CNC Tooling Sales and Application Engineer

Kennametal; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 79,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Sales incentive bonus

Medical, dental, and vision benefits

401(k) with match

Job summary

Kennametal is seeking a CNC Tooling Sales and Application Engineer to drive metal-cutting tool sales growth in Chicago and Southern WI. This role combines technical expertise with sales skills, requiring a minimum of 3 years in the CNC machining industry.

You will manage customer relationships, provide technical support, and make product demonstrations. Compensation includes a base salary of $79,000 - $85,000 with a performance bonus.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of CNC machining industry experience.
• Excellent communication skills for technical concepts.
• Customer-focused with a passion for problem-solving.

Responsibilities

• Meet or exceed revenue targets with metal-cutting solutions.
• Manage all sales leads and new customer accounts.
• Conduct pre-sales workshops and demonstrations.

Skills

Technical sales skills

CNC machining knowledge

Customer-focused mindset

Communication skills

Education

Technical degree or Degree in Business, Manufacturing and/or Engineering

Job description

About Kennametal

With over 80 years as an industrial technology leader, Kennametal Inc. delivers productivity to customers through materials science, tooling and wear‑resistant solutions. Customers across aerospace and defense, earthworks, energy, general engineering and transportation turn to Kennametal to help them manufacture with precision and efficiency. Approximately 8,700 employees help customers in nearly 100 countries stay competitive. Kennametal generated $2.1 billion in revenues in fiscal 2023. Learn more at www.kennametal.com. Follow @Kennametal: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.

CNC Tooling Sales and Application Engineer

Location - Chicago, IL or Southern WI

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 relationships, providing technical direction and 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. The 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 a 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 Chicago and Southern WI area. It is required that the employee live in or very close to the territory supported.

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 $79,000 - $85,000 annually plus sales incentive bonus paid quarterly based on performance. Benefits available starting day 1 of employment including medical, dental, vision, 401(k) with match of first 6 %.

Equal Opportunity Employer