Nonwoven Technical Sales Engineer - 1456

SP Associates; Gastonia (NC); On-site; USD 65,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

SP Associates is seeking a Sales Engineer to drive growth in technical nonwovens and engineered materials. You will manage customer relationships, pursue new opportunities, and support product development initiatives in a collaborative, cross-functional environment.

Based in Gastonia, NC, the role requires strong technical insight, customer-facing sales skills, and the ability to work independently while coordinating with R&D, quality, and operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or technical education in a relevant field.
• Experience in technical textiles, nonwovens, engineered materials, or industrial manufacturing.
• Prior experience in technical sales, business development, or account management.

Responsibilities

• Manage assigned sales territories and customer accounts.
• Develop and execute sales strategies to grow revenue and market share.
• Identify and pursue new business opportunities in technical nonwovens, apparel, and consumer goods markets.
• Coordinate customer quotations, pricing support, and proposal follow-up.
• Support product development initiatives and cross-functional collaboration.
• Assist with collections and overall account management.

Skills

Communication

Relationship building

Time management

Independent work

Presentation skills

Negotiation

Willingness to travel

Education

Bachelor’s degree or technical education in Textile Engineering, Materials Science, Process Engineering, Manufacturing, Business, or related field

Tools

CRM software

Sales reporting tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

We are seeking a Sales Engineer to support business growth and customer development within the technical nonwovens and engineered materials market. This role is responsible for managing customer relationships, developing new business opportunities, supporting product development initiatives, and driving sales growth within an assigned territory or customer base.

The ideal candidate will combine strong technical knowledge with customer-facing sales abilities and experience within technical textiles, nonwovens, engineered materials, or related manufacturing industries. This individual will work closely with customers, production, R&D, quality, and customer service teams to support long-term customer partnerships and business expansion.

This position requires a highly motivated, customer-focused professional who can work independently while collaborating cross-functionally across the organization.

Key Responsibilities

Business Development & Market Growth

• Independently manage assigned sales territories and customer accounts.
• Develop and execute sales strategies to grow revenue, contribution margin, and market share.
• Identify and pursue new business opportunities within technical nonwovens, apparel, and consumer goods markets.
• Analyze market trends, customer potential, and competitive activity to support strategic business growth.
• Build and maintain strong customer and partner relationships.
• Participate in industry trade shows, customer visits, and market development activities.
• Support the long-term growth and positioning of the company within targeted markets.

Customer Management & Technical Support

• Maintain and strengthen relationships with existing customers while actively developing new accounts.
• Present existing and new product offerings to customers and prospects.
• Support customers with product knowledge, technical guidance, and application support.
• Coordinate customer quotations, pricing support, and proposal follow-up activities.
• Handle customer complaints, returns, and issue resolution in collaboration with Quality and Customer Service teams.
• Support partnership-based collaboration with customers, suppliers, and machine manufacturers.

Product Development & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with R&D and manufacturing teams on new product development and product improvement initiatives.
• Provide market feedback and customer insights to support innovation and product strategy.
• Collaborate with operations, quality, customer service, and supply chain teams to ensure strong customer support and successful project execution.

Accounts Receivable & Business Management

• Support collection activities and monitor customer payment performance.
• Help minimize overdue receivables and support overall account management activities.
• Prepare and analyze sales data, forecasts, and key business metrics.
• Support annual planning and territory development activities.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or technical education in Textile Engineering, Materials Science, Process Engineering, Manufacturing, Business, or related field preferred.
• Experience within technical textiles, nonwovens, engineered materials, or industrial manufacturing environments preferred.
• Prior experience in technical sales, business development, account management, or customer-facing engineering roles preferred.

Technical & Industry Experience

Preferred experience with:

• Technical textiles
• Nonwovens
• Engineered materials
• Consumer goods
• Manufacturing processes
• Product application support
• Technical product sales
• Customer relationship management
• Product development collaboration
• Basic understanding of chemistry and manufacturing processes is highly desirable.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Customer-focused and relationship-driven mindset
• Strong organizational and time management abilities
• Self-motivated with strong initiative
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively
• Strong presentation and negotiation skills
• Results-oriented and commercially driven
• Professional and confident demeanor
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Willingness to travel as needed

Technical Skills

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications
• Experience with CRM systems and sales reporting tools preferred