Virtual Inspection Market Development Manager

About the Role

New California laws will require cities and counties to offer remote or asynchronous inspection options for a range of residential clean energy installations over the next two years, and other states are setting new expectations for inspection timelines. Building departments are now deciding how to meet these requirements while managing inspector capacity, preserving project quality, and keeping costs low.

SolarAPP's virtual inspection program lets contractors submit structured, verified photo and video evidence against code-based checklists, and lets inspectors review it on their own schedule. This builds on the permitting platform already used by 350+ jurisdictions. Making virtual inspection work well depends on dialogue in both directions. Inspectors, building officials and contractors help shape how the program works. In turn, SolarAPP helps jurisdictions meet their own inspection goals and state requirements.

This role will be responsible for helping building departments and contractors across Southern California put our virtual inspection program to work. This is a business development role with responsibility for finding and qualifying leads, educating stakeholders, building a pipeline, and securing commitments to pilots and adoption. You'll connect neighboring jurisdictions, work through associations and regional partners, and help public officials understand how SolarAPP can support their goals.

You will enter a program with active interest and demonstrations already underway. Early in the role, you will join those conversations, take ownership of prospective accounts and move next steps forward while continuing to develop the regional network. Once a jurisdiction or contractor commits, Product Operations leads onboarding and ongoing account success. You will continue to own prospects who are not yet ready, keeping them informed and engaged until the timing is right.

You will work alongside a Northern California counterpart and help shape the approach in a newly created role. We want someone who notices opportunities, feels urgency about what the market needs, and tells us what to do next. This role is remote within California, with approximately 25% travel, primarily for meetings, events and site visits across Southern California. As the program grows, your responsibilities will extend to targeted regions beyond California.

What You'll Do

Business Development and Lead Management

• Identify and qualify jurisdiction and contractor opportunities; understand decision-makers, needs, adoption barriers and readiness.
• Take ownership of active leads and scheduled demos early in your ramp. Lead discovery, demonstrations and follow-up that align on value and move prospects toward clear commitments.
• Maintain accurate CRM records, including stakeholder context, meeting notes, lead status, next steps and timing. Use that information to prioritize outreach and keep opportunities moving.
• Run discovery conversations, demos and educational sessions such as webinars and office hours for building officials and inspectors
• Nurture prospects who have not converted. Anticipate useful outreach around deadlines, seasonal activity and product milestones; recommend messages, calls to action, webinars and other ways to keep the community engaged.
• Work with marketing and GTM operations to deliver that outreach. You own the audience insight, messaging and recommendations; those teams support production and scaled execution.
• Lead or support relevant RFP, RFI and program solicitation responses with the Head of GTM and Product.

Ecosystem and Policy Engagement

• Represent SolarAPP with building official associations, councils of governments and inspection-focused working groups across Southern California, and become a known, trusted resource in each
• Map the people and organizations influencing local decisions, including building officials, chief inspectors, advocacy partners, third-party inspection firms and codes and standards organizations.
• Connect peers across jurisdictions, convene useful conversations and pursue partnerships that can bring multiple communities into the program.
• Track remote inspection policy, standards and best practices in California and other states, and turn what you learn into clear guidance for our team

Inspector and Contractor Engagement

• Build trust with inspectors by addressing their questions about remote evidence, authenticity and code compliance, and explaining how the platform addresses them
• Engage installers and contractors across the region, from national installers to local contractors, so jurisdictions that offer virtual inspection see it used
• Gather input through listening sessions, field visits and pilot feedback, and help inspectors and contractors get comfortable with new workflows
• Lead platform demonstrations for contractors and installers to build interest and understanding

Messaging and Field Intelligence

• Own regional virtual inspection talking points and write the copy for regional outreach, working with the product manager on accuracy and with marketing and GTM operations on production and scaled outreach
• Present SolarAPP's approach at building official chapter meetings, conferences and partner events
• Bring field observations, objections and adoption blockers back to Product and GTM so product design and rollout strategy reflect what's happening on the ground

Product Feedback and Team Collaboration

• Own regional talking points and outreach copy, working with Product on accuracy and marketing and GTM operations on production.
• Bring field observations, objections and adoption barriers back to Product and Engineering to improve the tools and rollout strategy.
• Hand committed accounts to Product Operations with complete context, expectations and agreed next steps. Coordinate with that team on adoption feedback and opportunities.
• Work with your Northern California counterpart on statewide partners, shared materials and coordinated outreach, and with permitting and other product teams across the platform.

