Ethanol Director of Business Development

Ethanol Industry Director of Business Development

Position Summary

• The Ethanol Industry Director of Sales is responsible for commercializing the integration of Xylem and GWT technologies to reduce the carbon intensity (CI) of corn ethanol and other biofuel production pathways. This role focuses on deploying anaerobic digestion with RAB nutrient removal and recovery technologies to convert energy dense intermediate products (e.g. wet cake, syrup) into biogas. The result is to improve ethanol CI scores under programs such as LCFS and Section 45Z.

• The Sales Director will engage ethanol producers, engineering firms, and project financiers to develop, position, and close integrated solutions addressing thin stillage, syrup, centrate, digestate, and other high-strength streams. Success in this role requires deep familiarity with ethanol plant operations, CI modeling, and value stacking across energy, environmental compliance, and coproduct markets.

• Reports to Vice President of Business Development

Key Responsibilities

Sales Execution & Customer Engagement

• Actively prospect to identify ethanol facilities for AD/RAB integration and ethanol CI reduction
• Serve as the primary commercial lead for ethanol industry customers from initial outreach through contract close.
• Lead discussions with plant managers, engineers, sustainability teams, and executives on AD/RAB integration strategies to lower ethanol CI.
• Develop and present business cases showing:

o CI reduction (g CO₂e/MJ)

o Incremental revenue from biogas/RNG and incentives

o Impact on current operating costs and revenue streams

• Support multiple commercial models including EPC, Design-Build-Operate, joint ventures, and Treatment-as-a-Service.
• Utilize HubSpot to track customer interactions and opportunity development

Technical & Engineering Collaboration

• Work closely with internal engineering team and Xylem to develop conceptual designs and mass/energy balances for wet cake and syrup digestion and digestate and centrate nutrient removal and recovery
• Integrate anaerobic digestion and nutrient recovery systems within existing ethanol plant infrastructure.
• Ensure commercial proposals reflect realistic performance, operability, and CI accounting assumptions.
• Utilize and continually update Pro forma model to present project costs, revenues, and credits to determine ROI

Market Strategy & CI Value Creation

• Develop and execute a commercial strategy to educate and inform U.S. ethanol producers about the opportunity integrate Xylem/GWT technology to lower CI and increase profitability.
• Identify and prioritize plants with ahigh value add potential. .
• Use and continuously improve existing pro forma model to quantify and communicate CI reductions resulting from anaerobic digestion, renewable natural gas (RNG) production, nutrient recovery, and avoided energy and chemical use.
• Build and manage a qualified sales pipeline aligned with annual revenue and bookings targets.
• Position solutions to maximize value under LCFS, 45Z, RFS, and other incentive frameworks.

Partnerships & Industry Leadership

• Build relationships with ethanol producers, industry groups, engineering firms, RNG off-takers, and LCA experts.
• Support joint development opportunities with EPCs and project finance partners.
• Submit abstracts, present papers, and represent the Xylem/GWT partnership at industry events (e.g., Fuel Ethanol Workshop, Growth Energy, American Coalition for Ethanol conferences).

Market Intelligence & Feedback

• Track regulatory, incentive, and policy developments affecting ethanol CI incentives.
• Monitor emerging technologies that could potentially provide similar CI reduction pathways.
• Provide feedback to leadership and engineering on pricing strategy, market readiness, risk allocation, and technology roadmap priorities.

Skills & Attributes

• Deep understanding how ethanol production plants work and the decisions that plant managers make to maximize profitability.
• Ability to translate technical performance into CI and financial value.
• Strong consultative selling and negotiation skills.
• Comfortable leading long sales cycles involving technical, financial, and regulatory stakeholders.
• Entrepreneurial mindset suited to a growth-stage or technology-driven company.
• Direct experience selling to ethanol plants (preferred) or adjacent biofuels markets.
• Demonstrated success closing complex, multi-stakeholder projects.
• Strong working knowledge of ethanol plant operations and byproduct streams.
• Familiarity with CI modeling (e.g., GREET, CA-GREET, LCFS pathways) and a basic understanding of process improvement effects on those models..
• Familiarity with RNG markets, gas upgrading, and interconnection.
• Experience with nutrient recovery technologies (algae-based, struvite, biological N removal).
• Agricultural background desired.