Manager, Sales & Application Engineering

HireIQ Solutions

Redmond, Oregon

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JOB DETAILS

SKILLS

Autodesk Inventor, Blueprints, Business Analysis, Business Skills, CAD/CAM (Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Aided Manufacturing), Career Counseling, Change Control, Change Requests/Orders, Cleanroom, Coaching, Communication Skills, Continuous Improvement, Cross-Functional, Customer/Client Research, Data Analysis, Follow Through, Gross Margin, HVAC, Information Technology & Information Systems, Leadership, Lift/Move 50 Pounds, Manufacturing, Mentoring, Microsoft Office, Network Operations Center, Onboarding, Partner Sales, Performance Metrics, Pricing, Process Improvement, Product Demonstration, Product Engineering, Project/Program Management, Purchase Orders, Quality Management, Refrigeration, Sales, Sales Support, Set Goals, Software Administration, Software Engineering, Supply Chain, Talent Management, Team Lead/Manager, Technical Leadership, Technical Presentation, Technical Sales, Technical Writing, Testing, Thermal Management, Time Management, Willing to Travel

LOCATION

Redmond, Oregon

POSTED

2 days ago

Title: Manager, Sales & Application Engineering

Location: Redmond, Oregon (on-site)

Compensation: $111,348–$167,023 DOE + bonus eligible

Employment Type: Full-time

About the Company

HireIQ Solutions is leading the search for a Manager, Sales & Application Engineering at a US manufacturer of engineered-to-order HVAC and thermal management systems serving data centers, cleanrooms, and complex commercial/industrial environments. The company designs, fabricates, and tests custom air-handling and modular cooling solutions—building most components in-house for speed, quality, and reliability.

About the Role

You will lead a team of Sales Application Engineers (SAEs) and Application Engineers (AEs) who own opportunities from just before quotation through purchase-order acceptance and the transition to Project Management at kickoff. Your charter: elevate technical rigor, strengthen gross-margin discipline, build shared expertise (for example, refrigeration, thermal management, fluid transfer), and create programs and guardrails that improve predictability (for example, setting accurate lead-time expectations, currently about 35 weeks). You will partner closely with a Business Analyst to interpret data and direct the team, while fostering communication and knowledge-sharing across SAEs who today operate too independently. The portfolio spans a wide variety of custom products, including an initiative to productize CDUs (cooling distribution units).

Key Responsibilities

Team Leadership and Development
Lead, mentor, and develop talent; set goals, conduct reviews, and drive continuous improvement.
Build a knowledge-sharing culture (standards, playbooks, design guides, peer reviews) so SAEs spread information effectively.
Stand up programs and guardrails for quotation quality, scope definition, lead-time promises, and change control.
Commercial and Margin Ownership
Instill a mindset that SAEs own gross margin, not just bookings.
Collaborate with the Business Analyst on margin drivers and pricing levers; translate insights into day-to-day guidance (you won’t crunch the data, but will use it to lead).
Improve pre-PO scope clarity and buyout accuracy; reduce rework and margin erosion.
Sales and Application Support
Partner with technical sales/manufacturer reps; at PO acceptance, SAE ownership is 100% and transitions gradually to PM by kickoff.
Oversee proposals, specials, technical presentations, and demos; ensure timely, accurate responses.
Validate feasibility against specifications and company capabilities; align solutions with business objectives.
Product and Technology Collaboration
Deepen team expertise in thermal management and fluid transfer; build shared refrigeration competency.
Support the productization of CDUs; channel customer and market feedback to Product and Engineering.
Maintain portfolio knowledge; identify enhancement opportunities based on win/loss and pipeline signals.
Operations Interface
Coordinate with Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, and Manufacturing to ensure clean releases and smooth handoffs.
Enforce disciplined ECO/change-order processes that protect schedule and margin.

Qualifications

Education and Experience
Bachelor’s degree in Engineering preferred (or equivalent technical experience).
7+ years in applications engineering or technical sales; 2+ years leading technical teams.
Background in HVAC, thermal management, or data centers strongly preferred.
Technical Must-Haves
Strong technical foundation in thermal management and fluid transfer; comfortable with refrigeration concepts.
Proficiency with MS Office and CAD (AutoCAD/Inventor); able to read blueprints and technical documents.
Leadership and Business Acumen
Demonstrated talent development; excellent communication and cross-functional influence.
Customer-first orientation with a margin-aware mindset; skilled at using data (with Analyst support) to make decisions.
Calm under pressure; strong organization and follow-through.

How You’ll Be Measured

A cohesive SAE program is in place (tools, standards, KPI rhythm) with visible knowledge-sharing across the team.
Lead-time accuracy improves (expectation-setting aligned to about 35 weeks unless otherwise validated).
Upstream margin protection improves (quotation quality, buyouts, scope).
Clear career development paths and coaching plans established for SAEs and AEs.

Work Environment and Travel

On-site leadership in Redmond, Oregon with regular visits to manufacturing and test areas (PPE required).
Exposure to seasonal temperatures, dust, and chemical fumes during site visits.
Ability to walk up to one mile and lift up to 50 lbs.
Travel: expect significant travel during onboarding (three to six months) for training; thereafter, field travel at least once every six weeks.
Preference for proximity to Redmond, Oregon or Memphis, Tennessee to support SAE collaboration.