CNC Tooling Sales and Application Engineer

Kennametal, Inc.; North Carolina; Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company vehicle

Bonus based on performance

Benefits starting day 1

Job summary

Kennametal, Inc. is seeking an experienced CNC Tooling Sales and Application Engineer to help drive metal-cutting tool sales growth. The role combines technical direction, customer relationship management and field-based activities across a defined territory, with a company vehicle and day-one benefits.

The position emphasizes pre-sales demonstrations, territory planning, and collaboration with internal teams to meet customer needs and achieve sales targets.

Qualifications

• ~3+ years of cnc machining industry experience and 1-2 years in technical sales or applications.
• Proficient in product knowledge, including applications and troubleshooting.
• Aligns product solutions with customer needs and industry trends.
• Sales techniques including objection handling and closing strategies.
• Independently executes strategic sales plans and targets.
• Strong presentation, analytical and administrative skills.
• Customer-focused mindset with problem-solving and service orientation.
• Detail-oriented for contract review and project specifications.
• Creative and persuasive, thinking tactically and strategically.

Responsibilities

• Effectively provide metal-cutting solutions by understanding market trends and customer needs.
• Generate, qualify, and manage sales leads, prospects, and new accounts.
• Proactively manage the sales process from prospecting to pricing and negotiations.
• Develop and execute territory plans to achieve revenue goals and grow product sales.
• Provide timely answers to pre-sales technical and commercial queries.
• Maintain CRM records to ensure a clean pipeline and accurate forecasting.
• Collaborate with internal teams to deliver value and a positive customer experience.
• Perform demonstrations of metal-cutting products tailored to customer needs.
• Conduct pre-sales workshops, webinars, and events within the territory.
• Deliver cost savings through analysis of complex requirements and testing.

Skills

Sales

Customer-focused

Troubleshooting

Pre-sales

Presentation

Strategic planning

Negotiation

Contract review

Education

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

Job description

About Kennametal

With over 85 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. Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.

CNC Tooling Sales and Application Engineer

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, 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. 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.

• 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.
• Delivering cost savings through analysis of complex application needs and providing recommendations to support customer business need through tooling and application testing.
• 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 taylor solutions to meet customer needs
• ~ 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
• ~ 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