Vice President, Customer Development and Growth

About the Company

Summit Utilities is a natural gas utility serving homes and businesses across Arkansas, Colorado, Maine, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. The company emphasizes safety, reliability, innovation, and clean energy service while supporting the communities where it operates.

Summit has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the Denver area in 2019 and 2020. It has also been named among the Best Places to Work in Maine for 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023; in Arkansas for 2020 and 2023; in Oklahoma for 2022 and 2023; and in Missouri for 2023. In addition, Forbes included Summit in its 2023 list of America’s Best Small Employers.

Role Overview

The Vice President of Customer Development and Growth is an executive position responsible for shaping and driving Summit’s enterprise-wide customer growth, market development, customer development, and energy efficiency strategy across multiple states. The role is focused on sustainable growth, wider natural gas adoption, stronger customer and community relationships, and alignment with the company’s business, operating, regulatory, and long-term expansion goals.

This leader oversees the Customer Development and Energy Efficiency/Conservation Improvement Program teams and works closely with Operations, Regulatory, Finance, Legal, Communications, Government Affairs, and senior leadership to assess opportunities, support regulatory strategy, and deliver solutions centered on customer needs. The position also represents Summit with customers, developers, municipalities, policymakers, industry organizations, and community partners.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and steer the company’s strategy for customer development, growth, and energy efficiency across the enterprise.
• Convert corporate priorities into practical growth plans, measurable targets, and team objectives.
• Provide executive guidance on market opportunities, regulatory implications, risks, and investment priorities.
• Track industry shifts, customer expectations, regulatory changes, and new technologies to shape strategy.
• Identify, evaluate, prioritize, and execute growth opportunities across residential, commercial, industrial, municipal, and strategic account segments.
• Increase the customer base, expand natural gas adoption, and support growth that is financially sound.
• Work with Operations, Engineering, Finance, Regulatory, and Legal teams to assess feasibility, economics, risk, and implementation plans.
• Develop strategic relationships with developers, municipalities, builders, trade groups, economic development organizations, and other external stakeholders.
• Improve customer relationships, enhance the customer experience, and support long-term retention.
• Oversee engagement approaches for key accounts, growth customers, developers, municipalities, and strategic stakeholders.
• Guide customer solutions that fit operational, financial, and regulatory requirements.
• Use customer feedback, satisfaction patterns, and service issues to identify areas for improvement.
• Study market trends, economic development activity, competitor movements, customer demand, regulatory shifts, and energy policy developments.
• Lead the creation of programs, incentives, and initiatives that support natural gas adoption in high-potential markets.
• Set KPIs and reporting structures to measure growth results, program effectiveness, and return on investment.
• Share market insights, performance trends, risks, and recommendations with executive leadership.
• Collaborate with Regulatory, Legal, Government Affairs, and Operations to ensure growth and energy efficiency plans align with applicable requirements.
• Support regulatory filings, stakeholder communications, and policy discussions related to growth, efficiency, conservation, and market development.
• Represent Summit in meetings and discussions with regulators, policymakers, municipalities, industry groups, customers, and community leaders.
• Anticipate and manage regulatory and stakeholder risks before they affect business outcomes.
• Lead, develop, and hold accountable a multi-state Customer Development and EE/CIP organization.
• Strengthen leadership capability, succession depth, technical knowledge, and clear performance expectations.
• Encourage collaboration, accountability, innovation, integrity, safety, and customer focus.
• Promote alignment and disciplined execution across all operating jurisdictions.
• Oversee energy efficiency and conservation programs where applicable.
• Ensure EE/CIP initiatives are aligned with regulatory obligations, customer needs, sustainability goals, and company objectives.
• Assess renewable natural gas, hydrogen, energy efficiency, and other emerging solutions where appropriate.
• Support energy solutions that balance affordability, reliability, regulatory expectations, and environmental considerations.
• Manage budgets, forecasts, staffing resources, and performance expectations for growth, customer development, and energy efficiency programs.
• Make sure initiatives are supported by economic analysis, cost-benefit review, and risk assessment.
• Monitor performance against approved plans and recommend course corrections when needed.
• Report performance, risks, opportunities, and strategic changes to executive leadership.
• Provide executive oversight for customer development issues, escalations, complaints, and crisis situations.
• Reduce customer, regulatory, reputational, operational, and financial risks linked to growth and customer development activities.
• Partner with Communications, Operations, Legal, Regulatory, and senior leadership on customer messaging during disruptions or high-profile events.
• Promote the use of data analytics, customer insights, digital tools, and technology to improve strategy and execution.
• Evaluate tools that improve engagement, simplify processes, strengthen reporting, and support decision-making.
• Drive continuous improvement and scalable processes within the customer development function.

Experience and Education

A bachelor’s degree is required. Preferred fields include business administration, engineering, energy management, or a related discipline. An advanced degree, such as an MBA, is preferred.

The role requires at least 12 years of experience in customer development, business development, utility operations, or commercial functions, ideally within natural gas or the broader energy sector. It also requires at least 7 years of leadership experience, including management of managers, cross-functional groups, multi-state programs, or large strategic initiatives.

Relevant background in regulated environments, stakeholder engagement, customer acquisition and retention programs, and executive-level presentations is needed.

Knowledge and Skills

The successful candidate should understand natural gas utility operations, distribution systems, market dynamics, and energy regulation. The role also calls for executive leadership, strategic planning, business development, stakeholder management, regulatory coordination, financial oversight, customer strategy, and the use of analytics and technology to drive growth.

Additional Information

This position is based in Denver, Colorado and is full-time and onsite. Summit’s culture centers on excellence, innovation, safety, teamwork, and service to customers and communities. The organization aims to bring warmth and energy to everything it does.