Senior Sales Engineer

Description

About Barber-Nichols:

Barber-Nichols (BN) is a premier provider of custom turbomachinery solutions serving the Defense, Aerospace, Cryogenics, and Energy industries. Our team consists of industry leaders who collaborate closely with equally accomplished customers to deliver technologies that advance their markets and establish enduring partnerships. At BN, we foster a results-driven environment that values professional growth, rewards achievement, and supports innovation. From designing the blower for NASA’s Dragonfly mission to Saturn’s moon Titan to engineering critical components for the U.S. Navy’s MK-48 program, BN’s portfolio spans some of the most exciting and impactful projects in the world. For those seeking to contribute to impactful projects alongside a highly skilled team, BN offers an exceptional place to build your career. 

Position Summary:

The Senior Sales Engineer serves as one of the primary company representatives in pursuit of strategic sales and growth of engineered products and build to print manufacturing services. Accountable to create and execute a strategic sales plan for sales growth in current and new markets. Responsible for capturing sales orders for all company products and services against annual sales goals. Primary activities include relationship building, business development, applications engineering and product sizing, detailed proposal writing and order closing functions. Carries and assumes primary responsibility for certain industries and accounts. Also supports sales to other accounts and industries as needed. Manage strategic sales initiatives which are assigned.  

Requirements

Duties and Responsibilities  

1. Proposal & Capture Strategy Management

• Own the end-to-end capture and proposal lifecycle to drive profitable growth in alignment with business priorities.
• Identify and qualify a robust pipeline of winnable opportunities; develop and execute capture strategies that position the company pre-RFP through customer engagement, competitive analysis, and differentiated win themes
• Lead cross-functional proposal teams to deliver compliant, compelling submissions.
• Perform and oversee technical proposal writing, translating engineering and manufacturing capabilities into clear, persuasive narratives aligned to customer requirements and evaluation criteria.
• Align pricing strategy with value proposition and margin targets and ensure seamless transition from award to program execution.
• Continuously improve win rate, pipeline quality, and proposal effectiveness through structured lessons learned and market intelligence.

2. Actively pursue new strategic sales opportunities and customer relationships.

Solicit opportunities from designated accounts and industries by self-managed efforts including various face-to-face, electronic, and other communications. 

• Champion new business opportunities to internal stakeholders with an emphasis on growth both within existing markets, and into new industries.
• Travel to customer sites and industry events to gain insight into customer, programmatic, and market needs.
• Qualify prospective inquiries and solicitations to make decisions to pursue via company guidelines and/or peer review as appropriate.
• Gain awareness of potential competition and develop win strategies for qualified opportunities. 
• Submit written reports of sales calls.

3. Build knowledge of Barber-Nichols’ product, capabilities and solutions to enable best fit with customer needs.

Study Barber-Nichols’ niche capability in pumps, compressors, fans, turbines, e-products, etc. to quickly qualify potential opportunities.

• Learn basic preliminary applications engineering and product sizing calculations for pumps, compressors, turbines, and power electronics products to qualify and provide timely/useful feedback to customers.
• Develop and continuously broaden deep technical knowledge of turbomachinery and e-products.
• Provide alternative solutions to technical challenges as required to meet unique customer criteria.
• Develop an area of technical expertise within the sales group. 
• Understand how product or service integrates into customer systems.
• Show a willingness to train, teach, and/or mentor sales engineers as required.

Requirements

Qualifications:

To qualify for this position, an individual must possess the knowledge, training, experience and abilities required. 

Required Qualifications:

Education and Training:

• Bachelor's or Master’s degree in an engineering discipline or equivalent science; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Experience:

• 8-12 years of experience working in a strategic sales or engineering position. 

Other:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. 
• Must have driver’s license to support range of customer visits.
• Must be willing to work overtime as required
• Travel up to 20% of working time.

Desired Job Qualification:

• A refined working knowledge of rotating equipment including mechanical, thermodynamics, fluids, and some electrical engineering principles.
• An ability to apply above principles to turbomachinery and power electronics products that meet customer needs and applications. 
• Strong technical writing skills with an ability to independently write well-worded, and concise descriptions on a variety of turbomachinery and electrical topics areas.
• Proven experience planning and executing large proposal efforts
• Awareness of typical language found in commercial terms and conditions, with the ability to identify and negotiate clauses which may adversely affect the business.

Physical and Mental Demands

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the position. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Physical Demands: This is largely a sedentary role; however, some filing is required. This would require the ability to lift files, open filing cabinets and bend or stand as necessary. Required to speak and communicate clearly with others. 
• Mental Demands: While performing the duties of this position, the incumbent is required to read, write, analyze data and reports, exercise judgment, develop plans, procedures and goals, present information to others and work under pressure.
• Work Environment: This job operates in a clerical office setting. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers and filing cabinets.

Compensation and Benefits:

The salary range for this role is $130,000 - $145,000 and is commensurate with the applicant’s experience. This range represents the anticipated minimum and maximum base for this position. The final compensation for this position will be set based on the applicant’s qualifications (education, training and/or experience related to this role), and therefore, may fall outside the range shown, depending on the circumstances.

Barber-Nichols offers a comprehensive benefits package including: 

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• FSA and HSA with company paid HSA quarterly contributions
• Disability, Life, and AD&D Insurance
• 401(k) with 4% Company Match and Profit Sharing
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (NYSE: GHM)
• Generous PTO and Paid Holidays with an option to purchase additional PTO
• Tuition reimbursement 
• Performance-based bonus program
• Paid Parental Leave, Military Leave, Jury Duty, and Bereavement Leave

To view our full list of benefits, please visit Careers | Barber-Nichols.

ITAR Requirements: To conform to U.S. Government commercial space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3), applicants for employment at Barber-Nichols must be a U.S. citizen or national, lawfully admitted for permanent residence into the U.S. (i.e., current green card holder), or lawfully admitted as a refugee or granted asylum under 8 U.S.C. § 1157-1158. Security clearance is not required for this position.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

Barber-Nichols is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer committed to a workplace free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation of any type. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other protected status as defined by law. Barber-Nichols will ensure individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

Barber-Nichols participates in E-Verify, the federal program for electronic verification of employment eligibility.