Technical Account Specialist - Systems

Puffer-Sweiven LP; Houston, Northern (TX, KY); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Puffer-Sweiven LP in Houston seeks a skilled Proposal Engineer to craft technical and commercial bids for DeltaV control systems and related automation solutions. You will collaborate with engineering, sales, and customers to translate requirements into competitive proposals.

Qualified candidates possess an engineering degree, strong DCS/SIS/PLC knowledge, and proven ability to develop estimates and maintain customer relationships throughout the bid process.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant engineering discipline or equivalent experience.
• Strong understanding of distributed control systems and automation.
• Experience preparing technical proposals and cost estimates.
• Excellent communication and customer-facing skills.

Responsibilities

• Support sales by understanding customer requirements and developing competitive proposals.
• Coordinate with engineering, manufacturing, and project management to deliver reliability and control solutions.
• Lead the development and management of complex technical and commercial proposals for RFIs, RFPs, and projects.
• Develop bill of materials including hardware, software, licensing, and services for DeltaV and related systems.
• Schedule and lead alignment meetings with internal teams and customers.
• Support customer engagements and site visits with outside sales when needed.
• Provide technical guidance and issue resolution throughout the sales cycle.
• Maintain knowledge of industry trends and competitive offerings to support business objectives.

Skills

Customer-focused

Proposal development

Project management

Technical communication

DCS/SIS/PLC knowledge

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, electrical engineering, or related technical discipline relevant to process automation and industrial control systems or equivalent professional experience

Tools

MS Office (Word, Excel)

CRM software

ERP systems

SharePoint

Visio

Job description

For over 80 years, Puffer-Sweiven has set the standard in equipment and services for process control, automation, safety, and reliability. We help process-intensive facilities run more efficiently and safely by delivering quality products, technical support, and knowledgeable staff to implement the needed process solutions — with the goal of exceeding customer expectations. Our dedication brings the most advanced products and services to our customers throughout the Central and Gulf Coast regions of Texas.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Support Business Unit and Sales Team by communicating with customers to understand requirements, identifying technical solutions, and developing accurate, competitive proposals that align with customer needs and business goals.
• Serve as the primary liaison between customers, engineering, manufacturing, project management, and Emerson global resources to provide comprehensive reliability and control process solutions for customers.
• Lead the development, coordination, and management of complex technical and commercial proposals in response to customer inquiries, RFQs, RFPs, and project pursuits.
• Manage proposal activities through award, including scope development, costing, risk assessment, document preparation, and internal approvals.
• Develop bill of materials including hardware, software, licensing, and associated services for DeltaV control systems, AMS Reliability machine health solutions, advanced process controls, cybersecurity, data management, etc.
• Schedule and lead alignment and review meetings both internally and externally.
• Occasionally join outside sales to customer site visits and participate in customer engagement opportunities.
• Work directly with outside sales to support assigned customer accounts and/or product-specific applications.
• Hand off orders for processing and coordinate with operations and sales associates to ensure high quality of customer service.
• Establish and maintain strong customer relationships by providing technical guidance, application support, proposal clarification, and issue resolution throughout the sales process.
• Maintain current knowledge of industry trends, technologies, products, services, and competitive offerings to effectively support customer needs and business objectives.
• Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the order fulfillment lifecycle, including order entry, planning, scheduling, status tracking, expediting, change management, and reporting.
• Provide status reports to Sales and Service Management as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education / Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, electrical engineering, or a related technical discipline relevant to process automation and industrial control systems or equivalent professional experience.
• Clear understanding of the architecture and technologies of distributed control systems.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in a process industry, manufacturing facility, or industrial automation environment performing technical, engineering, project, or operational support functions. Alternatively, a minimum of 1 year of experience with an engineering, automation, or technology company involving project design, project management, proposal development, or application engineering responsibilities.
• Experience developing technical proposals, quotations, cost estimates, or bid responses for engineering projects.

COMPETENCIES:

• Experience working in a customer-focused environment
• Proficient in Microsoft word and Excel
• Proficient with Microsoft Outlook or similar email and calendar management systems.
• Exhibits written and oral communication skills, and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated ability to build credibility, establish trust, and collaborate effectively with customers, management, and cross-functional teams.
• Strong prospecting/opportunity skills. Innovative in selling and servicing approach.
• Strong strategic thinker with solid technical skills.
• Solid interpersonal skills specifically including engaged listening and acknowledging skills, as well as questioning and discovery skills.
• Problem solver. Uses good judgment and approaches opportunities strategically.
• Ability to manage customer expectations relative to deliverables and timeframes.
• Strong Customer Service Skills, including the ability to develop rapport and trust with customers.
• Exhibits information management skills including MS Office and CRM interface.
• Familiarity with Emerson products and solutions or comparable industrial automation platforms.
• Experience with Distributed Control Systems (DCS), Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS), PLCs, or other industrial automation technologies.
• Ability to interpret customer specifications, engineering drawings, P&IDs, and technical documentation
• Familiarity with project management principles and project execution processes.
• Experience using collaboration and communication platforms such as Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, or similar tools.
• Experience with Microsoft Visio for creating process flows, system architecture diagrams, workflows, and technical documentation.
• Experience working with ERP, CRM, proposal management, or configuration tools.

Equal Opportunity Employer
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