How You'll be Evaluated

Targets will be set with the Head of Go to Market and reviewed regularly. Because the program already has active demand, your early work will include learning the product, taking over live opportunities, leading demos and establishing consistent CRM and follow-up practices alongside regional relationship building.

Success includes qualified pipeline growth, prospects advancing toward pilots, and jurisdictions committing to adoption; an engaged network of partners and contractors; and thoughtful nurturing of leads that are not yet ready. With Product Operations, we will also track jurisdiction activation, contractor submissions and the share of eligible inspections completed virtually, using those results to improve outreach and adoption.

What You Bring

Essential Skills and Background

• 3+ years in public-sector partnerships, government technology, local government, clean energy programs, permitting or inspection, business development, program management or sales.
• Evidence of building trusted relationships and moving stakeholders toward concrete commitments or adoption. You can navigate public-sector decisions, handle skepticism respectfully and stay accountable for results.
• Comfort using a CRM to manage leads, document interactions, prioritize follow-up and identify opportunities for outreach and re-engagement.
• The ability to lead discovery conversations and compelling presentations, explain a product clearly, and tailor the value proposition to government officials, inspectors and contractors.
• Strong written communication, including outreach messages and contributions to proposals and RFP responses.
• Ownership and initiative: you identify opportunities, propose approaches, mobilize the right internal resources and adapt without waiting for a task list.
• The ability to learn SolarAPP's permitting and virtual inspection tools and speak confidently about how the full platform addresses stakeholder needs.
• Willingness to work remotely within California and travel approximately 25% of the time, primarily within Southern California.

Additional Preferred Skills and Background

• Experience as a building inspector, plans examiner or building official, or with a third-party inspection, plan review, government technology or inspection software provider.
• Experience with solar, batteries, EV charging or heat pump installation, permitting or inspections.
• Experience with regional energy networks, community choice aggregators, councils of governments, contractor training or other public-benefit energy programs.
• An existing network among California building officials, contractors or government associations, or experience launching a program in a mission-driven or early-stage organization.

Compensation and Benefits

This is a full-time role with a competitive salary ranging from $85,000 - $95,000, commensurate with experience.

We offer a competitive benefits package, including:

• Medical, dental, vision
• 401K with 5% employer match
• Employer-paid short and long-term disability, and life insurance
• Unlimited paid time off (PTO)
• Parental leave
• $75 monthly internet stipend
• Engagement: Full-time
• Base salary: $85,000-$95,000
• Performance incentive: Target of 20-25% of base salary, tied to program metrics, for total target compensation of approximately $102,000-$119,000
• Travel: Travel expenses for association meetings, events and site visits are covered
• Benefits: Medical, dental and vision; 401(k) with employer match; employer-paid disability and life insurance; unlimited PTO; parental leave; monthly internet and work-from-home stipends
• $500 work-from-home stipend for each new hire

This range reflects what we expect to pay for this role at the time of posting; actual placement within the range depends on experience and qualifications.

Hiring Process Outline (targets)

• Review applications and respond to candidates: rolling basis, starting beginning of November
• Recruiter phone screen: starting early to mid November
• Virtual TQ/technical panel interview 1: starting early late November/early December (outside of Thanksgiving holiday)
• Take home exercise: to be completed within 3 days
• Virtual EQ/behavioral panel interview 1: starting in early December
• Reference checks and final conversations: starting in late December
• Selection and offer: starting in late December
• Ideal start date period: early January

Equal Opportunity Employer

SolarAPP Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive team and strongly encourage applications from people of all backgrounds.