Business Development Manager (Greater Chicago Area)

Business Development Manager

Company: PermAlert

Location: Rolling Meadows IL or Remote w/ Access to Major Airports

Department: Sales and Business Development

About PermAlert

PermAlert develops advanced liquid leak-detection solutions that help protect mission-critical facilities, equipment, and infrastructure. Our technologies serve data centers, commercial buildings, industrial facilities, semiconductor manufacturing, energy, and other applications where early and accurate leak detection is essential.

As liquid cooling becomes increasingly important in high-density and AI data centers, PermAlert is expanding its solutions from facility-level monitoring to rack, CDU, manifold, server, and chip-level applications.

Position Summary

PermAlert is seeking a results-oriented Business Development Manager to identify, develop, and secure new growth opportunities for its leak-detection solutions.

This individual will build relationships with data-center owners and operators, engineering firms, cooling-system manufacturers, OEMs, contractors, distributors, and technology partners. The role combines strategic account development, channel management, technical solution selling, and market development.

The successful candidate will be comfortable working with both commercial and technical stakeholders and translating customer requirements into practical leak-detection solutions.

Key Responsibilities

Business Development

• Identify and develop new business opportunities in data centers, liquid cooling, industrial facilities, semiconductor manufacturing, and other mission-critical markets.
• Build and manage a qualified pipeline of projects, strategic accounts, OEM opportunities, and channel partners.
• Develop relationships with hyperscalers, colocation providers, engineering consultants, mechanical contractors, cooling-system suppliers, rack manufacturers, CDU manufacturers, server OEMs, and ODMs.
• Position PermAlert solutions early in the design cycle and work to secure inclusion in specifications, reference architectures, and approved-vendor lists.
• Lead opportunities from initial engagement and application assessment through proposal, negotiation, and commercial close.
• Develop account plans for priority customers and market segments.

Technical and Consultative Selling

• Understand customer applications, system architecture, operating risks, communication requirements, and installation constraints.
• Recommend appropriate leak-detection solutions for facility, piping, floor, rack, CDU, manifold, server, and equipment-level applications.
• Communicate the benefits of PermAlert technologies, including accurate leak location, multiple-leak detection, liquid versatility, reusable sensing cable, system scalability, and integration with building and data-center management systems.
• Coordinate site assessments, product demonstrations, proof-of-concept projects, and technical presentations.
• Work with engineering and product teams to translate customer feedback into product requirements and development priorities.

Channel and Strategic Partnerships

• Recruit, develop, and support qualified distributors, representatives, system integrators, and installation partners.
• Establish clear market coverage, account-development expectations, and opportunity-registration practices.
• Train partners on PermAlert products, applications, competitive positioning, and sales strategy.
• Develop OEM and private-label opportunities with manufacturers of cooling systems, CDUs, racks, servers, and related infrastructure.
• Build relationships with industry organizations and technology partners that can accelerate market adoption.

Market Development

• Monitor industry trends, customer requirements, competitor activity, and emerging standards related to liquid cooling and leak detection.
• Identify underserved applications and recommend new product, packaging, pricing, and go-to-market opportunities.
• Represent PermAlert at trade shows, conferences, customer meetings, technical seminars, and partner events.
• Collaborate with marketing to develop case studies, application notes, sales presentations, webinars, and lead-generation campaigns.
• Provide regular forecasts, pipeline reports, market intelligence, and competitive updates to management.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering, marketing, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Five or more years of experience in business development, technical sales, strategic accounts, or channel development.
• Experience selling technical products or systems into data centers, HVAC, building automation, industrial controls, critical infrastructure, or related markets.
• Demonstrated ability to develop new accounts and manage complex, multi-stakeholder sales opportunities.
• Ability to understand system architectures, technical drawings, specifications, and communication protocols.
• Strong presentation, negotiation, relationship-management, and written communication skills.
• Self-motivated and comfortable operating in a growth-oriented environment with a high level of personal accountability.
• Proficiency with CRM platforms, Microsoft Office, and sales-pipeline management.
• Ability to travel approximately [30–50%], including occasional international travel.

Preferred Qualifications

• Existing relationships within the data-center, liquid-cooling, engineering-consulting, or mission-critical-facility markets.
• Experience working with hyperscalers, colocation providers, OEMs, ODMs, consulting engineers, mechanical contractors, or distributors.
• Knowledge of leak detection, liquid cooling, building automation, environmental monitoring, or industrial sensing.
• Familiarity with Modbus, BACnet, SNMP, RS-485, relay outputs, and building or data-center management systems.
• Experience developing specification-driven sales, OEM partnerships, or channel programs.

Measures of Success

• Growth in qualified pipeline, bookings, and revenue.
• Development of new strategic accounts, OEM relationships, and channel partners.
• Increased specification and approved-vendor-list inclusion.
• Successful conversion of pilot projects into broader deployments.
• Accurate forecasting and disciplined CRM management.
• Expansion of PermAlert’s position in data-center and liquid-cooling applications.

Why Join PermAlert?

• Participate in the rapidly expanding market for AI infrastructure and liquid-cooled data centers.
• Represent differentiated leak-detection technologies designed for applications ranging from facility infrastructure to equipment and chip-level protection.
• Work closely with leadership, engineering, and customers to influence product and market strategy.
• Help build a scalable partner ecosystem around a critical infrastructure-protection technology.

Compensation and Benefits

PermAlert offers a competitive compensation package, including:

• Base salary plus performance-based incentive compensation
• Health and employee benefits
• Paid time off and company holidays
• Business travel reimbursement
• Professional-development and industry-networking opportunities