Sales Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

Acme Industries is seeking a technically fluent, customer-focused Sales Engineer to serve as the primary commercial point of contact for an established portfolio of strategic accounts. High-impact account management and inside sales coordination position for someone who thrives on owning the customer relationship end-to-end: from initial inquiry through quote, order, production, and delivery.

ABOUT ACME INDUSTRIES

Acme Industries MFG, Inc. is a 75-year-old precision contract manufacturer headquartered in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. We produce complex, tight-tolerance machined components for aerospace and defense primes, power generation OEMs, and industrial transportation customers. With AS9100:D and ISO 9001:2015 certifications, two production facilities, and a team of skilled machinists and engineers, Acme is a trusted supplier to some of the most demanding customers in North American manufacturing.

ROLE OVERVIEW

The Sales Engineer owns the full commercial lifecycle for an assigned portfolio of established Acme accounts. This role’s focus is maintaining and growing existing customer relationships, managing the RFQ-to-order pipeline, coordinating internally across estimating, engineering, and operations, and serving as the customer's primary advocate inside Acme. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Account Ownership & Customer Relationship Management

• Serve as the primary point of contact for all commercial matters across an assigned portfolio of strategic industrial and/or aerospace & defense accounts
• Maintain deep knowledge of each account's programs, production schedules, engineering changes, and procurement contacts
• Conduct regular customer touchpoints — calls, site visits, and business reviews — to ensure Acme remains the preferred supplier and to identify expansion opportunities within the existing book of work
• Build and maintain multi-level relationships at assigned accounts: procurement, supply chain, engineering, and program management
• Proactively communicate order status, schedule changes, and quality updates to customers before issues escalate

RFQ Management & Quotation Coordination

• Receive, qualify, and manage all incoming RFQs from assigned accounts through the internal quotation process
• Partner with Acme's estimating team to develop competitive, accurate, and profitable quotes for complex machined components
• Translate customer drawings, specifications, and technical requirements for internal teams — bridging the gap between what the customer needs and what Acme can produce
• Track and follow up on open quotes to maximize conversion rate and reduce quote-to-order cycle time
• Manage pricing strategy for assigned accounts including annual pricing reviews, material surcharges, and program-specific adjustments

Inside Sales Coordination & Order Management

• Own the order intake process for assigned accounts — review purchase orders for accuracy, flag discrepancies, and ensure alignment with quoted terms
• Coordinate with Acme's operations, scheduling, and value stream teams to ensure customer delivery commitments are met and communicated proactively
• Manage customer forecasts and work with planning to align Acme's production capacity with upcoming demand
• Partner with supply chain on raw material planning for customer-specific programs, especially for long lead-time or sole-source materials
• Serve as the internal escalation point for customer issues — quality holds, late deliveries, ECNs — and drive resolution in a way that protects the relationship

Revenue & Account Growth

• Provide accurate monthly revenue forecasts and account-level pipeline updates to VP of Sales
• Monitor account health metrics — on-time delivery, quality, invoice aging, open quotes — and take proactive action when trends are unfavorable
• Alert leadership to any signals of account risk, sourcing shifts, or competitive threats that could affect Acme's revenue base

Requirements:

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• 3–7 years of experience in technical sales, account management, or inside sales in a manufacturing environment — contract machining, precision fabrication, aerospace components, or similar
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, GD&T, material specifications, and manufacturing processes
• Demonstrated experience managing a multi-account commercial portfolio with accountability for revenue retention and growth
• Strong cross-functional communication skills — comfortable interfacing with estimating, engineering, operations, and supply chain on a daily basis
• Experience managing RFQs and quotation pipelines in a job shop or contract manufacturing environment
• CRM proficiency; comfortable tracking pipeline, account activity, and forecast in a structured system
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, or related field preferred — relevant experience will be considered in lieu of degree

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in aerospace and defense contract manufacturing, including familiarity with AS9100, ITAR, and customer-specific quality requirements
• Prior experience selling or coordinating large-format machined components — castings, forgings, structural components
• Experience with ERP-based order management (SAP, Epicor, Made2Manage, or similar)

WHAT WE OFFER

• $85,000 base salary + 10% annual performance bonus 
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance — benefits begin Day 1
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid time off and observed holidays
• Stable, growing company with a 75-year track record and PE-backed growth trajectory
• Direct access to senior leadership and meaningful influence on Acme's commercial strategy

OUR CORE VALUES

At Acme Industries, everything we do is grounded in four core values: Dedicated, Persistent, Creative, and Supportive. We're looking for a Sales Engineer who brings these values to every customer interaction and every internal collaboration.