Green Card Development Director Jobs
Development Director roles qualify for EB-2 and EB-3 green card sponsorship through PERM labor certification, which requires employers to document recruitment efforts before filing your I-140 petition. Nonprofit development directors may qualify under EB-2 if the role requires an advanced degree. Securing sponsorship means permanent U.S. residency, not a temporary visa.
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Get Access To All JobsLocation: Somerset, NJ / Mid-Atlantic Region
Job Type: Full-time
Schedule: Monday through Friday; hybrid and client-facing
Travel: Approximately 30–50% for client meetings, account development, industry events, and other business needs
About us
CARIAN is a purpose-driven, woman-owned consulting and advisory firm dedicated exclusively to the power sector. We partner with leading electric and gas utilities to provide strategic advisory and disciplined execution across program management, business intelligence, and field execution oversight. Guided by integrity, trust, excellence, and accountability, our team helps deliver complex capital programs and build the resilient energy infrastructure that communities depend on.
Position Overview
CARIAN is seeking a Director, Business Development – Power & Utilities to lead strategic account development and new business growth across the electric and gas utility market. This is a senior, client-facing role within CARIAN's commercial organization, working directly with executive leadership and service-line leaders to expand existing relationships, establish new utility accounts, and strengthen CARIAN's business-development capabilities. The Director will own a focused portfolio of strategic utility accounts and be responsible for developing account strategies, building senior relationships, identifying client needs and opportunities, navigating procurement pathways, coordinating internal resources, and maintaining momentum from initial introduction through first engagement and account expansion. Strong candidates may come from utility business development, strategic accounts, engineering or professional services, or from senior utility roles where they developed strong industry relationships and the commercial judgment to apply those relationships to business growth.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Account Development:
- Own and execute business-development strategies for a focused portfolio of priority electric and gas utility accounts
- Expand existing client relationships across additional business units, operating companies, geographies, and service lines
- Develop new relationships with senior utility executives, operating leaders, program leaders, procurement organizations, and other key decision makers
- Build and maintain account plans covering organizational structure, client priorities, capital programs, relationships, procurement pathways, opportunities, competitors, and next actions
- Develop clear pathways from initial relationship to first engagement and from initial engagement to broader account growth
- Maintain consistent follow-through across long-cycle utility relationships and opportunities
Opportunity Development:
- Proactively identify client needs and opportunities rather than relying solely on published RFPs
- Work with CARIAN's executive and service-line leaders to connect client challenges with relevant capabilities across program management, PMO and project controls, field services, advisory, energy efficiency, digital solutions, and related utility services
- Coordinate executive introductions, client meetings, follow-up activity, and pursuit strategy
- Identify appropriate MSA, procurement, contracting, and task-order pathways
- Support go/no-go decisions and commercial strategy for priority pursuits
- Help convert successful initial engagements into larger, recurring client relationships
Commercial Leadership:
- Help establish and continuously improve CARIAN's account-management, pipeline, CRM, and business-development cadence
- Maintain clear visibility into qualified opportunities, relationship activity, next actions, timing, and account status
- Provide leadership with relevant market intelligence regarding client priorities, capital programs, procurement activity, competitive positioning, and emerging opportunities
- Coordinate CARIAN's network of senior utility advisors and industry relationships where appropriate
- Work closely with Marketing, Talent Acquisition, and service-line leadership to support new pursuits and anticipated client needs
- Represent CARIAN at selected utility-industry conferences, client events, association meetings, and other relevant forums
Qualifications
- 10+ years of relevant experience in the electric utility, gas utility, power, energy, engineering, infrastructure, consulting, or professional-services market
