Sales Engineer - Florida Panhandle

Job Description

Job Description

Company Summary

Our client is an established, growing distributor serving the manufacturing sector with a one-stop solution that includes machine tools, cutting tools, fluids, related equipment, and service support. The company maintains long-standing relationships with major manufacturing customers, distributes machines from a top global machine-tool builder, and has a strong presence in Swiss-machine distribution. The organization provides substantial onboarding and ongoing field support to its sales team rather than leaving new hires to figure things out on their own.

Job Summary

We are seeking a Sales Engineer to cover a territory in the Florida Panhandle and East towards Jacksonville. This role blends industrial/tooling sales with machine-tool sales. The ideal candidate will combine a technical machining background with a self-motivated, independent sales approach, building new business across a broad range of manufacturing products.

Responsibilities

• Prospect and develop new business through cold calling, email outreach, LinkedIn, and in-person visits to manufacturing facilities
• Identify and build relationships with appropriate purchasing, engineering, and operations contacts within target accounts
• Understand customer production needs and recommend appropriate machine tools, cutting tools, fluids, and related equipment/services
• Sell a broad product range, including drills, cutting tools, chucks, filtration systems, chip hoppers, conveyors, high-pressure units, industrial fans, fluids, indexable tools, and end mills
• Manage a largely field-based territory with minimal day-to-day supervision, including selecting counties/areas to target and planning weekly customer visits
• Leverage inbound leads from website submissions, machine-tool line inquiries, marketing promotions, and existing customer data
• Travel locally throughout the territory, with occasional overnight travel (approximately 3 hotel nights per month)
• Participate in ride-along training with senior sales, applications, and service personnel during onboarding

Requirements

• Machining background with a solid understanding of basic machining principles (speeds and feeds, depth of cut, inches per revolution, programming fundamentals)
• Prior sales or applications engineering experience, ideally selling cutting tools, tooling, machine tools, or other manufacturing products, with familiarity with commission-based compensation
• Strong self-starter with the ability to work independently and stay motivated in a field-based, largely unsupervised role
• Comfortable with prospecting, cold calling, and multi-channel outreach (phone, email, LinkedIn, in-person)
• Must be based in or genuinely willing to relocate to the territory

Preferred Requirements

• Applications engineering background, particularly experience with machine tools, G-code/M-code programming, tooling, and solving customer production problems
• Background as an independent tooling representative, machine-tool salesperson, or experienced machinist transitioning into a sales career
• Interest in a role offering variety and hands-on problem-solving with a range of manufacturing products, not just machine tools

Compensation/Benefits

• To support your initial onboarding and pipeline development, we offer a non-recoverable draw providing a first-year base guarantee up to and possibly above $90,000, tailored to experience. As your commission pipeline matures in years 2 and 3, compensation transitions to the standard $40,000 base with uncapped variable earning potential.
• Uncapped commission: 25% of net profit on machine-tool sales and industrial/tooling sales
• Realistic first-year ramp-up period of approximately six months to build territory momentum, with earning potential expected to exceed $100,000 once established, and longer-term potential in the $150,000+ range
• Vehicle allowance is provided
• Reimbursement of reasonable business expenses via expense report
• Structured and consistent onboarding and training support, including regular ride-alongs with experienced sales, service, and applications personnel

Location

Florida Panhandle territory. Coverage generally spans the northern part of Florida, excluding the Jacksonville area and existing southeastern Florida coverage. This is a field-based role, with administrative and appointment-setting work done from home and the majority of the week spent visiting customers in person throughout the territory.