Lightweight Sales Engineer

Sandvik; Detroit (MI); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Life insurance

Health insurance

Dental insurance

401(k) retirement savings plan

Paid vacation and holidays

Job summary

Sandvik is seeking a Lightweight Sales Engineer in the Detroit area to act as a technical-commercial interface with customers. The ideal candidate will have at least 3 years of experience in the cutting tools or machining industry. Responsibilities include driving sales activities, providing application support, and managing a designated account portfolio.

The position offers a competitive salary and benefits, including health, life insurance, and a 401(k) retirement savings plan.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years of experience in cutting tools, aerospace, or machining industry.
• Strong knowledge of cutting tools or machining applications.
• Fluency in English (spoken and written).
• Understanding of aluminum machining and lightweight component production.

Responsibilities

• Create and implement sales activities and processes.
• Provide expert guidance in machining processes and cutting tools.
• Collaborate closely with Engineering and Operations.
• Manage a defined account portfolio of 6–8 customers.

Skills

Sales execution

Technical expertise in machining

Customer engagement

Communication skills

Problem-solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Overview

Walter USA is looking for a Lightweight Sales Engineer in the Toledo/Detroit area. The Lightweight Sales Engineer (LSE) acts as the technical–commercial interface between Walter and its customers in the Lightweight/PCD segment. The LSE drives growth by identifying opportunities, building deep technical relationships, and ensuring a disciplined, strategic customer approach. The role demands high technical expertise, structured sales execution, and close collaboration with Business Developers (BD), Engineering, Operations, and Market Directors.

Key Responsibilities

• Customer Engagement & Sales Execution:
  • Create, drive, and implement sales activities and processes in collaboration with regional sales teams.
  • Serve as the face of PCD/Lightweight at strategic customers; spend quality time on site (min. 1 hr) per visit.
  • Conduct 2–3 customer visits per day, focusing strictly on assigned accounts.
  • Build trust with engineering, production, purchasing and identify pain points across departments.
  • Proactively identify opportunities in aluminum/PCD machining.
• Technical Expertise & Application Support:
  • Provide expert guidance in machining processes, cutting tools, PCD applications, tool setup, and programming.
  • Understand cycle times, process variables, machining improvements and troubleshoot bottlenecks.
  • Translate customer pain points into actionable internal engineering tasks.
• Internal Coordination & Follow-Up:
  • Collaborate closely with Engineering, Operations, and Business Developer to ensure quotation quality, feasibility, and timely execution.
  • Follow up on quotations, reports, ROI calculations, simulations, and escalating issues aligned with processes.
  • Maintain disciplined CRM usage for interactions, opportunities, deliveries, and issues.
• Strategic & Development Activities:
  • Support strategic customer projects, prototype phases, and qualification work.
  • Contribute to global knowledge-sharing, best practices, and continuous improvement.
  • Conduct market analysis, identify growth fields (e.g., EV, Tier 1 aluminium machining).
• Portfolio & Performance Management:
  • Manage a defined account portfolio — typically 6–8 customers per LSE.
  • Work towards defined revenue, ROI, opportunity, and visit KPIs aligned with BD & MD.
  • Submit weekly agenda and activity plan for alignment.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years of experience in leading cutting tools, aerospace, automobile or machining industry in engineering, sales, product management or similar in a multinational environment.
• Previous professional experience in similar roles.
• Bachelor's degree (preferably in Engineering) or equivalent education.
• Proven experience in similar business development or sales roles.
• Strong knowledge of cutting tools or machining applications, commercial management and sales techniques.
• Fluency in English (spoken and written).
• User-level proficiency in Microsoft Office tools.
• Knowledge of the company’s products, machining processes, PCD tools, technical drawings, measurement systems, CNC programming.
• Understanding of aluminum machining and lightweight component production.
• Solution-based selling, negotiation, identifying decision criteria, cost-per-part argumentation.

Core Competencies

• High sense of responsibility, autonomy, strong organizational skills.
• Team-oriented with excellent interpersonal and communication abilities.
• Ability to plan, implement, and manage activities effectively.
• Precision, assertiveness, and commitment to meeting deadlines and objectives.
• Adaptability to existing work groups, fostering collaboration.
• Efficiency and effectiveness in problem‑solving.
• Proactive way of working.
• Strong skills in communication, negotiation, and argumentation.

Benefits

Walter USA, LLC. offers a highly competitive performance-based compensation program and generous benefit package that includes life, health, and dental insurance, paid vacation and holidays, and a 401(k) retirement savings plan.