Commercial & Defense Sales Manager Power Electronics

The Commercial & Defense Sales Manager is a customer-facing, orders-driven role responsible for generating growth across both commercial and defense markets through new business acquisition, strategic account expansion, and complex opportunity capture. This position requires a disciplined hunter who can create demand, shape opportunities, and consistently convert customer engagement into booked orders across a diversified customer base.

Operating at the intersection of technical credibility and commercial execution, the role focuses on selling high-reliability power electronics solutions, including power conversion, high-voltage systems, RF power technologies, and mission-critical subsystems supporting industrial, energy, communications, aerospace, and defense applications.

Approximately 50% of the role will focus on commercial market development and strategic account growth, while 50% will support defense-related pursuits involving Tier 1 integrators, prime contractors, and mission-critical platforms.

Success in this role is defined by customer engagement, opportunity creation, capture execution, and order intake—not internal activity.

U.S. Citizenship is required.

YOU WILL BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR

Customer Engagement & Order Generation (50%)

• Develop and execute territory and account strategies focused on creating customer demand and securing orders across both commercial and defense markets


• Identify, pursue, and close new business opportunities aligned with CPI Power Electronics’ portfolio


• Engage directly with customers to influence requirements, specifications, and design-in decisions early in the buying cycle


• Build and expand relationships with engineering teams, supply chain organizations, program stakeholders, and executive leadership


• Position technical solutions aligned to customer applications, driving adoption, platform integration, and repeat business


• Consistently meet or exceed orders targets through by acquiring new clients, strategic account penetration, and capture execution


• Lead commercial negotiations, pricing strategy, and deal closure activities to maximize order intake

Strategic Account Growth & Capture Management (25%)

• Manage and expand strategic commercial accounts and Tier 1 defense relationships


• Lead pursuit and capture activities for complex, multi-phase opportunities and long-cycle programs


• Develop and execute win strategies, including competitive positioning, pricing alignment, and proposal coordination


• Navigate customer procurement environments, including commercial sourcing processes and defense acquisition pathways


• Coordinate with engineering, operations, and leadership teams to deliver customer-aligned solutions and proposals


• Support resolution of critical customer escalations to protect and expand account value

Market Expansion & Business Development (15%)

• Identify adjacent markets and emerging applications for CPI power electronics technologies


• Expand market presence through channel partners, distributors, VARs, and industry relationships


• Represent the company at customer sites, trade shows, conferences, and industry events


• Monitor competitive positioning, pricing dynamics, and price-to-win targets across commercial and defense sectors


• Gather customer and market intelligence to support growth strategy and product direction

Pipeline Development & Opportunity Management (10%)

• Maintain accurate pipeline visibility and opportunity progression within CRM systems


• Qualify opportunities based on strategic alignment, win probability, and order potential


• Drive momentum throughout the sales lifecycle to ensure timely conversion from pipeline to booked orders


• Provide leadership with reliable visibility into major pursuits, capture status, and forecasted order activity

YOU ARE THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THIS ROLE IF YOU HAVE

• Must be a U.S. Citizen


• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, or a related technical field


• Proven success in orders-driven sales with a strong track record of new business acquisition and complex deal closure


• Demonstrated experience selling power electronics solutions such as power supplies, converters, inverters, RF power systems, high-voltage systems, or related technologies


• Experience supporting both commercial customers and defense-related accounts, programs, or integrators


• Ability to engage credibly with engineering teams, supply chain leaders, program stakeholders, and executive decision-makers


• Demonstrated success managing long-cycle opportunities and multi-stakeholder pursuits from identification through order closure


• Strong commercial acumen in pricing, negotiation, competitive positioning, and capture strategy


• Familiarity with CRM systems and disciplined pipeline management practices


• Ability to manage multiple complex opportunities simultaneously while maintaining focus on order conversion


• Willingness and ability to travel up to 50%–75% domestically

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Active Secret clearance or ability to obtain and maintain clearance


• Experience supporting radar, electronic warfare (EW), communications, aerospace, or mission-critical power systems


• Familiarity with DoD acquisition processes, FAR/DFARS, and defense program lifecycles


• Established relationships with Tier 1 defense primes, integrators, industrial OEMs, or strategic commercial customers


• Background in high-reliability, harsh-environment, or mission-critical electronics markets

SHAPING THE FUTURE THROUGH INNOVATION AND DISCOVERY!

With a history spanning more than seven decades, Communications & Power Industries’ thousands of products have impacted people’s lives in numerous unseen ways every day. Our highly engineered products serve as the backbone of modern-day commercial and military communications systems, assist in diagnosing medical conditions, empower scientific discoveries and space exploration, and much more.

CPI is headquartered in Plano, Texas and is a global manufacturer of electronic components and subsystems. We have manufacturing locations in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia. With a heritage of technological excellence, our team serves customers in the communications, defense, medical, industrial, and scientific markets.

WHAT WE OFFER:

Whether you are a seasoned professional or just embarking on your career, CPI is an ideal place to expand your knowledge and expertise. We cultivate a healthy, dynamic, and team-oriented environment that empowers our employees to develop, create and deliver innovative, reliable technology solutions to power, connect, protect, and support a better tomorrow.

 We offer our employees an attractive compensation package with competitive salaries and comprehensive benefits, including health and wellness programs, career development, generous retirement savings plan with company match and more!

WHO WE ARE:

We value the unique and diverse skills, qualities, and backgrounds that each employee brings to CPI, and we respect each employee as an integral member of our growing team. CPI is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all current and prospective employees, as well as to promoting a culture of inclusion and respect for everyone. We celebrate the innovation that diversity creates in the work environment, and we recognize that each employee brings their own unique capabilities, experiences, and perspectives to the organization. It is this variety that adds value to our teams, as well as to our stakeholders. We welcome and encourage applicants to reach their full potential with us.

CPI is proud to be an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability or other applicable legally protected characteristics.