- Demonstrated ability to build and maintain senior-level relationships within the electric and/or gas utility industry
- Demonstrated experience developing business, strategic accounts, client relationships, market opportunities, or comparable growth initiatives
- Strong understanding of how utilities operate, organize, procure professional services, and make purchasing decisions
- Ability to identify client needs and translate them into actionable commercial opportunities
- Strong executive communication, judgment, organization, persistence, and follow-through
- Ability to work effectively with technical and operating leaders without needing to personally serve as the technical subject-matter expert
- Ability to independently manage multiple strategic accounts and long-cycle opportunities
- Ability and willingness to travel regularly for client and market-facing activity
- Bachelor's degree preferred; equivalent senior-level utility or industry experience will be considered
Preferred Experience
- Existing senior relationships across multiple electric or gas utilities, particularly in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic
- Experience developing or managing utility accounts for an engineering, consulting, program management, infrastructure, or other professional-services firm
- Experience in transmission, distribution, substations, capital programs, PMO, project controls, field services, grid modernization, energy efficiency, or related utility services
- Experience establishing new utility relationships and expanding initial work into broader, recurring engagements
- Familiarity with utility MSAs, RFPs, task-order structures, professional-services contracting, and procurement processes
- Prior utility experience in external affairs, governmental affairs, regulatory affairs, regional leadership, operations, engineering, capital delivery, or another role involving broad senior-level relationships
- Experience using CRM and account-management systems to maintain disciplined commercial activity and pipeline visibility
Work Location
This is a hybrid, client-facing role that may be based from CARIAN's Somerset, NJ headquarters or elsewhere in the Mid-Atlantic region for a candidate with strong utility-market relationships. Candidates based outside the Somerset area must be able to travel regularly to CARIAN headquarters for leadership meetings, planning sessions, and other business needs. Travel will primarily consist of client meetings, account-development activity, industry events, and regional market travel, with additional travel as business needs require.
Why CARIAN
- Purpose-driven work – Help deliver infrastructure that powers communities
- Industry reputation – Trusted by leading utilities for our reliability and results
- Career growth – Help build CARIAN's commercial organization and play a direct role in the company's continued expansion
- Collaborative culture – Join a team that values delivery excellence and long-term relationships
- Competitive total rewards – Strong compensation, full benefits, 401(k) match, and meaningful work
Equal Employment Opportunity
CARIAN is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We hire and develop talent based on qualifications, performance, and business needs. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. As a woman-owned firm dedicated to the power sector, we are committed to building a team that reflects professionalism, expertise, and integrity at every level.
Compensation
The base salary range for this role is $125,000 – $175,000 annually. This range represents a good-faith estimate at the time of posting; actual compensation will depend on experience, qualifications, skills, industry relationships, and business needs. CARIAN offers a competitive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid time off, holidays, and 401(k) participation with company match. This position is eligible for a discretionary annual performance bonus based on company and individual performance.
Location: Somerset, NJ / Mid-Atlantic Region
Job Type: Full-time
Schedule: Monday through Friday; hybrid and client-facing
Travel: Approximately 30–50% for client meetings, account development, industry events, and other business needs
About us
CARIAN is a purpose-driven, woman-owned consulting and advisory firm dedicated exclusively to the power sector. We partner with leading electric and gas utilities to provide strategic advisory and disciplined execution across program management, business intelligence, and field execution oversight. Guided by integrity, trust, excellence, and accountability, our team helps deliver complex capital programs and build the resilient energy infrastructure that communities depend on.
