Bachelor's degree in engineering or a related technical field
3-6 years in technical sales, applications engineering, or a related role
U.S. citizenship required due to customer-related sensitivity
Must qualify for U.S. security clearance at time of hire
Experience with Department of Defense and government proposals is desirable
Deep understanding of electronics engineering services/products
Proficiency with Salesforce/CRM, Office 365, Microsoft Project, and estimating/pricing systems is desirable
Responsibilities
Respond to inquiries and explain complex engineering concepts in client-relevant terms
Lead presentations on engineering services and educate clients on past performance
Facilitate rough order of magnitude estimates and assist in preparing technical sections of proposals
Partner with teams to scope custom requirements and resolve misalignments
Build and maintain trust with customers and stakeholders, sharing feedback with teams
Represent the company positively at trade shows and customer meetings
Travel 10% to 20% as required
Benefits
Full-time, on-site position
Opportunity to work closely with cross-functional teams
Engagement in high-value deals requiring technical validation
Chance to influence product development and client solutions
Professional development opportunities through exposure to diverse projects
Full Job Description
We are seeking a Sales Engineer to join our engineering services team, where you will bridge the gap between complex technical solutions and customer needs. You will work closely with our business development/sales team, engineering teams, project management group, and clients to identify opportunities, design tailored, high-level engineering roadmaps, map out product development schedules, and close high-value deals that require technical validation. This is a full-time, on-site, salaried job opportunity. QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS
Education and Experience
Education: Bachelor's degree in engineering or a related technical field
Experience: 3-6 years in technical sales, applications engineering, or a related role
U.S. citizenship required due to the sensitivity of customer-related requirements
Must qualify for U.S. security clearance at time of hire
Department of Defense and government proposal experience is desirable
Other Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Technical Expertise:
Deep understanding of electronics engineering services/products
Systems engineering approaches to product development
Ability to translate custom product development offering into succinct, compelling client proposals
Sales, Communication, and Organization:
Strong presentation, negotiation, and interpersonal skills
Ability to work in a consultative, revenue-generating role
Strong interpersonal skills and effective communicator for cross-functional teams and executive leadership
Strong project management and continuous improvement skills
Organized with great attention to detail
Able to multitask with strong project management and continuous improvement skills
Tools:
Proficiency with Salesforce/CRM, Office 365, Microsoft Project, and estimating/pricing systems desirable
AI Fluency:
Experience using AI-assisted tools to speed up quotes and proposal turnaround a plus
JOB Responsibilities
Respond to inquiries and answer technical questions via phone, email, or in-person; explain complex engineering concepts and VPI's product development process in simple, client-relevant terms
Lead engineering services capability presentations, educate potential clients on VPI's past performance, and facilitate custom design approaches to meet client requirements
Facilitate rough order of magnitude (ROM) estimates, work with engineering teams to help prepare and review technical sections of sales proposals, develop project schedules in Microsoft Project, RFP/RFI responses, prototype and testing cost estimates, and overall project costing
Partner with project management and engineering teams to scope custom requirements to meet both client objectives and a feasible product development plan, and resolve technical, business objectives, and pricing misalignment through excellent customer expectation management skills
Build and maintain trust with customers, VPI's engineering team, and business stakeholders; gather and share client feedback with engineering and project management teams
Represent VPI positively at trade shows, conferences, customer meetings, potential customer interactions, and any meetings
10% to 20% travel may be required
All other duties as assigned
Our ideal candidate would be a results-driven technical professional who can:
Speak the language of both engineers and executives
Drive revenue through complex solution selling
Close on new technology/product development proposals by convincing customers of the value VPI brings
Communicate with customers about requirements, capabilities, and services
