Sales Engineer - Technical Plastics

SCHERDEL North America; Brighton (MI); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

SCHERDEL North America in Brighton, MI is seeking a Sales Engineer – Technical Plastics to act as the primary commercial and technical interface for North American customers.

You will drive business growth, engage customers, and develop technical solutions with SCHERDEL WIESAUPLAST capabilities, coordinating with engineering, tooling, and manufacturing teams to ensure successful projects and market expansion.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Materials Science, or related field preferred.
• 5-10 years of technical sales experience in automotive or injection molding.
• Strong background in plastics, tooling, welding, stamping, and forming processes.
• Proven cross-functional leadership and customer-centric mindset.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills with strategic thinking.

Responsibilities

• Identify, qualify, and develop new business opportunities for custom plastic components.
• Manage and grow key accounts with technical guidance and value-driven solutions.
• Prepare and deliver sales presentations, proposals, and commercial recommendations.
• Negotiate pricing, terms, and contracts to meet profitability goals.
• Coordinate RFQ processes and track opportunities from quote to production launch.

Skills

Cross-functional leadership

Technical sales

Communication skills

Negotiation

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Materials Science, or related field

Tools

CRM systems

RFQ management

Job description

Sales Engineer – Technical Plastics Brighton, MI

SCHERDEL Sales & Technology, Inc., located in Muskegon, MI since 1999, with a Metro Detroit office in Brighton, MI, is a subsidiary of SCHERDEL GmbH, located in Marktredwitz in the state of Bavaria, Germany. We are currently managed by the fourth generation of the founding family with sales and manufacturing activities at 42 sites in various European countries, North and South America and in Asia. SCHERDEL is strongly value driven and has a long track record of caring for our associates in many ways.

Job overview

The Sales Engineer serves as the primary commercial and technical interface for North American customers, driving business growth, customer engagement, and technical solution development aligned with SCHERDEL WIESAUPLAST capabilities. This role integrates sales strategy with engineering expertise to acquire new business, sustain existing relationships, and position the organization as a leader in advanced plastics and multi-material technologies.

Position details

Sales strategy & Business Development

• Identify, qualify, and develop new business opportunities for custom plastic injection molded components and assemblies.
• Manage and grow existing key accounts by offering technical guidance and value-driven solutions.
• Prepare and deliver sales presentations, proposals, quotations, and commercial recommendations.
• Negotiate pricing, terms, and contracts while supporting company profitability goals.
• Meet or exceed assigned sales, revenue, and account-development targets.

Injection Molding and Manufacturing Knowledge

• Apply a practical understanding of plastic injection molding processes, tooling, materials, and secondary operations.
• Evaluate part designs for manufacturability, cost efficiency, and process capability.
• Support Design for Manufacturability (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) discussions related to molding performance and production efficiency.
• Collaborate with manufacturing teams to address molding challenges, process improvements, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Tooling & Assembly Equipment

• Support tooling development by reviewing mold concepts, cavitation strategies, materials, and maintenance considerations.
• Collaborate with tooling suppliers, mold shops, and internal teams to ensure tools meet customer and production requirements.
• Provide technical input on automation, assembly equipment, fixtures, and secondary processes such as ultrasonic welding, heat staking, and part handling.
• Help customers identify opportunities to reduce cost and improve quality through optimized tooling and automated assembly solutions.

Technical sales & engineering interface

• Serve as the primary technical liaison between customers and internal engineering, tooling, and manufacturing teams.
• Review customer drawings, specifications, and requirements to ensure alignment with process and equipment capabilities.
• Participate in customer design reviews, technical meetings, and program kickoffs.

Quoting & Project Support

• Coordinate the RFQ process, including tooling, piece price, secondary operations, and lead-time estimates.
• Track opportunities from quote through award and production launch.
• Ensure smooth transition of awarded projects to program management and production teams.
• Maintain accurate opportunity and account data in CRM systems.
• Maintain commercial responsibility for life of products and assigned customers.

Job Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Materials Science, or related field preferred.
• 5-10 years of experience in technical sales within automotive or injection molding industries.
• Strong background in plastics, tooling, welding, stamping, and forming processes.
• Cross-functional leadership
• Technical expertise and credibility
• Customer-centric mindset
• Strong communication and negotiation skills
• Strategic thinking with execution discipline

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in Tier 1 or Tier 2 automotive supply base
• Multicultural experience (US, Mexico, Europe)
• Spanish language skills preferred

BENEFITS