction, including coils, core, tank, protection and controls, insulation, conductors, and fluids.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office, CRM platforms (e.g., Microsoft Dynamics, Salesforce, etc.), and enterprise resource planning (ERP) or estimating software

Leadership, Project Management & Communication

• Proven track record of negotiating high-value contracts and managing P&L (profit and loss).
• Strong interpersonal and leadership skills, with the ability to communicate clearly and persuasively, listen effectively, respond to questions, and participate productively in meetings.
• Strong commercial awareness, customer communication skills, and ability to influence across operations, sales, and engineering.
• Proven experience managing proposals, contracts, and pricing strategies
• Strong financial acumen with demonstrated ability to manage margins and risk

Travel Requirements

• Ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally, as needed, to customer, vendor, and IPS facilities up to 20% of the time.

You'll thrive at IPS if you...
• Lead with integrity and prioritize safety. You demonstrate high standards and commit to a safe, ethical workplace.
• Value teamwork and accountability. You work well with others, take responsibility, serve others, and deliver on your commitments.
• Focus on the customer. You are dedicated to providing an unmatched customer experience and exceeding expectations.
• Have an entrepreneurial spirit. You're proactive, innovative, and thrive in a fast-paced environment.
• Communicate effectively and with purpose. You keep everyone informed with clear, concise communication.
• Stay curious and love to learn. You continuously seek new knowledge and grow personally and professionally.