Business Development Manager

Sunon Inc; La Verne (CA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k)

401(k) matching

Dental insurance

Health insurance

Vision insurance

Cell phone reimbursement

Paid time off

Prescription drug insurance

Referral program

Job summary

Sunon Inc in La Verne is looking for a Sales Engineer to drive design-ins in the automotive sector, especially within the EV thermal solutions market. The ideal candidate will have over 5 years of B2B sales experience with OEMs and Tier-1s, and must be bilingual in Mandarin and English. This role involves building strong partnerships, managing proposals, and overseeing projects from concept to SOP. Compensation ranges from $80,000 to $120,000 annually, plus bonuses.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in automotive B2B sales with OEMs and Tier‑1s focused on EV, thermal, or power electronics.
• Strong technical aptitude or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

• Prospect and qualify new opportunities with OEMs and Tier‑1s.
• Build long-term relationships with customers.
• Drive design‑ins from concept to launch and manage customer satisfaction.

Skills

Automotive sales experience

Bilingual in Mandarin and English

Strong pipeline discipline

Technical aptitude

Education

Bachelor’s in ME/EE/IE or Business

Tools

CRM software

Job description

Job Description

Based in La Verne, you’ll win thermal design‑ins with OEMs and Tier‑1s. You’ll build programs across EV battery, power electronics, ADAS/compute, lighting, and charging. Meet customers in plants and labs, turn needs into crisp proposals, and guide projects to SOP. Sell our solutions, fans, integrated modules, and system‑level cooling while working closely with our R&D and manufacturing teams in Asia. Own the relationship, the forecast, and the follow‑through. If you like hands‑on selling and clear ownership, you’ll like this role. Automotive sales experience in EV/ADAS/power electronics is strongly preferred; Mandarin/English bilingual is required.

Benefits

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Vision insurance
• Cell phone reimbursement
• Paid time off
• Prescription drug insurance
• Referral program

Responsibilities

• Prospect and qualify new opportunities with OEMs, Tier‑1s, and EV ecosystem partners.
• Meet customers on‑site (plants, labs, HQs) to present, gather requirements, and align next steps.
• Build long‑term relationships via calls, email, referrals, networking, and key industry events.
• Turn requirements into proposals, quotes, and sample/evaluation plans; manage RFIs/RFQs.
• Drive design‑ins from concept to launch; support DV/PV, validation/qualification, and PPAP as required.
• Coordinate daily with Operations/Manufacturing in Asia on builds, schedules, and escalations.
• Track POs, shipments, and issues; resolve problems quickly with internal teams.
• Keep CRM current; deliver pipeline, forecast, and account status reports on schedule.
• Follow up after delivery to confirm performance and customer satisfaction; close action items.
• Provide first‑line technical/commercial support; route deeper topics to engineering/FAE when needed.
• Monitor customer roadmaps, competitors, and market trends; adjust targeting and messaging.
• Feed product and pricing input to shape the roadmap and reduce Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for customers.
• Stay current on EV thermal topics: battery packs, inverters, e‑axles, ADAS/compute, and charging.
• Build and execute a Detroit/Great Lakes territory plan; develop referral networks and channel partners.

Experience

• 5+ years in automotive B2B sales/BD with OEMs and Tier‑1s (EV/thermal, power electronics, or ADAS/compute).
• Detroit metro‑based with regular customer visits (plants, labs, HQs) and ~25–40% travel.
• Current working relationships with engineering, program management, and sourcing at OEMs/Tier‑1s.
• Hands‑on with the auto development cycle: RFQ/RFI, sourcing gates, DV/PV, PPAP/APQP, change control, and SOP.
• Strong pipeline discipline: CRM hygiene, forecasting, follow‑through, and on‑time reporting.
• Comfortable working across time zones with Asia (early/late calls as needed).
• Bachelor’s in ME/EE/IE or Business with strong technical aptitude (or equivalent experience).

Preferred Experience

• Design‑in wins for fans, heat sinks, cooling modules, or system/rack thermal solutions—or for power electronics cooling (inverters, OBC, e‑axle, battery pack).
• Familiar with IATF 16949/ISO 9001, DFMEA/PFMEA, control plans, and customer supplier portals.
• Experience taking programs from first meeting to SOP, with clear revenue and margin outcomes.
• Pricing/contracting chops: quotes, tooling/NRE, LTAs, and cost‑down planning.
• Mandarin/English bilingual is preferred.

Pay

From $80,000 to $120,000 based on experience plus bonus and commission opportunities.

Schedule

8‑hour shift Monday to Friday On‑site (La Verne).

Willingness to Travel

25% to 40% (Preferred).