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.