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Client Relationship Manager (Host Engagement)

Sparkfund
4 days ago
On-site
Minneapolis, MN
Energy Efficiency

About Sparkfund

Sparkfund is the deployment services company utilities rely on to take DERs from grid edge to grid core.

With over a decade of experience as a utility services company, Sparkfund has pioneered a smarter approach to deploying distributed assets as part of a fast-growing grid. Through its Distributed Capacity Procurement (DCP) model, Sparkfund enables utilities to plan, deploy, and dispatch DERs at the scale and pace necessary to meet load growth demand and unlock the full value of the grid. We support program design, assessment of DER grid value, host engagement, and value chain management to ensure on-time, on-budget deployment of distributed resources with maximum grid value and lowest cost.

With more than 3,500 projects deployed across 43 states and more than 300MW of energized assets constructed, Sparkfund is transforming buildings into a valuable extension of the grid for the benefit of our society.

At Sparkfund, we partner with utilities, property owners, and organizations to deploy distributed energy solutions that help modernize infrastructure and accelerate the clean energy transition. We’re looking for a relationship-driven, highly organized Manager, Host Engagement to help grow and manage the host partnerships that make our deployments possible.

This role sits at the center of outreach, relationship management, onboarding coordination, and cross-functional execution. You’ll work directly with commercial property owners, tenants, facility managers, and internal stakeholders to move projects from first conversation through successful participation in Sparkfund programs.

If you’re someone who thrives managing relationships, building pipelines, solving problems, and keeping moving pieces aligned — while operating with a high level of independence — we’d love to talk.

What You’ll Do

Build & Manage Host Relationships

  • Own a portfolio of commercial host relationships from outreach through active program participation
  • Lead multi-channel outreach efforts including email, phone, and in-person engagement
  • Build trust with property owners, tenants, facility managers, and site stakeholders
  • Serve as the primary day-to-day point of contact for hosts throughout the engagement lifecycle

Drive Pipeline & Outreach Strategy

  • Develop and execute outreach strategies across target geographies
  • Maintain accurate CRM data and pipeline reporting
  • Track conversion metrics, onboarding timelines, and engagement trends
  • Identify bottlenecks and proactively adjust outreach strategies based on data and market insights

Coordinate Cross-Functionally

  • Partner closely with Legal, Engineering, Deployment, Marketing, and Program Management teams
  • Coordinate onboarding workflows and contracting milestones
  • Surface risks early and keep internal teams aligned to deployment timelines
  • Translate field feedback into actionable recommendations for program and process improvements

What We’re Looking For

  • 5+ years of experience in customer-facing roles such as account management, partnerships, business development, customer success, or stakeholder engagement
  • Experience managing long-cycle, multi-stakeholder relationships
  • Strong communication and relationship-building skills
  • Ability to independently manage pipelines, priorities, and follow-through
  • Experience using CRM systems like Salesforce or HubSpot
  • Comfortable working cross-functionally in a fast-moving environment
  • Ability to travel up to 33% as needed

Bonus Points For

  • Experience in energy, infrastructure, real estate, or related industries
  • Familiarity with DER, battery storage, or utility programs
  • Experience working with commercial property stakeholders or municipalities
  • Exposure to contract-driven engagement or onboarding workflows

We recognize that experience doesn’t always come from a perfectly linear background or an exact match to every qualification listed above. If your experience aligns strongly with the responsibilities of this role — even if you don’t meet every listed requirement or years-of-experience benchmark — we still encourage you to apply.

At Sparkfund, we value curiosity, adaptability, relationship-building, and the ability to learn quickly just as much as traditional career paths or titles.

Why Sparkfund?

  • Mission-driven work supporting clean energy deployment
  • Collaborative, people-first culture
  • Flexible vacation policy and strong work-life balance
  • Competitive compensation and benefits
  • Opportunities to help shape growing programs and processes
  • Hybrid work environment with meaningful autonomy and ownership

Compensation & Benefits

  • Salary range: $128,000 - $148,000 (Compensation for this position will be determined based on several factors, including but not limited to geographic location, relevant experience, market data, certifications, specialized industry expertise, and overall alignment with the role’s scope and responsibilities.)
  • Medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance
  • 401(k) with employer match
  • 12 weeks gender-neutral paid caregiver leave
  • Monthly communication stipend
  • Flexible Fridays (Half-day Fridays)

Equal Employment Opportunity 

Sparkfund is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all employees and applicants. We do not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), national origin, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran or military status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. 

Sparkfund also provides reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and for sincerely held religious beliefs or practices, in all phases of the hiring process and throughout employment. If you need an accommodation, please let us know. 

Disclaimer 

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications. Duties, responsibilities, and requirements may change at any time based on business needs. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds and experiences to apply — even if you do not meet every listed qualification — as skills and competencies can develop in different ways.