Role OverviewChase Corporation and Sheldahl are seeking a highly motivated Senior Industrial Sales Engineer to accelerate growth across the Abrasives, Industrial Manufacturing, Converting, and Specialty Materials markets.
This role will serve as a key commercial and technical resource for Sheldahl's proprietary unidirectional tape systems, abrasive belt splicing tapes, functional adhesives, backing films, and related engineered material technologies. Working directly with product development, manufacturing, process engineering, operations, and procurement teams, this individual will identify and develop solutions that improve product durability, manufacturing efficiency, throughput, and total cost of ownership.
A central focus of the role will be expanding Sheldahl's position within strategic abrasive and industrial accounts while using these relationships as a platform to introduce broader Chase specialty tapes, adhesives, films, coatings, and engineered material solutions.
Key ResponsibilitiesStrategic Account & Market Growth- Develop and execute growth strategies for priority abrasive manufacturers, industrial OEMs, converters, and engineered-material customers.
- Build relationships across engineering, operations, product development, procurement, and commercial leadership to identify new applications and specification opportunities.
- Identify new customers, applications, and market segments that expand Chase and Sheldahl's presence across abrasive, converting, and industrial-manufacturing markets.
- Manage opportunities from early technical engagement through evaluation, qualification, specification, commercial launch, and production adoption.
Technical Sales & Application Development- Lead consultative technical and commercial discussions focused on product performance, durability, manufacturing efficiency, throughput, and cost reduction.
- Position Sheldahl technologies across abrasive belt splicing, coated abrasives, sanding belts, grinding systems, surface finishing, and other engineered industrial applications.
- Develop differentiated value propositions around belt strength, joint durability, flexibility, productivity, manufacturing consistency, and lifecycle performance.
- Serve as the primary commercial resource for Sheldahl's proprietary tape, adhesive, film, and backing-material technologies.
Product Commercialization & Portfolio Expansion- Partner with customer engineering and product-development teams to support material evaluations, product trials, qualification programs, and commercial launches.
- Translate Voice of Customer insights into actionable opportunities for R&D, Product Management, Manufacturing, Quality, and Operations.
- Leverage core Sheldahl applications to introduce broader Chase specialty tapes, adhesives, functional films, coatings, protective materials, laminates, and converting solutions.
- Increase share of wallet across strategic accounts by identifying adjacent applications and cross-portfolio opportunities.
Channel & Market Development- Evaluate and develop selective industrial distribution and channel partnerships to support market expansion.
- Train distributor sales and technical teams and build focused growth programs with key channel partners.
- Develop application guides, product-positioning tools, and value-selling resources that improve commercial effectiveness.
- Monitor market, technology, and competitive trends and provide actionable customer and market intelligence to Sales, Marketing, Product Management, and R&D.
Qualifications- Minimum of 5 years of experience in technical sales, applications engineering, product management, business development, or a related commercial role.
- Demonstrated success selling technically complex or value-added solutions into industrial manufacturing, abrasives, converting, tapes, adhesives, coatings, specialty materials, or engineered-products markets.
- Experience managing long-cycle, specification- and qualification-driven opportunities from early technical engagement through production adoption.
- Strong understanding of manufacturing environments and the ability to engage effectively with engineering, operations, product-development, and procurement stakeholders.
- Working knowledge of relevant technologies such as industrial tapes, adhesives, specialty films, coated abrasives, converting materials, coatings, polymer systems, or engineered materials.
- Strong consultative and specification-selling skills with the ability to translate customer process and performance requirements into compelling commercial solutions.
- Excellent communication, negotiation, project-management, and cross-functional leadership skills, with the ability to operate effectively across direct customers and channel partners.
- 40-60% travel throughout North America to support customer visits, technical and qualification reviews, strategic account meetings, and industry events.
Education
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Materials Science, Chemistry, Polymer Science, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical discipline; MBA preferred.
