Vice President, Customer Development and Growth

About the Company

Summit Utilities is a fast-expanding natural gas utility serving households and businesses across Arkansas, Colorado, Maine, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. The company focuses on providing safe, dependable, and cleaner-burning natural gas service while emphasizing innovation, safety, and strong support for the communities it serves. Summit has been recognized among the fastest-growing private companies in the Denver area and has earned repeated workplace honors in multiple states, including recognition by Forbes as one of America’s Best Small Employers in 2023.

Role Overview

Summit is looking for a Vice President of Customer Development and Growth to drive enterprise-wide customer growth, market expansion, customer development, and energy efficiency strategy across its multi-state operations. This executive role is responsible for advancing sustainable growth, increasing natural gas adoption, deepening community and customer relationships, and ensuring that growth initiatives support the company’s operational, regulatory, financial, and long-term business goals.

The position oversees the Customer Development and Energy Efficiency/Conservation Improvement Program teams and works closely with Operations, Engineering, Regulatory, Finance, Legal, Communications, Government Affairs, and senior leadership. The leader also represents Summit with customers, developers, municipalities, policymakers, industry organizations, and community partners while promoting reliable, affordable, and innovative energy solutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and direct the company’s enterprise strategy for customer growth, market development, and energy efficiency.
• Turn corporate priorities into concrete growth plans, success metrics, and team objectives.
• Guide executive leadership on market opportunities, regulatory impacts, risk exposure, and investment decisions.
• Track industry trends, customer expectations, policy changes, and new technologies to shape strategy.
• Identify, evaluate, prioritize, and execute growth opportunities across residential, commercial, industrial, municipal, and strategic accounts.
• Increase the customer base and support adoption of natural gas in a way that is economically sound.
• Work with Operations, Engineering, Finance, Regulatory, and Legal teams to assess feasibility, economics, risk, and execution plans.
• Develop and maintain strategic relationships with developers, municipalities, builders, trade associations, economic development groups, and other external stakeholders.
• Strengthen customer relationships, improve customer experience, and support long-term retention.
• Oversee engagement plans for key accounts, growth customers, developers, municipalities, and other priority stakeholders.
• Shape customer solutions that align with operational, financial, and regulatory constraints.
• Use customer feedback, satisfaction trends, and service issues to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Study market conditions, economic development activity, competitor actions, customer demand, regulatory changes, and energy policy developments.
• Lead development of programs, incentives, and initiatives that promote natural gas adoption in high-potential markets.
• Create KPIs and reporting tools to measure growth results, program effectiveness, and return on investment.
• Present market insights, performance trends, risks, and recommendations to executive leadership.
• Coordinate with Regulatory, Legal, Government Affairs, and Operations to ensure growth and energy efficiency strategies meet applicable requirements.
• Support regulatory filings, stakeholder communications, and policy discussions connected to growth, energy efficiency, conservation, and market development.
• Represent the company in discussions with regulators, policymakers, municipalities, industry groups, customers, and community leaders.
• Address regulatory and stakeholder risks before they can disrupt business objectives.
• Lead, coach, and hold accountable a multi-state Customer Development and EE/CIP organization.
• Develop leadership capability, succession strength, technical depth, and clear performance expectations within the team.
• Encourage collaboration, accountability, innovation, integrity, safety, and customer focus.
• Promote strong cross-functional alignment and disciplined execution across all operating jurisdictions.
• Oversee energy efficiency and conservation programs in applicable jurisdictions.
• Ensure EE/CIP programs align with regulatory obligations, customer needs, sustainability goals, and company priorities.
• Evaluate renewable natural gas, hydrogen, energy efficiency, and other emerging solutions where appropriate.
• Support energy choices that balance affordability, reliability, regulatory expectations, and environmental impact.
• Manage budgets, forecasts, resources, and performance expectations for growth, customer development, and energy efficiency initiatives.
• Ensure initiatives are grounded in economic analysis, cost-benefit review, and risk assessment.
• Monitor results against approved plans and recommend corrective actions when required.
• Report performance, risks, opportunities, and strategy adjustments 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 communications during disruptions or high-profile matters.
• Promote the use of data analytics, customer insight tools, digital platforms, and technology to improve strategy and execution.
• Assess tools that improve engagement, streamline 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; business administration, engineering, energy management, or a related discipline is preferred.
• Advanced education such as an MBA is preferred.
• At least 12 years of experience in customer development, business development, utility operations, or commercial roles, ideally in natural gas or energy.
• At least 7 years of leadership experience, including oversight of managers, cross-functional groups, multi-state programs, or major strategic initiatives.
• Background in regulated environments, stakeholder engagement, customer acquisition and retention programs, and executive presentations.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong understanding of natural gas utility operations, distribution systems, market behavior, and energy regulation.
• Deep experience in business development, strategic planning, customer relationship management, and energy efficiency program oversight.
• Awareness of sustainability approaches, renewable energy options, and new energy technologies.
• Excellent leadership, communication, presentation, analytical, and problem-solving ability.
• Capability to interpret market trends, customer needs, performance data, and financial information.
• Competence in budgeting, resource allocation, governance, and performance management.
• Ability to build trusted relationships with internal leaders, regulators, customers, and community stakeholders.
• Skill in managing complex initiatives, adapting to changing market and regulatory conditions, and keeping work aligned to organizational objectives.
• Ability to identify growth opportunities early and turn them into practical, innovative solutions.

Compensation and Benefits

The annual salary range for this position is $210,000 to $250,000, based on experience. Summit also offers competitive compensation along with medical, dental, vision, and other benefits designed to provide flexibility, choice, and support for employees and their families.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Summit Utilities is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or protected veteran status, and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability or veteran status.

Additional Information

The job summary is intended to describe the general nature and level of work associated with this role. It is not meant to cover every duty, responsibility, or skill that may be required.