Process Automation Drive Specialist

ACI Controls, Inc; Buffalo (NY); On-site; USD 85,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

ACI Controls, Inc. is seeking an Automation Drive Specialist / Account Manager to grow our VFD and automation business across New York, Pennsylvania, and surrounding markets.

The role combines technical product expertise with account development, field sales, and supplier collaboration in a dynamic sales environment. The ideal candidate will understand VFDs, motors, drives, and related automation products, build strong customer relationships, and travel regularly within the assigned territory to

Qualifications

• Experience selling, applying, supporting, or specifying Variable Frequency Drives, motors, industrial controls, or related automation products
• Strong understanding of industrial electrical and automation applications
• Experience working with industrial manufacturing customers
• Strong technical aptitude and desire to continually develop product and application expertise
• Proven ability to develop customer relationships
• Strong prospecting and business-development skills
• Ability to identify customer problems and translate them into technical solutions
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to manage multiple customers, opportunities, and projects simultaneously
• Ability to work independently and manage an assigned sales territory
• Ability to work collaboratively within a team-selling environment
• Comfortable entering industrial and manufacturing facilities and communicating with engineering, maintenance, operations, and management personnel
• Ability and willingness to travel regularly throughout the assigned territory
• Valid driver's license

Responsibilities

• Travel regularly throughout the assigned territory to meet with customers, prospects, engineering firms, OEMs, and system integrators.
• Provide technical product presentations and application discussions for customer engineering, maintenance, and operations teams.
• Develop relationships at multiple levels within customer organizations.
• Identify opportunities and grow new and existing accounts.
• Maintain accurate CRM data on customers and opportunities.

Skills

VFDs

Motors

Industrial controls

Automation products

Technical aptitude

Customer relationships

Prospecting

Business development

Verbal & written comms

Territory management

Travel

Driver's license

Tools

CRM systems

Job description

Automation Drive Specialist / Account Manager

Company: ACI Controls, Inc.

Territory: New York, Pennsylvania, and surrounding markets as assigned

Position Type: Full-Time

Department: Sales / Process Automation

Position Summary

ACI Controls is seeking an experienced, technically capable, and highly motivated Automation Drive Specialist / Account Manager to grow our industrial automation and Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) business.

This position combines technical product and application expertise with account management, business development, and field sales responsibilities. The successful candidate will develop a strong understanding of Variable Frequency Drives, motors, automation products, and related industrial applications and use that knowledge to identify opportunities, solve customer problems, develop new accounts, and grow existing customer relationships.

The Automation Drive Specialist / Account Manager will establish themselves as a trusted product and application resource for customers, prospects, ACI Controls sales personnel, and manufacturing partners.

The ideal candidate is comfortable working independently in the field while also collaborating closely with ACI Controls' inside sales, outside sales, engineering, management, and supplier teams.

Primary Responsibilities

Product & Application Expertise

Develop and maintain a strong working knowledge of Variable Frequency Drives and related industrial automation products, including:

• Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs)
• AC and industrial motors
• Drive and motor packages
• Drive enclosures and control panels
• Motor starters and motor control products
• PLCs, HMIs, and industrial controls
• Industrial communication and networking
• Sensors, switches, and related automation components
• Electrical protection and power-management products
• Related process automation and control technologies

Understand how VFDs and automation products are applied to equipment and processes including:

• Pumps
• Fans and blowers
• Compressors
• Mixers and agitators
• Crushers and mills
• Extruders
• Cooling towers
• HVAC equipment
• Production machinery
• Packaging equipment
• Process equipment

Develop the ability to evaluate an application and recommend appropriate drive, motor, control, and automation solutions based upon operating requirements, environmental conditions, performance expectations, communications requirements, and customer objectives.

Industry & Market Development

Develop a strong understanding of the industries and end‑user markets that utilize VFDs, motors, and automation technologies.

