Walter USA is looking for a Lightweight Sales Engineer in the Toledo/Detroit area:
The Lightweight Sales Engineer (LSE) acts as the technical–commercial interface between Walter and its customers in the Lightweight/PCD segment.
The LSE drives growth by identifying opportunities, building deep technical relationships, and ensuring a disciplined, strategic customer approach. The role demands high technical expertise, structured sales execution, and close collaboration with Business Developers (BD), Engineering, Operations, and Market Directors
Key Performance Areas
Customer Engagement & Sales Execution
- Create, drive, and implement sales activities and processes in collaboration with regional sales teams.
- Serve as the face of PCD/Lightweight at strategic customers; spend quality time on site (min. 1 hr) per visit.
- Conduct 2–3 customer visits per day, focusing strictly on assigned accounts.
- Build trust with engineering, production, purchasing and identify pain points across departments.
- Proactively identify opportunities in aluminum/PCD machining.
Technical Expertise & Application Support
- Provide expert guidance in machining processes, cutting tools, PCD applications, tool setup, and programming.
- Understand cycle times, process variables, machining improvements and troubleshoot bottlenecks.
- Translate customer pain points into actionable internal engineering tasks.
Internal Coordination & Follow-Up
- Collaborate closely with Engineering, Operations, and Business Developer to ensure quotation quality, feasibility, and timely execution.
- Follow up on quotations, reports, ROI calculations, simulations, and escalate issues aligned with processes.
- Maintain disciplined CRM usage for interactions, opportunities, deliveries, and issues.
Strategic & Development Activities
- Support strategic customer projects, prototype phases, and qualification work.
- Contribute to global knowledge-sharing, best practices, and continuous improvement.
- Conduct market analysis, identify growth fields (e.g., EV, Tier 1 aluminium machining).
Portfolio & Performance Management
- Manage a defined account portfolio — typically 6–8 customers per LSE.
- Work towards defined revenue, ROI, opportunity, and visit KPIs aligned with BD & MD.
- Submit weekly agenda and activity plan for alignment.
Your Profile
Experience:
Minimum 3 years of experience in any leading cutting tools, aerospace, automobile or machining industry in the field of engineering, sales, product management or similar in a multinational environment. Previous professional experience in similar roles.
Education & Experience
- Bachelor's degree (preferably in Engineering) or equivalent education.
- Proven experience in similar business development or sales roles.
Specific Knowledge
- Know-how regarding cutting tools or machining applications
- Strong understanding of commercial management and sales techniques.
- Fluency in English (spoken and written).
- User-level proficiency in Microsoft Office tools.
- Knowledge of the company’s products, including their characteristics, applications, and specifications.
- Machining processes, PCD tools, technical drawings, measurement systems, CNC programming.
- Understanding of aluminum machining and lightweight component production.
- Solution-based selling, negotiation, identifying decision criteria, cost-per-part argumentation.
Core Competencies
- High sense of responsibility, autonomy, and strong organizational skills.
- Team-oriented with excellent interpersonal and communication abilities.
- Ability to plan, implement, and manage activities effectively.
- Precision, assertiveness, and commitment to meeting deadlines and objectives.
- Adaptability to existing work groups and ability to foster collaboration.
- Efficiency and effectiveness in problem-solving.
- Proactive way of working.
- Strong skills in communication, negotiation, and argumentation.
Benefits
Walter USA, LLC. offers a highly competitive performance-based compensation program and generous benefit package that includes life, health, and dental insurance, paid vacation and holidays, and a 401(k) retirement savings plan.