Position Overview
CARIAN is seeking a Director, Business Development – Power & Utilities to lead strategic account development and new business growth across the electric and gas utility market. This is a senior, client-facing role within CARIAN's commercial organization, working directly with executive leadership and service-line leaders to expand existing relationships, establish new utility accounts, and strengthen CARIAN's business-development capabilities. The Director will own a focused portfolio of strategic utility accounts and be responsible for developing account strategies, building senior relationships, identifying client needs and opportunities, navigating procurement pathways, coordinating internal resources, and maintaining momentum from initial introduction through first engagement and account expansion. Strong candidates may come from utility business development, strategic accounts, engineering or professional services, or from senior utility roles where they developed strong industry relationships and the commercial judgment to apply those relationships to business growth.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Account Development:
- Own and execute business-development strategies for a focused portfolio of priority electric and gas utility accounts
- Expand existing client relationships across additional business units, operating companies, geographies, and service lines
- Develop new relationships with senior utility executives, operating leaders, program leaders, procurement organizations, and other key decision makers
- Build and maintain account plans covering organizational structure, client priorities, capital programs, relationships, procurement pathways, opportunities, competitors, and next actions
- Develop clear pathways from initial relationship to first engagement and from initial engagement to broader account growth
- Maintain consistent follow-through across long-cycle utility relationships and opportunities
Opportunity Development:
- Proactively identify client needs and opportunities rather than relying solely on published RFPs
- Work with CARIAN's executive and service-line leaders to connect client challenges with relevant capabilities across program management, PMO and project controls, field services, advisory, energy efficiency, digital solutions, and related utility services
- Coordinate executive introductions, client meetings, follow-up activity, and pursuit strategy
- Identify appropriate MSA, procurement, contracting, and task-order pathways
- Support go/no-go decisions and commercial strategy for priority pursuits
- Help convert successful initial engagements into larger, recurring client relationships
Commercial Leadership:
- Help establish and continuously improve CARIAN's account-management, pipeline, CRM, and business-development cadence
- Maintain clear visibility into qualified opportunities, relationship activity, next actions, timing, and account status
- Provide leadership with relevant market intelligence regarding client priorities, capital programs, procurement activity, competitive positioning, and emerging opportunities
- Coordinate CARIAN's network of senior utility advisors and industry relationships where appropriate
- Work closely with Marketing, Talent Acquisition, and service-line leadership to support new pursuits and anticipated client needs
- Represent CARIAN at selected utility-industry conferences, client events, association meetings, and other relevant forums
Qualifications
- 10+ years of relevant experience in the electric utility, gas utility, power, energy, engineering, infrastructure, consulting, or professional-services market
- Demonstrated ability to build and maintain senior-level relationships within the electric and/or gas utility industry
- Demonstrated experience developing business, strategic accounts, client relationships, market opportunities, or comparable growth initiatives
- Strong understanding of how utilities operate, organize, procure professional services, and make purchasing decisions
- Ability to identify client needs and translate them into actionable commercial opportunities
- Strong executive communication, judgment, organization, persistence, and follow-through
- Ability to work effectively with technical and operating leaders without needing to personally serve as the technical subject-matter expert
- Ability to independently manage multiple strategic accounts and long-cycle opportunities
- Ability and willingness to travel regularly for client and market-facing activity
- Bachelor's degree preferred; equivalent senior-level utility or industry experience will be considered
Preferred Experience
- Existing senior relationships across multiple electric or gas utilities, particularly in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic
- Experience developing or managing utility accounts for an engineering, consulting, program management, infrastructure, or other professional-services firm
- Experience in transmission, distribution, substations, capital programs, PMO, project controls, field services, grid modernization, energy efficiency, or related utility services
- Experience establishing new utility relationships and expanding initial work into broader, recurring engagements
- Familiarity with utility MSAs, RFPs, task-order structures, professional-services contracting, and procurement processes
- Prior utility experience in external affairs, governmental affairs, regulatory affairs, regional leadership, operations, engineering, capital delivery, or another role involving broad senior-level relationships
- Experience using CRM and account-management systems to maintain disciplined commercial activity and pipeline visibility
Work Location
This is a hybrid, client-facing role that may be based from CARIAN's Somerset, NJ headquarters or elsewhere in the Mid-Atlantic region for a candidate with strong utility-market relationships. Candidates based outside the Somerset area must be able to travel regularly to CARIAN headquarters for leadership meetings, planning sessions, and other business needs. Travel will primarily consist of client meetings, account-development activity, industry events, and regional market travel, with additional travel as business needs require.
Why CARIAN
- Purpose-driven work – Help deliver infrastructure that powers communities
- Industry reputation – Trusted by leading utilities for our reliability and results
- Career growth – Help build CARIAN's commercial organization and play a direct role in the company's continued expansion
- Collaborative culture – Join a team that values delivery excellence and long-term relationships
- Competitive total rewards – Strong compensation, full benefits, 401(k) match, and meaningful work
Equal Employment Opportunity
CARIAN is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We hire and develop talent based on qualifications, performance, and business needs. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. As a woman-owned firm dedicated to the power sector, we are committed to building a team that reflects professionalism, expertise, and integrity at every level.
