Sales Manager - Data Center

Location: Houston, TX Job Id: 145 # of Openings: 1 Summary/Overview Responsible for lead new business development across Texas and adjacent U.S. markets. This is a hands-on, strategic hunter role for an experienced seller who can create opportunity from the ground up, build trusted relationships with data center developers and power-generation partners, and translate complex customer requirements into profitable equipment and service solutions. Ownership of the sales cycle from market mapping and prospecting through proposal, negotiation, contract award, and transition to execution. The role will focus on data center and behind-the-meter power opportunities, while also identifying adjacent opportunities in power generation, industrial infrastructure, RNG, testing, and other markets where Plum’s engineered natural gas solutions create value. The role requires consistent field presence, executive-level relationship building, technical curiosity, disciplined CRM usage, and a demonstrated ability to close complex, capital-intensive sales. Responsibilities and Duties: Identify projects before equipment specifications, fuel strategies, and vendor decisions are finalized. Build relationships with data center developers, hyperscalers, colocation providers, utilities, behind-the-meter power providers, EPCs, OEMs, engineering firms, and equipment integrators. Map the Texas data center and power-generation ecosystem, prioritizing Houston, Central Texas, East Texas, and other high-growth markets. Generate new opportunities through disciplined outbound prospecting, referrals, industry relationships, customer visits, conferences, and trade shows. Develop account plans for priority targets and maintain regular activity against each plan. Monitor market trends, project announcements, permitting activity, power constraints, competitor moves, and customer requirements to inform territory strategy. Consultative and Technical Sales Lead discovery with technical and commercial stakeholders to understand site requirements, project timing, gas supply, pressure and temperature requirements, redundancy expectations, telemetry needs, logistics, and operating constraints. Translate customer needs into fit-for-purpose Plum solutions involving pressure regulation systems, heaters, manifolds, filtration, conditioning, compression, telemetry, backup CNG supply, and related services. Present Plum’s value proposition clearly to executives, engineers, procurement teams, project managers, and site operators. Coordinate with engineering and operations to validate feasibility, scope, lead times, equipment availability, risk, and execution requirements before commercial commitments are made. Support customer education and early-stage solution development so Plum is positioned before formal RFP activity begins. Sales Execution and Commercial Management Own the full sales process from initial contact through qualification, proposal, negotiation, award, and handoff. Develop proposals, pricing inputs, business cases, and commercial recommendations in partnership with internal stakeholders. Negotiate commercial terms within approved authority and protect revenue, margin, risk position, and long-term customer value. Manage complex, multi-stakeholder sales cycles with long lead times and significant technical, capital, and operational considerations. Identify opportunities to expand equipment sales into service, monitoring, maintenance, spare parts, mobilization, and other recurring-revenue offerings. Maintain clear opportunity documentation, close plans, decision criteria, competitive positioning, and next actions in the CRM. Customer and Internal Partnership Serve as a visible, credible representative of Plum in the Texas market and at customer sites. Build long-term, trust-based relationships and act as a reliable point of contact throughout the commercial process. Work closely with the COO and data-center leadership on named-account strategy, executive relationships, pipeline reviews, and go/no-go decisions. Partner with marketing on campaigns, events, customer education, case studies, and market messaging. Provide feedback to engineering, manufacturing, operations, and leadership on product requirements, pricing, delivery expectations, competitor activity, and customer experience. Support a smooth transition from sales award to project execution, ensuring scope, assumptions, customer commitments, and commercial terms are understood by the delivery team. Reporting and Performance Management Deliver regular pipeline, forecast, activity, win/loss, and market updates to the COO and leadership team. Track performance against revenue, gross margin, new-account, pipeline coverage, conversion, sales-cycle, and customer-retention objectives. Use CRM and sales analytics to prioritize accounts, identify gaps, and improve forecast reliability. Maintain high standards for data quality, follow-through, responsiveness, and accountability. Required Education and Experience 8+ years of progressive B2B sales or business development experience, with a strong record of personally winning new business. Experience selling engineered equipment, capital equipment, energy infrastructure, power-generation solutions, gas equipment, or other technical industrial products. Demonstrated success selling to data centers, power-generation companies, utilities, EPCs, OEMs, developers, or comparable industrial customers. Established network across Texas and/or the broader U.S. data center, power, energy, industrial, or infrastructure market. Proven ability to manage complex sales cycles involving technical discovery, multiple decision-makers, proposals, negotiations, and contract awards. Strong understanding of consultative selling, account planning, pipeline management, forecasting, and CRM discipline. Ability to read and discuss technical concepts related to gas supply, pressure regulation, temperature control, filtration, conditioning, compression, manifolds, telemetry, and site operations. Willingness and ability to travel regularly to customer sites, project locations, Plum facilities, and industry events. Preferred Education and Experience Experience selling natural gas equipment or solutions for data center, temporary power, behind-the-meter generation, microgrid, or remote industrial applications. Existing relationships with hyperscale or colocation data center developers, power providers, turbine or engine OEMs, EPCs, and engineering firms. Experience with engineered-to-order products, project-based sales, equipment rental or sale, or long-term service agreements. Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering, sales, marketing, energy, or a related field. Experience in a growth-stage, entrepreneurial, or highly technical operating environment. Physical Demands Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer Must be able to lift 15 pounds at times Must be able to access and navigate each department at the organization’s facilities #J-18808-Ljbffr Plum-Gas-Solutions