Valve Specialist

Valve Specialist

Privately Held

Reports to: Vice President, Commercial/Industrial

Location: Houston, TX

About the Role:

The company is seeking a Valve Specialist to represent its valve product lines across the Gulf Coast. Reporting directly to the Vice President, Commercial / Industrial, the Valve Specialist will manage and grow valve distribution and contractor accounts throughout the Gulf Coast.

This is a regional, valve-focused role with a strong emphasis on the industrial side of the market. The Valve Specialist will pursue opportunities across industrial plants, oil & gas, manufacturing, data centers and large commercial projects, with a particular opportunity to build Louisiana into a productive market.

This role involves a longer sales cycle and a strong focus on developing business through established industry relationships. The successful candidate will be comfortable building a direct relationship with the manufacturer and earning results over time - someone who has built a book of business through credibility, product knowledge and lasting customer relationships rather than transactional deals.

About the Business:

The company is a full-service product representation and distribution serving the plumbing, mechanical and industrial markets across Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Arkansas. With a long-standing presence in the industry, the company operates offices and warehouses, providing substantial distribution capacity so customers can get the products they need, when they need them.

The company represents leading manufacturers to the distributors, contractors and engineers who specify, buy and install their products, supporting customers from specification and bid time through installation. Today, the company is a high-growth, multi-state business continuing to expand its presence in the mechanical, industrial and valve markets.

What You'll Own: Territory Sales & Business Development

• Manage and grow valve distribution and contractor accounts across the Gulf Coast territory.
• Lead growth opportunities in butterfly valves, the largest opportunity within the product line, alongside ball valves, supporting lines and the broader company portfolio.
• Build Louisiana into a productive market by developing new business and establishing relationships with previously untapped customers.
• Drive both new and existing business by following up on inbound opportunities while actively pursuing new accounts and projects.

What we are looking for:

• Owns it — takes full ownership of the territory and its results.
• Autonomous, but asks for help — a self-starter who works independently, yet knows when to pull in company support.
• Driven go-getter — energetic, confident and capable, with a hunter mentality in the marketplace.
• Skilled communicator — assertive and asks the right questions with customers, the team and the manufacturer.
• Respectful relationship builder — can walk into any account, hold a conversation and build lasting relationships at decision-maker levels.
• Responsive and disciplined — follows up consistently, tracks projects and closes orders through strong sales fundamentals.
• Patient, long-term builder — comfortable with a longer sales cycle and committed to growing with the company over the long term.

Required Qualifications:

• Valve sales experience: Proven experience selling valves into data centers, industrial plants and large commercial projects.
• Valve product knowledge: Strong working knowledge of valves; comfort with butterfly valves is a priority, and ball valve experience is valued.
• Customer base knowledge: An established understanding of the valve distribution and mechanical and industrial contractor customer base in the Gulf Coast market.
• Book-of-business builder: A track record of building a book of business over a longer sales cycle, rather than relying on transactional sales.
• Territory management: Experience independently managing a multi-city territory with strong time management.
• Pipeline discipline: Experience maintaining a project pipeline and recording sales activity in a CRM.
• Location: Based within the territory, preferably the Houston, Texas area, with the ability to travel throughout the Gulf Coast.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Developing and managing customer relationships in the Louisiana market.
• Knowledge with Reliable Safety & Flow (formerly ASC) product lines or comparable valve lines.
• Background working with a product representation and distribution company, valve manufacturer or valve distributor.
• Exposure to both heavy industrial markets, including plants, oil & gas, manufacturing, and commercial markets, including data centers and advanced manufacturing.

Your Success is Our Priority

At ETI Professional Search, we are committed to being more than just a recruitment partner—we are your trusted guide through every step of the job search process. With over two decades of experience, we take pride in providing candidates with deep insights into the companies we represent, ensuring you are fully prepared and informed before any interview.

Our approach is hands-on and personalized. We offer coaching and mentoring to help you present your best self, instilling confidence not only in the opportunity but also in your ability to succeed. From the moment we introduce you to a role, we ensure that you walk into interviews with a clear understanding of both the company and the expectations. And when the process concludes, you’ll walk away confident in the next step of your career, knowing that we supported you every step of the way.

With ETI, you can trust that we are as invested in your success as you are.

The professional recruiting team at ETI is looking forward to serving you today!