Business Development Manager – Private Water, California

About this role

Job Posting: Water is at the core of our business and central to our vision for sustainability. In California, private water utilities deliver safe, reliable water to more than   5.5 million residents , and they do it while managing aging infrastructure, tightening regulation, drought, and constant pressure to keep rates fair. Ferguson has a real opportunity to help. This role exists to put our full capability, products, technology, and   expertise   in front of the people making those decisions, so our customers can reduce water loss, modernize their systems, and keep clean water flowing to the communities that depend on them. This is how a Business Development Manager helps build water-resilient communities in California.    

California’s private water market is growing, changing, and demanding more from its partners. Ferguson is looking for a field-first Business Development Manager who knows how to turn relationships, market knowledge, and disciplined follow-through into measurable growth.  

This role is built for someone who wants to be close to the action ;   in front of customers, alongside branch teams, at jobsites, and engaged with the people responsible for delivering critical water infrastructure every day. The BD M   will own growth execution across assigned private water accounts in California, strengthening Ferguson’s presence with investor-owned utilities, O&M contractors, and regional decision-makers.  

The purpose of this role is   to   help our private water customers serve their communities more effectively by bringing the full strength of Ferguson to the field. That means building trust, removing friction, finding opportunities, and making sure strategy turns into results.   We are looking for a grinder . S omeone who is curious, persistent, commercially sharp, and energized by the work it takes to grow a market. The right person will be comfortable navigating complexity, following up relentlessly, and earning credibility through action. This is not a desk-first role. It is a California field role for someone who wants to help build something important.  

This role is approved to be fully remote. The ideal candidate will reside in the California market and have convenient access to a major airport to accommodate regional travel.

What   You’ll   Own  

• Growth execution across assigned private water accounts in California, including IOU and O&M contractor relationships.  

• Field alignment between customer priorities, branch execution, regional sales, operations, and supply chain teams.  

• Practical follow-through that removes barriers, improves customer experience, and turns local insight into profitable growth.  

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How   You’ll   Be Successful  

Build Customer and Field Relationships  

• Build   trusted   relationships with   customer   operations, construction,   procurement , and regional leadership   teams .  

• Maintain consistent field presence with customers, branches, and project teams to understand needs and create momentum.  

• Build   Ferguson’s local credibility through responsive engagement,   reliable   follow-through, and practical problem - solving.  

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Drive   Regional Execution  

• Execute account   agreements, pricing   programs , and customer commitments consistently   across   assigned   branches and regions .  

• Turn market and customer insight into clear action with branch, district, operations, sales, and supply chain teams.  

• Monitor projects, orders, RFP activity, service issues, and operational risks to keep work moving and customers informed.  

• Remove barriers in real time, including inventory,   logistics , invoicing, contract compliance, and service delivery challenges.

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Turn Opportunity into Growth  

• Build   and execute   practical   account plans that   connect   customer priorities, regional opportunities, and Ferguson growth   objectives .  

• Uncover new opportunities across assigned accounts by staying close to customer needs, projects, operational pain points, and buying behaviors.  

• Expand   market share   by positioning Ferguson’s full platform, including products, services, technology, supply chain solutions, digital tools, and process improvements.  

• Use   pipeline activity, customer feedback, and   performance insights to drive   profitable   growth, margin improvement,   and   long-term account health.  

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Lead   Cross-Functional   Action  

• Bring the right internal partners together quickly to solve customer needs and improve execution.  

• Create alignment across regional sales, branch operations, supply chain, technology, and enterprise resources.  

• Follow through until issues are resolved, opportunities are advanced, and commitments are delivered.  

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Qualifications  

• Experience in account management, sales, or project coordination, preferably within waterworks, utilities, or infrastructure  

• Strong ability to build relationships across regional, district, and field teams  

• Experience managing complex accounts spanning multiple locations or stakeholders  

• Knowledge of Ferguson systems ( Salesforce and   PowerBI )   and operational processes preferred   

• Strong communication , organization, and problem-solving skills  

• Ability to balance strategic alignment with hands-on execution

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Travel Expectations  

• Travel will be primarily regional and account-focused, supporting assigned Private Water customers and field teams   25 – 40%   of time   through out the   state of California  

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Expected travel includes:  

• On-site customer engagement (utilities, contractors, job sites)  

• Key project milestones, implementations, or issue resolution .  

If you are energized by field work, complex customers, and   earning   trust through follow-through, this is   your   opportunity to make a visible impact   in   one of Ferguson’s most important growth markets.   

This   role offers a competitive   salary , auto allowance,   and is   eligible for

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