Sales Engineer

Description

Have you ever wondered what it's like to work at a place where company culture is really important?

Well, at Ahaus, it's the lens through which we view everything we do. In addition to great wages and benefits, we offer a supportive, family-first work environment that you won't find anywhere else. The average tenure of our phenomenal team of 100+ talented individuals is 10+ years, and we've got several folks who have been with us for 40+ years and counting- we believe that speaks volumes. We couldn't be prouder of our team.

Thanks to the hard work of our team through the years, we're getting ready to celebrate our 80th anniversary. We've grown from a small tooling shop in a backyard in Richmond, Indiana to a $30M+ tooling, engineering and custom automation firm. Throughout that growth though, we've never lost our small business feel, where our leaders truly care about the people working for them - and it shows. Sometimes our customers come to us looking for a specific need and an idea of how to address it, and sometimes we hear the challenge and jump in from a blank slate to create the perfect solution.

Ahaus is well known for flexible start times Monday through Friday, generous paid time off, paid holidays, employee recognition and incentives, volunteer and outreach events, employee breakfasts and barbeques, pitch-ins, summer games, company outings, shared hobbies, and many other perks. It's precisely why Ahaus enjoys a reputation as a place people want to be.

Our people love their hobbies; from building cars, tractors, firearms, and robots to marksmanship and trap shooting, axe throwing, cycling, restoring old furniture, music, and the arts. We have a team of diversely talented, skilled tradespeople, and we are always looking to welcome new talent if it's a good fit, not just for our organization, but for the prospective candidate too. If you're a team player who is looking for not just a job, but a place where you can build a long-term career, we'd love to hear from you.

We're looking for a Sales Engineer to cover outside sales of custom automation, robotics, machining & engineering solutions in our Southwest US territory – someone, with a little help in getting acclimated, who can hit the ground running. This territory includes Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. If you're a team player with skills and outside sales experience that align with the functions below, we would like to hear from you.

JOB SUMMARY: The Sales Engineer is responsible for generating sales with new and existing customers, communicating customer requirements, and managing customer relationships.

Key performance objectives in order of priority with ideal time allocation are:

50% - Identifying opportunities with new and existing customers and closing new business while achieving profitability goals.

20% - Following the company’s process for communicating project requirements to all internal stakeholders so that we create accurate and competitive quotes and deliver successful projects.

10% - Consulting with customers and executing account management plans to build good, long-term relationships and earn repeat business.

Note: Twenty percent of time is reserved for ancillary responsibilities, interruptions, and unplanned events.

Requirements

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Other duties may be assigned.

Interpersonal Responsibilities

• Shares information and best practices with peers and assists with developing solutions for meeting customer requirements, troubleshooting issues and serving as a sounding board.
• Presents proposals to customers and follows up to move open opportunities through the sales funnel and close new business.
• Follows up with customers post project to handle inquiries and serves as a resource. Stays on top of future needs by working an account management plan and participating in the customer’s planning process.

Operational Responsibilities

• Develops and implements account plans to identify and act on opportunities with current customers and expand Ahaus’ presence within the account. Qualifies customer needs, identifies and establishes working relationships with key influencers and positions Ahaus as a viable partner.
• Partners with independent manufacturing representatives, serving as a technical resource and providing assistance with qualifying customer requirements and moving opportunities through the sales process.
• Hunts for new business development opportunities in customer segments that align to Ahaus’ sales plan. Key activities include networking activities, participation in professional organizations, social media groups, and attending trade shows and conferences.
• Works closely with engineering and manufacturing to understand capacities, technical capabilities and production scheduling for servicing existing and/or potential customers.
• Coordinates the flow of information between the customer and engineering as part of the process for clarifying project requirements and capturing all relevant design details for quote development. Communicates initial project concept and ensures the customer’s scope of work is clearly understood.
• Participates in project launch meetings and ensures scope of work, specifications, and customer requirements are handed off to production and all internal check offs completed.
• Monitors customer’s project and assists with resolving escalated issues as required.
• Utilizes Salesforce customer relationship management software to report on the sales funnel, account plans and opportunities projected to close.
• Provides accounting purchase order details including scope of work, terms and conditions for delivery, shipment and payment, and customer contact information.
• Assists with following up on past due accounts and collection of payment.

We anticipate that this role will travel 35-40% of the time; however, this number may vary for candidates located within the territory due to travel efficiencies.

If this opportunity sounds like a good fit for the next chapter of your career, we’d love to hear from you. Apply today!