Sales Engineer

Rapido Talent; Milwaukee, Northern (WI, KY); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

Retirement Plan

Paid Time Off

Professional Development

Structured mentorship

Defined career advancement path

Long-term growth opportunities

Job summary

Rapido Talent is seeking a candidate for a structured Sales Engineer Development Program in Milwaukee. You will rotate through Engineering, Product Development, Manufacturing, Operations, Quality, Purchasing, and Customer Project Management to build technical depth and business acumen.

Phase 1 focuses on engineering knowledge and cross-functional support; Phase 2 places you with customers to develop engineered solutions; Phase 3 leads toward a Business Development Manager role with leadership

Qualifications

• Associate's Degree in Engineering, Applied Technology, Business, or equivalent experience.
• Strong mechanical aptitude.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Curiosity and willingness to learn.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Valid driver's license.
• Ability to lift up to 25 lbs.
• Previous packaging experience is not required.

Responsibilities

• Develop engineered customer solutions.
• Participate in product design reviews.
• Assist with density studies.
• Create concepts, prototypes, and mockups.
• Support product testing and validation.
• Maintain engineering documentation.
• Learn design-for-manufacturing principles.
• Support tooling selection and implementation.
• Coordinate projects from concept through production.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Production, Purchasing, Quality, and Operations.
• Manage timelines and customer expectations.
• Track project milestones.
• Support engineering change documentation.

Skills

Strong mechanical aptitude

Excellent communication skills

Curiosity and willingness to learn

Ability to manage multiple priorities

Strong organizational skills

Education

Associate's Degree in Engineering, Applied Technology, Business, or equivalent experience

Job description

Sales Engineer

Engineering Leadership Track

Build the technical expertise of an engineer.

Develop the business skills of a Sales Engineer.

Grow into a Business Development Leader.

If you're mechanically inclined, enjoy solving technical problems, and want to build a long-term career that combines engineering, manufacturing, customer interaction, and business development, this opportunity was built for you.

We're partnering with an established manufacturer of custom engineered industrial solutions serving leading manufacturers across North America. Rather than hiring experienced Sales Engineers from competitors, this organization develops them internally through a structured leadership development program.

This isn't simply another sales job.

It's an opportunity to learn the business from the inside out while building the technical knowledge and customer-facing skills needed to become a successful Sales Engineer and future Business Development Manager.

Why Join Us?

This organization believes the best Sales Engineers understand every aspect of the business before working directly with customers.

You'll receive structured mentoring while gaining hands‑on experience across Engineering, Product Development, Manufacturing, Operations, Quality, Purchasing, and Customer Project Management.

By understanding how products are designed, engineered, manufactured, and delivered, you'll become a trusted technical advisor—not simply a salesperson.

Career Path

This is a structured, multi-year development program with clearly defined milestones.

Phase 1

Sales Engineer Development Program

You'll build technical expertise while rotating through key departments and supporting engineering, manufacturing, and customer projects.

Phase 2

Sales Engineer

Apply your technical knowledge by partnering directly with customers to develop engineered solutions and manage projects from concept through production.

Phase 3

Business Development Manager

Lead customer relationships, identify new opportunities, and continue increasing your earning potential through performance-based incentives.

What You'll Do

During the development program you'll gain experience in every stage of the customer lifecycle.

Engineering & Product Development

• Develop engineered customer solutions
• Participate in product design reviews
• Assist with density studies
• Create concepts, prototypes, and mockups
• Support product testing and validation
• Maintain engineering documentation
• Learn design-for-manufacturing principles
• Support tooling selection and implementation

Project Management

• Coordinate projects from concept through production
• Collaborate with Engineering, Production, Purchasing, Quality, and Operations
• Manage timelines and customer expectations
• Track project milestones
• Support engineering change documentation

Manufacturing & Operations

Gain firsthand experience through structured rotations in:

• Engineering Lab
• Fabrication
• Assembly
• Quality
• Continuous Improvement

You'll learn how engineered products are manufactured before transitioning into a customer-facing technical sales role.

Customer Solutions

As your technical knowledge grows, you'll begin supporting:

• Customer meetings
• Technical quoting
• Estimating
• Order management
• Customer project execution
• Consultative technical sales
• Long-term customer relationships

Qualifications

Ideal backgrounds include:

• Mechanical Engineering
• Manufacturing Engineering
• Industrial Technology
• Engineering Technology
• Product Development
• Manufacturing
• CAD Design
• Technical Sales
• Project Engineering
• Applications Engineering

We're looking for someone who has:

• Associate's Degree in Engineering, Applied Technology, Business, or equivalent experience
• Strong mechanical aptitude
• Excellent communication skills
• Curiosity and willingness to learn
• Ability to manage multiple priorities
• Strong organizational skills
• Valid driver's license
• Ability to lift up to 25 lbs.

Previous packaging experience is not required. We welcome candidates from a variety of manufacturing and engineering backgrounds.

Compensation

• Competitive base salary
• Performance-based commission opportunities as you progress into Sales Engineering and Business Development
• Long-term earning potential based on performance and career advancement rather than annual cost-of-living increases.

Benefits

• Health Insurance
• Retirement Plan
• Paid Time Off
• Professional Development
• Structured mentorship
• Defined career advancement path
• Long-term growth opportunities

Travel

• Approximately 10% travel during the development program
• Up to 50% travel as you advance into customer-facing Sales Engineering and Business Development roles.

Why This Opportunity?

Most companies hire experienced Sales Engineers.

This company develops them.

If you're looking for a career—not just another job—you'll gain technical expertise, business acumen, customer-facing experience, and a clearly defined path into technical sales leadership while working alongside experienced engineering and manufacturing professionals.