Technical Sales Engineer

Saigepartners; Detroit (MI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Saige Partners is seeking a Technical Sales Engineer - Steel & Automotive in Detroit, MI to act as a technical resource for customers and Sales, bridging between mills, Product Development, and the customer base.

The role requires strong steel/auto technical knowledge, excellent communication, and the ability to travel 30-50% to customer sites and facilities. Fluency in English and Spanish is essential, with direct customer interaction experience preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in metallurgy, mechanical engineering, or related technical discipline.
• 5+ years of technical experience in steel/automotive.
• Fluent in English and Spanish (written and spoken).
• Strong interpersonal and collaboration skills.
• Ability to translate customer needs into business opportunities.
• Willingness to travel 30-50%.
• Direct customer interaction and relationship-building experience.

Responsibilities

• Provide proactive technical and product support to customers and Sales in line with the company's commercial strategy.
• Partner with Sales to develop new business opportunities and expand existing relationships.
• Deliver high-quality technical support to strengthen customer relationships and differentiate the company.
• Provide training and product knowledge to Sales teams to promote and sell products.
• Lead customer development projects to generate new business and upgrade relationships.
• Maintain a pipeline of customer development initiatives aligned with commercial objectives.
• Collaborate with Product Development using customer, market, and technical insights.
• Serve as the primary technical link between customers and Product Development.

Skills

Customer relationships

Technical expertise

Communication skills

Presentation & training

Team collaboration

English & Spanish

Independent yet collaborative

Education

Bachelor's degree in metallurgy or mechanical engineering

Master's degree preferred

Job description

Position: Technical Sales Engineer - Steel & Automotive (Detroit, MI)

Job Overview

The Technical Sales Engineer serves as a key technical resource for customers and the Sales organization, providing technical and product expertise to support existing business while identifying and developing new business opportunities. This role acts as a critical link between customers, Sales, mills, and Product Development to ensure customer needs are understood, addressed, and incorporated into commercial and product strategies. The ideal candidate combines strong technical knowledge of steel and/or automotive applications with excellent customer relationship skills and the ability to collaborate effectively across multiple teams. This is a direct-hire position.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide proactive technical and product support to customers and the Sales organization in alignment with the company's commercial strategy.
• Partner closely with Sales to develop new business opportunities, including expanding existing customer relationships and introducing premium products to new customers.
• Deliver high-quality technical support that strengthens customer relationships and differentiates the company from competitors.
• Provide technical training, product knowledge, and application guidance to Sales teams to enhance their ability to effectively promote and sell company products.
• Lead and support customer development projects focused on generating new business, upgrading existing business, and strengthening long-term customer relationships.
• Maintain a consistent pipeline of customer development initiatives aligned with commercial objectives.
• Collaborate with Product Development by providing relevant customer, market, and technical insights to support product development plans.
• Serve as the primary technical connection between customers and Product Development, ensuring customer requirements, feedback, and opportunities are effectively communicated.
• Identify opportunities to improve products, applications, and customer solutions through collaboration with internal and external stakeholders.
• Build and maintain strong professional relationships with customers, Sales teams, technical organizations, and manufacturing/mill operations.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Metallurgy, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Master's degree in Business, Science, Engineering, or a related field is preferred.

Experience & Skills

• Minimum 5 years of technical experience within the steel and/or automotive industry.
• Strong technical knowledge with the ability to apply theoretical concepts to practical customer and product applications.
• Demonstrated experience working directly with customers and building strong professional relationships.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and collaboration skills with the ability to work effectively with individuals and cross-functional teams.
• Ability to understand customer needs and translate technical requirements into business and product opportunities.
• Strong presentation and training skills.
• Fluent in English and Spanish, both written and spoken.
• Ability to work independently while effectively collaborating with Sales, Product Development, manufacturing, and other internal teams.
• Travel: Approximately 30-50%, including travel to customer sites, company facilities, mills, and other locations as needed.

Saige Partners, one of the fastest growing technology and talent companies in the Midwest, believes in people with a passion to help them succeed. We are in the business of helping professionals Build Careers, Not Jobs. Saige Partners believes employees are the most valuable asset to building a thriving and successful company culture.