Business Development Manager – Private Water, California

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 BDM 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. Someone 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 throughout 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 bonus. The estimated total compensation is expected to be between $150,000 - $200,000+ annually. The starting pay is dependent upon multiple factors, such as education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities of the applicant.

At Ferguson, we care for each other. We value our well-being just as much as our hard work. We are committed to a holistic approach towards benefits plans and programs that support the mental, physical and financial well-being of our associates. Our competitive offering not only includes benefits like health, dental, vision, paid time off, life insurance and a 401(k) with a company match, but our associates also enjoy additional meaningful and inclusive enhancements that are adaptable to their diverse situations and needs, including mental health coverage, gender affirming and family building benefits, paid parental leave, associate discounts, community involvement opportunities and more!

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