Commercial Business Development Manager, Northeast Region

Company Overview:

Zip Water is a globally recognized leader in premium hydration technology, with a strong presence across Europe, Asia-Pacific, and other mature international markets. Known for design-forward, high-performance systems, Zip has helped define the category of integrated boiling, chilled, and sparkling water solutions in both residential and commercial environments.

As Zip continues to expand in North America, the business is focused on introducing this globally established category to a new market - building awareness, driving specification, and partnering with the architecture and design community to bring innovative hydration solutions into the built environment.

Position Summary

Key Responsibilities:

This role is primarily responsible for building the Zip category across North America through education, specification influence, and market development.

At this stage of the business, success is less about closing existing demand and more about creating it - by educating the A&D community, influencing design decisions early, and generating long-term project pull-through.

This is a highly proactive, hunter-style role that requires operating in an early-stage environment, building relationships from scratch, and developing new tools and approaches along the way.

Primary Objectives

• Educating a market that largely doesn't yet know the category
• Driving early specification with architects and designers
• Creating pull-through demand into real projects
• Acting as a market builder, not just a seller

1. Specification Strategy & Influence

• Drive specification activity early in the design cycle
• Build relationships with key specifiers to increase adoption in project designs
• Identify priority firms, verticals, and markets to focus specification efforts
• Track project influence from design through to installation (pull-through visibility)

2. Market Education & Category Building (Core Focus)

• Lead efforts to educate architects, designers, and engineers (A&D) on Zip's technology and applications
• Deliver CEUs, lunch-and-learns, and in-office presentations
• Drive demo unit placements within specifier offices to build familiarity and preference
• Build relationships with industry associations and design communities
• Develop and refine education content, presentations, and engagement strategies, often building materials from scratch
• Position Zip as a thought leader and premium solution in the category

3. Specification Strategy & Influence3. Market Development & Pioneering Approach

• Act as a proactive market builder, expanding existing opportunities while developing new relationships and areas of growth

• Operate effectively within an evolving business environment, leveraging existing structure while contributing to ongoing development and refinement

• Build, test, and refine new approaches to:

• Specifier engagement

• Education programs

• Demo strategies

• Create and share repeatable playbooks and tools that can scale across regions

4. Rep Agency & Territory Alignment

• Partner with manufacturer rep agencies to scale A&D coverage and specification activity
• Train and support reps on how to lead with education and specification selling
• Collaborate with Territory Sales Managers (TSMs) to align on spec activity, project pipeline, and sales execution where it drives the greatest impact
• Help define best practices for spec-driven selling across markets

5. Project Development & Pipeline Creation

• Support engagement with developers, owners, and project stakeholders
• Help convert specification activity into real project opportunities
• Maintain a balance between:
• Long-cycle specification influence
• Near-term project wins

6. Industry Presence & Brand Building

• Represent Zip at trade shows, industry events, and design forums
• Expand Zip's presence within A&D and commercial real estate communities
• Contribute to case studies and proof points where applicable
• Reinforce Zip's positioning as a design-forward, premium brand

Measures of Success

• Increased awareness and engagement within the A&D community
• Growth in CEUs, lunch-and-learns, and demo unit placements
• Stronger specifier relationships and repeat engagement
• Measurable increase in projects influenced at the design stage
• Clear pull-through from spec to installed projects
• Development of scalable tools, playbooks, and best practices
• Proven ability to open new markets and accounts from zero

Qualifications

• 5-10+ years of experience in:

• Business development, specification sales, or A&D engagement

• Commercial construction, building products, or related industries

• Experience working with architects, designers, engineers, or specifiers

• Proven ability to operate in a highly self-directed, ambiguous environment

• Strong communication and presentation skills (especially in educational settings)

• Experience working with or managing rep agency networks preferred

• Comfortable with travel across the region.

Target Salary Range: $ 120,000- 140,000 year plus bonus. Exact pay will be based on factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, level, geographic location, and business and organizational needs. Full-time positions are eligible for competitive benefits, including: paid time off, health, dental, vision, life, disability benefits and 401(k).

Culligan is an Equal Opportunity Employer, to learn more please visit - us.zipwater.com / corporate.culligan.com

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