Key target markets may include:

• Manufacturing
• Food & beverage
• Chemical and petrochemical
• Oil & gas
• Water and wastewater
• Aggregate, mining, and cement
• Metals and steel
• Pulp and paper
• Plastics
• Pharmaceutical and life sciences
• HVAC and building systems
• OEM machine builders
• System integrators

Understand the production processes, equipment, operational challenges, maintenance concerns, and business objectives within these industries.

Identify where automation and drive technologies can help customers improve productivity, energy efficiency, process control, equipment reliability, safety, uptime, and total cost of ownership.

Account Management & Customer Development

Manage and grow assigned existing accounts while actively developing new customers and applications.

Develop relationships at multiple levels within customer organizations rather than relying on a single contact.

Establish yourself and ACI Controls as a technical resource and trusted advisor, not simply a source for products and quotations.

Regularly visit customer facilities to understand their processes, equipment, applications, problems, projects, and future automation requirements.

Prospecting & New Business Development

Maintain consistent prospecting activity to identify and engage potential customers.

Field & Customer Support

Travel regularly throughout the assigned territory to meet with customers, prospects, engineering firms, OEMs, and system integrators.

Conduct facility walkthroughs and application reviews to identify opportunities for VFDs and related automation products.

Provide technical product presentations and application discussions for customer engineering, maintenance, and operations teams.

Coordinate product demonstrations, technical training, lunch-and‑learns, and customer seminars.

When appropriate, work with manufacturing partners and technical resources to evaluate more complex applications.

Maintain a professional field presence that establishes the Automation Drive Specialist as the go‑to VFD and drive application resource for the customer.

Collaboration & Team Selling

Work effectively both independently and as part of the broader ACI Controls sales organization.

Support other ACI Controls Account Managers by participating in joint customer calls where VFD, motor, or automation expertise is required.

Help identify additional automation opportunities within established ACI Controls accounts.

Share application knowledge and market intelligence with the broader sales team.

Assist in training ACI Controls personnel on VFD applications, products, competitive positioning, and opportunity identification.

Sales & Opportunity Management

Maintain accurate customer, contact, activity, quotation, and opportunity information within ACI Controls' CRM system.

Responsibilities include:

• Recording prospecting activities
• Managing follow-up activities
• Maintaining an active opportunity pipeline
• Establishing next steps for opportunities
• Developing account growth strategies
• Monitoring competitive activity
• Reporting significant customer projects and market developments

Develop strategic account plans for high‑potential customers and identify opportunities to expand ACI Controls' share of customer spending.

Qualifications

Required

• Experience selling, applying, supporting, or specifying Variable Frequency Drives, motors, industrial controls, or related automation products
• Strong understanding of industrial electrical and automation applications
• Experience working with industrial manufacturing customers
• Strong technical aptitude and desire to continually develop product and application expertise
• Proven ability to develop customer relationships
• Strong prospecting and business‑development skills
• Ability to identify customer problems and translate them into technical solutions
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to manage multiple customers, opportunities, and projects simultaneously
• Ability to work independently and manage an assigned sales territory
• Ability to work collaboratively within a team‑selling environment
• Comfortable entering industrial and manufacturing facilities and communicating with engineering, maintenance, operations, and management personnel
• Ability and willingness to travel regularly throughout the assigned territory
• Valid driver's license

Preferred

• 5+ years of experience in industrial automation, VFDs, motors, electrical controls, or technical industrial sales
• Previous experience as a VFD Specialist, Automation Specialist, Application Engineer, Account Manager, Sales Engineer, or Technical Sales Representative
• Experience with VFD sizing, selection, commissioning, troubleshooting, or application engineering
• Familiarity with PLCs, HMIs, industrial networks, motor controls, and electrical distribution
• Experience working for an industrial distributor, automation manufacturer, system integrator, OEM, or industrial end user
• Experience developing new accounts and territories
• Familiarity with CRM systems and structured opportunity/pipeline management