Andrew Price doesn’t understand the concept of a “typical day on the job.”
The lead business development manager at Clean Power Research never feels the doldrums of redundancy at work. One day may be spent handling product-related challenges, Price shared, while the next may be dedicated to navigating customer conversations.
Tackling these day-to-day tasks isn’t always simple — and that’s exactly why Price loves his role. Not only do they add much-needed variation to the workday, but they give him endless chances to grow professionally.
Since joining Clean Power Research, Price has transitioned between three different roles, all while learning what it means to be both a sales professional and a leader. In his current role, he has the opportunity to accomplish two exciting feats: unravel complex issues and drive a mission with real-world influence.
“The challenges we’re solving are both important and impactful, and it’s exciting to be a part of a team that’s having a multiplier effect on the clean energy transition,” Price said.
While no two days are the same for Price, one thing remains constant: the ability to make an impact on others — and the industry as a whole. Read on to learn more about the nuances of his role and how Clean Power Research encourages its people to evolve.
CREATING A CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE
Founded in 1998, Clean Power Research develops software solutions in an effort to further the clean energy movement. The company’s solutions support electric utilities and solar energy developers, operators and financiers.
What kind of tasks do you juggle as a lead business development manager?
The most challenging and exciting part of my role is that there’s no typical day. As a lead business development manager, I balance my time between understanding emerging customer challenges and needs, solutioning product enhancements and partnerships and raising awareness of our solutions and the challenges they solve through various thought leadership and outreach platforms.
Typically, my day consists of leading meetings with customers or prospective customers, participating in internal strategy meetings, attending and presenting at conferences and discussing product or solution synergies with innovative partner companies.
What’s your favorite part about your job, and what do you consider the most challenging aspect?
My favorite part about my job is having the immense opportunity to learn and solve problems. Every day, our teams speak with innovative electric utilities and cutting-edge companies to develop impactful solutions.
The most challenging aspect of my job is knowing where to focus my time and effort. Our organization has several products and challenges to solve, and sitting in a cross-departmental role with both internal and external focus means that there are infinite ways that I could spend my day. I don’t have a roadmap to perfectly balance and accomplish all of the potential initiatives that I would like. Rather, I try to focus my efforts on what will have the most impact. Occasionally, that means skipping exciting meetings or a conference to develop a detailed business proposal or, alternatively, letting my inbox grow in exchange for sharing solutions or best practices to an audience. The key is to be flexible in your role.
Sitting in a cross-departmental role with both internal and external focus means that there are infinite ways that I could spend my day.”
How does Clean Power Research help employees advance in their careers?
Clean Power Research offers a lot of opportunities for advancement, enabling employees to grow within a specific team or switch to a different department. Since joining the company as a business development manager in 2020, I have taken on additional responsibilities, first as a senior business development manager and now as a lead business development manager. That progression involved transitioning from an individual contributor role to building a team of business development managers to help us increase our impact.
2024 will be an exciting year for us. Clean Power Research offers several opportunities for training and professional development and emphasizes a fun, purpose-focused culture. There are different types of financial support available for training courses and degree programs, and the company organizes many events and activities to foster greater team collaboration and cohesion.
