Manager, Commercial Operations

Job Description

Uplight is creating a new category of energy. We make software that manages energy resources in homes and businesses—including things like smart thermostats, electric vehicles, solar panels, storage batteries, heat pumps, and even people’s behavior—to generate, shift, or save energy to balance the grid, making it more efficient and reliable. This creates clean energy capacity that can be used by the power grid instead of burning more fossil fuels. Our solutions accelerate the transition to clean energy and save money for energy customers.

We are looking for a Manager, Commercial Operations to drive our company forward, and help us lead the clean energy revolution! This is a flexible and remote-friendly role based in the United States with occasional travel for team offsites. You'll join a purpose-driven, collaborative culture where curiosity, ownership, and impact are celebrated.

How You Will Make an Impact

This is an exciting opportunity for someone to enhance the future of our sales operations and enablement. This opportunity requires a dynamic problem-solver who can work in fast-paced environments with senior-executive level visibility. It offers a path to broader commercial leadership opportunities as Uplight scales as you will be a key voice in proposal development discussions with the executive team.

As a Manager, Commercial Operations, you will play a pivotal role in driving our business growth by writing proposals and managing the proposal writing and development tool and processes. You will be an individual contributor that is responsible for creating winning bids for large, complex enterprise deals. The Manager, Commercial Operations will collaborate closely with other teams, including Sales, Industry Solutions, Partnerships, Finance, Marketing, Legal, Product, and Operations, to deliver timely and competitive proposals and ensure deal success. Success in this role will be measured by improvements in deal velocity, proposal win rate, and stakeholder satisfaction.

Proposal Writing, Development, and Management

• Manage and maintain the internal proposal inbox ensuring timely tracking, organization, and response to all proposal submissions, notifications, and related correspondence across teams
• Lead the end-to-end proposal writing and development processes, working with stakeholders to create compelling, accurate, and compliant proposals that meet customer requirements and achievement of high win rates
• Serve as the primary liaison between internal teams to gather necessary information for proposals and resourcing
• Manage timelines for proposal submissions, ensuring deadlines are met and that all proposal components, including product descriptions and contractual terms, are aligned
• Serve as the administrator and trainer of our proposal writing AI tool (Responsive) and optimize it via performance metrics ensuring seamless integration into the sales and deal desk processes to drive efficiency, consistency, and high-quality proposal outputs that result in going to bid interviews

Deal Process Improvement

• Partner with the rest of the Commercial Operations team and cross-functional team leaders to continuously enhance the deal desk and proposal management processes identifying bottlenecks, opportunities for efficiencies, and implementing new ways of working or tools
• Implement best practices to increase efficiency and the quality of proposal generation and sales enablement

Organizational Governance and Alignment

• Lead and coordinate twice per week go/no-go and weekly deal desk ceremonies ensuring effective collaboration, timely decision-making, and alignment on proposal execution
• Manage the governance process for deal approvals, ensuring compliance with internal policies and timely reviews
• Serve as the primary liaison for internal teams throughout the deal process, then lead hand-offs and knowledge transfers to the delivery organization
• Manage the relationship with our proposal support vendor and other external partners as needed ensuring high-quality deliverables, clear communication, and alignment with internal processes and timelines

What You Bring to Uplight

• Experience: 3-6 years of experience in management consulting, proposal writing, deal strategy, deal desk management, sales operations, investment banking, or financial analysis roles. Energy industry experience is a plus
• Strong proposal writing and project management skills, with experience managing multiple complex bids and deadlines
• Excellent organizational and time-management abilities, with attention to detail and a strategic mindset
• Advanced skills in Excel and data analysis tools
• Ability to ask strategic questions and dive into problems without expertise in subject matter
• Ability to lead with influence, especially with senior-level executives and team members
• Ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple priorities effectively
• Exceptional writing and editing skills, with the ability to produce clear, concise, and compelling proposal content
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills, capable of collaborating with diverse teams and stakeholders
• Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Finance, Economics, or a related field. MBA is a plus.

Bonus Points

• Leadership: Proven ability to lead teams and manage complex sales processes
• Analytical: Strong analytical skills with the ability to understand and articulate complex technical concepts
• Adaptability: Flexible and able to thrive in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
• Curiosity: Excitement to learn about Uplight’s unique product suite and how our products solve our customer’s problems is key to your success
• Passion: Enthusiastic about energy efficiency and sustainability, with a commitment to advancing our mission
• Teamwork: Prior experience working with sales teams

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women, marginalized genders and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Uplight we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Why Join Uplight in Leading the Fight Against Climate Change?

At Uplight, we're not just offering a job – we're offering a chance to be part of the solution to one of the world's biggest challenges. As a certified B Corporation, we're deeply committed to both social and environmental responsibility. Here's why you should join our team of passionate Uplighters:

• Make a Meaningful Impact: Your work directly impacts our mission of decarbonization and building a more sustainable future.
• Grow Your Career: We offer ample advancement opportunities, robust learning and development programs, and a supportive team environment that fosters collaboration and innovation.
• Thrive: We offer comprehensive benefits, including flexible time off, generous parental leave, a wellness stipend, and work flexibility to help you thrive both personally and professionally.
• Belong to an Inclusive Community: We celebrate diversity and foster an inclusive workplace where everyone feels respected, empowered, and heard. Our Employee Resource Groups offer opportunities to connect with colleagues who share your interests and backgrounds.
• Be Part of a Growing Movement: Join a team of dedicated individuals who are passionate about creating a more sustainable future. We offer a collaborative environment where your ideas are valued and your contributions recognized. Together, we can build a brighter tomorrow.

To learn more about our comprehensive benefits package and other perks, visit uplight.com/careers

Salary Range: $112,000 to $130,000 USD + Bonus

In accordance with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, the approximate annual base compensation range is listed above. The actual offer, reflecting the total compensation package and benefits, will be determined by a number of factors including the applicant's experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity among our team.

Uplight provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race (including hair texture and hairstyles), color, religion (including head coverings), age, sex, national origin, disability status (including neurodivergence), genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, neurotypicality, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.