Associate Sales Engineer – Southern California

Instron; Aliso Viejo (CA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Instron in California seeks an Applications Engineer/Technical Sales support role to partner with customers, understand testing needs, and propose solutions.

You will work with Sales Engineers and Product Managers, travel across Southern California, and participate in onboarding in Boston area, with strong emphasis on customer-facing skills.

Qualifications

• Technical bachelor's degree in Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or similar.
• 0–5 years of engineering, manufacturing, laboratory, technical support, applications, or customer-facing experience.
• Willing to travel throughout Southern California; Southern California residency strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Partner with customers to understand testing applications, challenges, and objectives.
• Recommend solutions and support product demonstrations, proposals, and quotations.
• Collaborate with Sales Engineers, Applications Engineers, and Product Managers to solve customer problems.
• Build trusted customer relationships through responsiveness and technical expertise.
• Manage opportunities using CRM tools while expanding knowledge of testing applications, technologies, and industry trends.

Skills

Mechanical aptitude

Communication

Problem solving

Relationship building

Self-motivation

Team collaboration

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or similar

Tools

CRM

Job description

Job Description

Join Our Industry-Leading Team:

Are you driven to learn, motivated by technology, and energized by solving customer challenges? At Instron, our materials testing systems help some of the world’s leading companies develop safer, stronger, and more reliable products. Trusted by 95% of the world’s largest manufacturers, we offer a unique opportunity to collaborate with engineers, researchers, and manufacturers, contribute to cutting-edge innovations, and grow into a trusted technical advisor within a global technology leader.

Why Instron?

• Global Leader: Join a company with more than 75 years of innovation and a reputation for excellence in materials testing solutions.
• Meaningful Work: Partner with engineers, researchers, and manufacturers developing the next generation of products across industries including medical devices, aerospace, automotive, and consumer goods.
• Cutting-Edge Technology: Represent industry-leading solutions trusted by 95% of the world's largest manufacturers.
• Career Growth: Develop your technical, commercial, and customer-facing skills through structured training, mentorship, and hands‑on experience.
• Collaborative Culture: Work alongside passionate, supportive colleagues who value curiosity, learning, and teamwork.

What You’ll Do

• Partner with customers to understand testing applications, technical challenges, and business objectives.
• Recommend solutions and support product demonstrations, technical presentations, proposals, and quotations.
• Collaborate with Sales Engineers, Applications Engineers, and Product Managers to solve complex customer problems.
• Build trusted customer relationships through responsiveness, technical expertise, and exceptional support.
• Manage opportunities using CRM tools while continuously expanding your knowledge of testing applications, technologies, and industry trends.

What You’ll Bring

• Strong mechanical aptitude, intellectual curiosity, and a passion for learning new technologies.
• Excellent communication, problem‑solving, and relationship‑building skills with a customer‑focused mindset.
• Self‑motivation, coachability, and the ability to work independently while contributing to a collaborative team environment.
• A technical bachelor's degree (Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or similar) with 0–5 years of relevant experience in engineering, manufacturing, laboratory, technical support, applications, or customer‑facing roles. Technical sales experience is a plus but not required.
• Enthusiasm for a development‑focused role that includes travel throughout Southern California and a comprehensive onboarding program, with approximately 50% of the first 12 months spent in the Boston, MA area working alongside technical experts, Sales Engineers, and product teams. Current Southern California residency is strongly preferred.

Take this opportunity to join a successful team where you can make an immediate impact while building a long‑term career.

Compensation Information

This position has a starting salary range of $80,000 to $90,000 per year and an incentive structure. Pay is determined by several factors, including a candidate’s experience, relevant skills, and qualifications.

ITW is an equal opportunity employer. We value our colleagues’ unique perspectives, experiences and ideas and create workplaces where everyone can develop their careers and perform to their full potential. As an equal employment opportunity employer, ITW is committed to equal employment opportunity and fair treatment for employees, beginning with the hiring process and continuing through all aspects of the employment relationship. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected Veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws.