OEM Business Development Reps

Vaco by Highspring; Indiana; On-site; USD 117,000 - 143,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) with company match

PTO

Company vehicle

Travel expenses covered

Job summary

Vaco is seeking a skilled Business Development Engineer in Indianapolis to drive new OEM opportunities in engineered components across industrial markets. This hunter-focused role requires building relationships with R&D and procurement teams and guiding opportunities from ground up through long, technical sales cycles.

The ideal candidate will have 5+ years of technical B2B/OEM sales experience, a technical background, and the ability to travel 50%+ nationally.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of technical B2B/OEM sales or business development experience.
• Proven success developing new OEM business, not simply managing existing accounts.
• Experience selling engineered industrial products or components directly to OEM customers.
• Strong experience within bearings, power transmission, gearboxes, pumps, compressors, motion control, fluid handling, industrial automation, or a closely related industry.
• Experience selling to and developing relationships with R&D/design engineers and procurement/buyers.
• Ability to independently prospect, penetrate target accounts, and identify decision-makers.
• Experience managing long, technical sales cycles, ideally 12-24 months.
• Strong technical aptitude and ability to understand customer applications and product requirements.
• Ability and willingness to travel 50%+ nationally.

Responsibilities

• Develop new business within targeted mid-size and large OEM accounts.
• Prospect into assigned target companies and independently identify key contacts and business opportunities.
• Build relationships across R&D, design engineering, purchasing/procurement, quality, and management.
• Partner with engineering teams early in the customer's design process to identify applications and opportunities for engineered bearing solutions.
• Manage opportunities through the full sales cycle, including initial prospecting, needs identification, technical discussions, quotation, sample validation, and conversion to production.
• Partner closely with Application Engineering on product selection, technical requirements, testing, and validation.
• Develop and manage a strong pipeline of qualified, high-value opportunities.
• Maintain accurate opportunity, customer, pipeline, and forecast information within the CRM.
• Provide market intelligence regarding customers, applications, competitors, and emerging opportunities.
• Manage customer relationships and commercial communication throughout the development process.

Skills

5+ years of technical B2B/OEM sales

New OEM business development

Selling engineered industrial products

Bearings and power transmission

R&D/design engineer relations

Prospecting and account penetration

Long, technical sales cycles

Technical aptitude for customer needs

Willingness to travel 50%+

Education

Engineering/Technical degree

Job description

Vaco is hiring several Business Development Engineers

Location: Indianapolis

Travel: 50%+

Compensation: Approximately $130,000 base + annual performance bonus

Type: Direct Hire

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Business Development Engineer to drive new business growth with mid-size and large OEM customers across industrial and engineered equipment markets.

This is a true hunter-focused business development role for someone who understands technical, engineered products and knows how to develop an opportunity from the ground up. You will identify and penetrate target OEM accounts, build relationships with engineering and procurement teams, uncover new applications, and manage opportunities through long, technical sales cycles.

The ideal candidate has experience selling bearings, power transmission products, gearboxes, pumps, compressors, motion control, fluid handling, industrial automation, or similar engineered components directly to OEM customers.

• Approximately 2-4 years of professional experience.
• A technical or engineering background.
• Clear communication skills, a willingness to learn, and a proactive approach to pursuing new opportunities.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop new business within targeted mid-size and large OEM accounts.
• Prospect into assigned target companies and independently identify key contacts and business opportunities.
• Build relationships across R&D, design engineering, purchasing/procurement, quality, and management.
• Partner with engineering teams early in the customer's design process to identify applications and opportunities for engineered bearing solutions.
• Manage opportunities through the full sales cycle, including initial prospecting, needs identification, technical discussions, quotation, sample validation, and conversion to production.
• Partner closely with Application Engineering on product selection, technical requirements, testing, and validation.
• Develop and manage a strong pipeline of qualified, high-value opportunities.
• Maintain accurate opportunity, customer, pipeline, and forecast information within the CRM.
• Provide market intelligence regarding customers, applications, competitors, and emerging opportunities.
• Manage customer relationships and commercial communication throughout the development process.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of technical B2B/OEM sales or business development experience.
• Proven success developing new OEM business, not simply managing existing accounts.
• Experience selling engineered industrial products or components directly to OEM customers.
• Strong experience within bearings, power transmission, gearboxes, pumps, compressors, motion control, fluid handling, industrial automation, or a closely related industry.
• Experience selling to and developing relationships with R&D/design engineers and procurement/buyers.
• Ability to independently prospect, penetrate target accounts, and identify decision-makers.
• Experience managing long, technical sales cycles, ideally 12-24 months.
• Strong technical aptitude and ability to understand customer applications and product requirements.
• Ability and willingness to travel 50%+ nationally.
• Ability to work independently in a remote environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience with bearings or power transmission products.
• Experience getting engineered components designed or specified into an OEM product/application.
• Mechanical Engineering or related technical degree, or equivalent industry experience.
• Experience developing large, high-value OEM accounts and opportunities.

Compensation & Benefits

• Approximately $130K base salary
• Annual KPI/performance-based bonus
• Company-paid medical, dental, and vision coverage
• 401(k) with company match
• PTO
• Company vehicle
• Company-paid business travel expenses

This is an excellent opportunity for a technical business development professional who enjoys the challenge of identifying large opportunities, developing relationships from scratch, and working alongside engineering teams to convert complex, long-cycle opportunities into lasting OEM partnerships.

By submitting to this position, you are agreeing to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions.

Desired Skills and Experience

• 5+ years of technical B2B/OEM sales or business development experience.
• Proven success developing new OEM business, not simply managing existing accounts.
• Experience selling engineered industrial products or components directly to OEM customers.
• Strong experience within bearings, power transmission, gearboxes, pumps, compressors, motion control, fluid handling, industrial automation, or a closely related industry.

Equal Opportunity Notice

Highspring LLC (d/b/a Vaco by Highspring) and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries ("we," "our," or "Vaco by Highspring") are committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race (including but not limited to traits historically associated with race such as hair texture and hair style), color, sex (includes pregnancy or related conditions), religion or creed, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, status as a veteran, union membership, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, or any other protected characteristics as required by applicable law. The company is also committed to ensuring that persons who need them are provided with reasonable accommodations; if an accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact [e-mail].

Vaco by Highspring also wants all applicants to know their rights that workplace discrimination is illegal.

Representation Notice

By submitting to this position, you agree that you will be giving Vaco by Highspring the exclusive right to present your as a candidate for the foregoing employment opportunity. Additionally, you agree to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions. You further agree that you have represented information about yourself accurately and have not affirmatively misrepresented your qualifications. Lastly, you agree to maintain as confidential, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any information you learn from Vaco by Highspring about the position and you will limit disclosure of information about the position only to the extent necessary to perform any obligations in furtherance of your application. In exchange, Vaco by Highspring agrees to exercise reasonable efforts to represent you through all solicitation, job screening and resume dispersal.

For residents of Ontario, Canada only: to the extent the position for employment is not with Highspring or not otherwise noted as vacant above, candidate should be informed that this role is to replace a presently employed person at Vaco by Highspring's client.

Privacy Notice

Vaco by Highspring respects your privacy and are committed to providing transparent notice of our policies.

• California residents may access Vaco by Highspring HR Notice at Collection for California Applicants and Employees here.
• Virginia residents may access our state specific policies here.
• Residents of all other states may access our policies here.
• Canadian residents may access our policies in English here and in French here.
• Residents of countries governed by GDPR and UK GDPR may access our policies here.

Additionally, submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied. More details about Vaco by Highspring's use of AI can be found here ( https://www.highspring.com/ai-use-notices/ ). Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase will be conducted by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco by Highspring does not know and cannot opine on if its client's use of AI products in hiring.

Pay Transparency Notice

Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco by Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to:

• the individual's skill sets, experience and training;
• licensure and certification requirements;
• office location and other geographic considerations; and
• other business and organizational needs.

With that said, as required by local law, Vaco by Highspring believes that the following salary range referenced above reasonably estimates the base compensation for an individual hired into this position in geographies that require salary range disclosure. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses and/or participation in medical, dental, and vision benefits as well as the company's retirement plan (or similar retirement benefits).