Senior Account Sales Engineer

About Us

Cognex is the largest, most successful and recognized global player in industrial machine vision! We are a financially strong, international company with no debt and have been in business for over 40 years. Using advanced optics, image sensors and artificial intelligence software Cognex vision and ID systems capture an image then analyze it to make sense of what’s being seen. We are deeply committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable work environment, guided by our "Work Hard, Play Hard, Move Fast" culture, which celebrates employee innovation, determination, and dedication in a dynamic, fun, and distinctive atmosphere.

Position Summary:
The Senior Account Sales Engineer (Sr. ASE) drives sales of Cognex's ID and Vision product portfolio within an assigned territory, targeting end-users and machine builders. This role focuses on meeting sales quotas, building a pipeline of complex business opportunities, and collaborating with Territory Sales Engineers (TSEs) to deliver exceptional customer experiences. The Sr. ASE partners with OEM Sales Engineers, Global Account Managers (GAMs), and integration partners to ensure comprehensive strategic account coverage.

Key Responsibilities:

Sales Execution:

• Drive territory bookings by implementing best practices in territory, account management, and focusing on both current and prospective customers by executing Cognex sales strategies and procedures.
• Build and maintain a 12–24-month pipeline of qualified business opportunities, focusing on large, complex projects.
• Lead contract negotiations to close deals effectively and ensure compliance with agreements.
• Capture and maintain account potential for current and future opportunities.

Customer Engagement & Support:

• Conduct product demonstrations, assess applications, and deliver on-site solutions to address customer needs.
• Provide hands-on support for system programming and configuration post-sale to ensure successful implementation.
• Collaborate with integration partners and apply the “best sales channel” approach to secure strategic opportunities.

Strategic Account Coordination:

• Partner with Territory Sales Engineers, OEM Sales Engineers and GAMs to drive effective coverage and support for key end-user accounts.
• Coordinate application evaluations, leveraging the Applications Engineering team for technical assessments.

Operational Excellence:

• Manage weekly forecasts accurately and ensure timely, clear information flow within the team.
• Utilize CRM and Service Cloud tools to track sales execution, monitor key metrics, and capture market insights.
• Understand and apply Cognex sales strategies and processes

Market Insights & Collaboration:

• Engage with the End-User Sales Readiness team for pre- and post-sales support, providing technical guidance, application evaluations, and training to enhance the customer journey.

Key Qualifications:

Experience:

• 5-8 years of experience in technical sales within factory automation or a related industry, with a proven ability to manage complex sales cycles within both a direct sales and partner sales ecosystem.
• Minimum of 3+ years of experience with machine vision or similar fields
• Demonstrated success in solution-based selling and managing long-term, intricate projects.
• Experience utilizing CRMs such as Salesforce or equivalent software systems.

Skills & Abilities:

• Strong ability to sell technical products across organizational levels and cultivate long-term relationships with accounts and partners.
• Expert ability in demonstrating products while selling Cognex products against multiple layers of competition and account requirements.
• Action-oriented, self-motivated, with excellent communication and listening skills.
• Ability to meet with multiple accounts on their respective sites on a weekly basis is required, overnight travel may be required depending on geography.
• Proficient in working independently in a field sales environment.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution is preferred, ideally in a STEM or Business field.
•  Non-STEM candidates may need to pass a technical aptitude test.

Additional Requirements:

• Valid driver’s license and the ability to meet with multiple customers on their respective sites within a day/week is required.
• Ability to lift up to 25 pounds and demonstrate Cognex products.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Cognex is an equal opportunity employer. Cognex evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status, disability/handicap status or any other legally protected characteristic.