CNC Tooling Sales and Application Engineer

Kennametal Inc.; California; On-site; USD 95,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Kennametal Inc. is seeking a field Sales and Application Engineer in the Sacramento area.

The role blends machining background with sales, requiring hands-on CNC experience and the ability to drive tool sales with customers on site and in the field. The successful candidate will manage relationships, provide technical direction, and expand the customer base while delivering solutions that improve productivity.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of related cnc machining industry experience.
• 1-2 years of technical sales and/or application experience preferred.
• Proficient in product knowledge, troubleshooting; tailor solutions to meet customer needs.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, able to engage technical and non-technical audiences.

Responsibilities

• Meet or exceed revenue targets by effectively providing metal cutting solutions.
• Generate, qualify, and manage all sales leads, prospects, and new customer accounts.
• Drive the complete sales process: prospecting, qualification, demos, pricing, terms, and sourcing.
• Develop and execute strategic territory plans to deliver revenue goals and new product sales.
• Provide timely answers to pre-sales technical and commercial queries from customers.
• Maintain up-to-date customer and project records in CRM to ensure a healthy pipeline.
• Collaborate with internal teams to provide a positive end-to-end customer experience.

Skills

Technical sales

Pre-sales support

Customer relations

Product knowledge

Presentation skills

Problem solving

Education

Technical degree

Engineering/Business degree preferred

Tools

CRM software

MS Excel

PowerPoint

Salesforce

Job description

CNC Tooling Sales and Application Engineer

Location – Must be in the Sacramento area

Job Summary

Kennametal is seeking talented machinists and programmers looking to transition their career off the floor day to day into a professional sales role. If you are currently working as a machinist or have previous hands on machining and cnc programming experience, we would be very interested in speaking to you! This position is responsible for driving metal-cutting tool sales growth with new and established customers, both direct and indirect, or new and established Machine Tool customers by managing customer relationship, providing technical direction/support, and increasing productivity for our customers. This role combines technical knowledge and sales skills to achieve sales targets, build strong territory presence and pipeline. This role will partner with multiple internal sales and support professionals to support the customers’ initiatives and technical needs. Sales and Application Engineers work on unique challenges related to cnc machining, milling, and lathe applications. The role is based from a home office within the assigned territory, but 80% or more of the week is spent out in the field at customer locations. The territory is within commuting distance, but overnight travel may occasionally be required. A company vehicle is provided as part of top of market compensation package which includes a base salary plus bonus based on performance, and benefits starting day 1.

This is a field sales and application role supporting a territory in and around the Sacramento area. The employee must reside within the territory the role supports.

Key Job Responsibilities

• Meet or exceed revenue targets by:
• Effectively providing metal cutting solutions, by understanding current and future market trends, to meet customers’ key needs and objectives in a professional manner.
• Generating, qualifying, and managing all sales leads, prospects, and new customer accounts.
• Proactively managing the complete sales process, including prospecting, qualification, consultative sales meetings, product demos, pricing, terms negotiations, and sourcing.
• Developing and executing strategic territory plans to deliver revenue goals with a focus on new product sales.
• Providing timely answers to pre-sales technical and commercial queries from customers.
• Maintaining up-to-date customer and project records in CRM to ensure a clean and healthy pipeline
• Actively collaborating with internal sales and support professionals, such as Application Engineers, Channel Partner Reps, Inside Sales, and others to provide value and a positive end-to-end customer experience.
• Performing online and/or onsite demonstrations of metal cutting products tailored to customers’ needs.
• Conducting pre-sales workshops, webinars, and other online/onsite events within the territory.
• Representing and promoting Kennametal at tradeshows, conferences, and other events within the territory.
• Delivering cost savings through analysis of complex application needs and providing recommendations to support customer business need through tooling and application testing.
• Preparing and presenting progress, status, and forecasting reports.

Requirements

• Technical degree or Degree in Business, Manufacturing and/or Engineering preferred
• 3+ years of related cnc machining industry experience, 1-2 years of technical sales and/or application experience preferred
• Proficient in product knowledge, including applications and troubleshooting; can tailor solutions to meet customer needs
• Solid grasp of industry dynamics; effectively aligns product solutions with customer needs and industry trends
• Competent in a range of sales techniques, including advanced objection handling and closing strategies; adapts approach to various customer types
• Independently executes strategic sales plans; contributes to the development of strategies and meets targets through insightful planning
• Possess solid critical thinking, presentation, and administrative skills
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Customer-focused mindset with a passion for problem-solving and delivering exceptional service
• Detail-oriented to manage contract review and discuss project specifications
• Creative and persuasive with the ability to think at both tactical and strategic levels
• Collaborative team player with the ability to work effectively across all departments

Compensation

Base salary of $95,000 - $110,000 annually plus Sales incentive bonus paid quarterly based on performance. Benefits available starting day 1 of employment