Compensation
The base salary range for this role is $125,000 – $175,000 annually. This range represents a good-faith estimate at the time of posting; actual compensation will depend on experience, qualifications, skills, industry relationships, and business needs. CARIAN offers a competitive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid time off, holidays, and 401(k) participation with company match. This position is eligible for a discretionary annual performance bonus based on company and individual performance.
See all 4,071+ Green Card Development Director Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Green Card Sponsorship in Development Director
Frame your credentials for EB-2 eligibility
Development Director roles requiring a master's degree in nonprofit management, public administration, or a related field qualify for EB-2. Document your advanced degree and progressive fundraising leadership now so your employer can accurately classify the position before PERM filing begins.
Target employers with PERM filing history
Large nonprofits, universities, and hospital foundations routinely sponsor Development Directors through PERM because they have in-house HR capacity. Prioritize organizations with dedicated development infrastructure over smaller shops where sponsorship processes are unfamiliar and approvals stall.
Search sponsoring employers on Migrate Mate
Use Migrate Mate to filter Development Director openings by employers with active green card sponsorship history. This saves you from applying to roles where sponsorship is theoretically possible but organizationally untested, which is a common time-waster at the senior nonprofit level.
Negotiate PERM start timing before accepting an offer
PERM labor certification can take 12 to 18 months before your I-140 is even filed. Ask the employer when they plan to initiate DOL recruitment documentation so your green card timeline aligns with your current work authorization runway, especially if you're on OPT or an H-1B visa nearing its limit.
Verify the job description meets PERM specialty occupation standards
PERM requires the employer to prove the Development Director role genuinely requires the stated degree. Vague descriptions citing preferred rather than required qualifications create audit risk. Review the draft job description with your employer before DOL submission to ensure the language is defensible.
Check prevailing wage before your salary negotiation
DOL sets a prevailing wage for your specific title, location, and experience level using OFLC Wage Search data. Your offered salary must meet or exceed this figure or PERM certification fails. Look up your wage tier before negotiating so you understand the floor your employer is legally required to meet.
Green Card Development Director: Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Development Director role qualify for EB-2 or EB-3 green card sponsorship?
It depends on how the position is defined. If the role requires a master's degree in nonprofit management, public administration, or a related discipline, it can qualify for EB-2. Roles requiring only a bachelor's degree typically fall under EB-3 skilled worker classification. The employer's job description and documented minimum requirements determine which category applies, so the language your employer uses in the PERM filing matters significantly.
How does green card sponsorship through PERM differ from H-1B sponsorship for this role?
H-1B sponsorship grants temporary work authorization for up to six years and is subject to the annual lottery cap. Green card sponsorship through PERM leads to permanent residency with no annual cap at the EB-3 level for most countries. The PERM process requires your employer to conduct documented recruitment to show no qualified U.S. worker was displaced, adding roughly 12 to 18 months before the I-140 petition stage, but the outcome is permanent status rather than a renewable temporary visa.
How do I find Development Director jobs where the employer will actually sponsor a green card?
Use Migrate Mate to search Development Director openings filtered by employers with verified green card sponsorship history. Many nonprofits and foundations list development roles without specifying sponsorship willingness, so filtering by actual PERM filing history removes guesswork and focuses your applications on organizations that have completed the process before.
What documentation should I prepare before a Development Director employer starts the PERM process?
Gather official transcripts showing your highest degree, credential evaluation reports if your degree is from outside the U.S., and a detailed employment history documenting progressive fundraising or development leadership. If your EB-2 case rests on an advanced degree, the degree evaluation needs to confirm U.S. equivalency. Having these ready before your employer engages DOL recruitment prevents delays once PERM filing begins.
Can a nonprofit organization sponsor a Development Director for a green card?
Yes. Nonprofits, foundations, universities, and hospital systems are among the most active PERM sponsors for Development Director roles because the position is common in these sectors and their HR teams often have prior experience with the process. Religious or nonprofit organizations classified as 501(c)(3) entities follow the same PERM labor certification process as for-profit employers. The sponsoring organization must demonstrate financial capacity to pay the prevailing wage through the I-140 stage, which USCIS evaluates during petition review.