Robotics Territory Sales Executive | $110K-$135K | Chicago

Want to break into robotics without needing years of robotics experience?

Our client is an established, privately held company expanding its collaborative robotics business and looking for a strong hunter to develop the Chicago market. You’ll sell $40K-$50K collaborative robots, or cobots, that help manufacturers automate jobs that are repetitive, difficult to staff, or dangerous.

This is not selling massive, multimillion-dollar automation systems with 12-18 month sales cycles. These are practical automation solutions with a clear ROI, an average sales cycle of approximately two months, and applications across welding, palletizing, packing, and machine tending.

Why this role stands out:

• $80K-$90K base salary
• $135K expected total compensation, uncapped. Year 2+, OTE $160K
• Greenfield territory with significant new-business opportunity
• Opportunity to break into the growing robotics and automation industry
• Approximately 2-month sales cycle, versus much longer for competitors
• Sell $40K-$50K automation solutions rather than massive capital projects. Our competitors sell $250K solutions.
• Established company founded 15 years ago
• Technical robotics expertise and support internally
• 15-20% travel
• 1-2 days per week in the office, with the remainder spent in the field or working remotely
• Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance and full benefits

The Opportunity

Our client helps manufacturers and logistics operations solve problems across staffing, warehousing, transportation, and automation. The company is now expanding its collaborative robotics business.

You’ll be responsible for developing new manufacturing customers throughout the Chicago market. This is a pure hunting role for someone who enjoys prospecting, getting into manufacturing facilities, uncovering operational problems, and building business from the ground up. There is some travel to remote clients, about 15%.

You do not need to be a robotics engineer. The company has technical expertise internally to support the more complex engineering side of the sale. Your job is to find the opportunity, understand the business problem, communicate the ROI, and move the sale forward.

What You’ll Sell

Collaborative robots designed to automate manufacturing applications including:

• Welding
• Palletizing
• Packing
• Machine tending
• Other repetitive or difficult-to-staff production processes

These cobots typically cost approximately $40K-$50K, making automation accessible to mid-market manufacturers that may not be candidates for traditional $250K-$500K industrial automation systems.

The value proposition is straightforward: help manufacturers reduce labor challenges, increase productivity, improve safety, and automate work that is difficult to staff consistently.

Who You’ll Sell To

The target market is primarily mid-sized manufacturers with approximately $25M-$350M in revenue.

You’ll work with decision-makers involved in:

• Plant operations
• Manufacturing
• Engineering
• Automation
• Continuous improvement
• Production
• Operations leadership

The sales process includes prospecting, facility visits, understanding the manufacturing process, identifying applications for automation, demonstrating the business case and ROI, and bringing technical experts into the process when needed.

What We’re Looking For

We care more about your sales background and ability to hunt than whether you have sold robots before.

Strong backgrounds could include:

• Industrial equipment
• Material handling equipment
• Welding equipment
• Packaging or palletizing equipment
• Factory automation
• Manufacturing equipment
• Engineering services
• Machine vision, sensors, or controls
• Warehouse technology
• Other technical products sold into manufacturers

The strongest candidate will be someone who:

• Is a true new-business hunter
• Has experience cold prospecting and creating their own pipeline
• Is comfortable selling in the field
• Understands manufacturing environments
• Can walk a plant floor and uncover problems
• Can sell ROI rather than compete solely on price
• Is comfortable with a technical sale without needing to be the engineer
• Is persistent and comfortable opening doors in a greenfield territory
• Can independently manage a territory and sales process

Technical sales experience is a plus, but it is not required.

If you’ve been successful selling technical equipment or services into manufacturers and want to move into robotics, this is an opportunity to do it without starting over.