Sales & Proposals Engineer

Please note this is not a systems engineer position.

PURPOSE

The sales engineer will combine technical knowledge with sales skills. The balance depends on the level of technical knowledge and understanding that is needed to sell the product/service in response to a clients’ queries. The role of a sales engineer essentially involves translating and explaining highly complex technical information to customers and clients, focusing on revealing how a product, service or piece of equipment can solve specific problems.

The Client’s Systems Engineers will be working on industrial process control and automation projects, which forms part of The Client’s core business. The purpose of a systems engineer is to design, implement and maintain automation software according to The Client’s internal SOP’s to achieve industry-leading quality standards.

You will be responsible for the following:

Responsibilities:

• Searching for new clients who could benefit from the company’s products/services in a designated region
• Travelling to visit potential clients
• Establishing new, and maintaining existing, relationships with customers
• Managing and interpreting customer requirements
• Calculating client quotations and submitting them to clients
• Negotiating tender and contract terms
• Negotiating and closing sales by agreeing terms and conditions
• Offering after-sales support services
• Administering client accounts
• Analysing costs and sales
• Preparing reports for management
• Meeting monthly sales targets
• Recording and maintaining client contact data
• Co-ordinating sales projects
• Supporting marketing by attending trade shows, conferences and other marketing events
• Making technical presentations and demonstrating how a product/service will meet client needs
• Providing pre-sales technical assistance and product/sales education
• Liaising with other members of the sales team and other technical experts
• Solving client problems
• Helping in the design of custom-made products
• Providing training and producing support material for the sales team
• Identifies current and future customer service requirements by establishing personal rapport with potential and actual customers and other persons in a position to understand service requirements. Provides product, service, or equipment technical and engineering information by answering questions and requests.
• Establishes new accounts and services accounts by identifying potential customers; planning and organizing sales call schedule.
• Prepares cost estimates by studying blueprints, plans, and related customer documents; consulting with engineers, architects, and other professional and technical personnel.
• Determines improvements by analyzing cost-benefit ratios of equipment, supplies, or service applications in customer environment; engineering or proposing changes in equipment, processes, or use of materials or services.
• Gains customer acceptance by explaining or demonstrating cost reductions and operations improvements.
• Submits orders by conferring with technical support staff; costing engineering changes.
• Develops customer’s staff by providing technical information and training.
• Complies with local legal requirements by studying existing and new legislation; anticipating future legislation; advising customer on product, service, or equipment adherence to requirements; advising customer on needed actions.
• Prepares sales engineering reports by collecting, analyzing, and summarizing sales information and engineering and application trends.
• Maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops; reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks; participating in professional societies.
• Contributes to sales engineering effectiveness by identifying short-term and long-range issues that must be addressed; providing information and commentary pertinent to deliberations; recommending options and courses of action; implementing directives.
• Contributes to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed.
• Reviewing and squad checking P&IDs and loop descriptions for various plants, processes, and/or equipment.
• Developing User Requirement Specifications.
• Developing software and hardware design specifications.
• Designing, coding, implementing, testing and documenting of PLC and HMI software.
• Designing system architectures.
• Developing control system validation/testing protocols.
• Specifying and purchasing process instrumentation.
• Specifying and purchasing PLCs, drives, and other electrical components and equipment.
• Reviewing electrical panel schematics – where necessary
• Developing scope of supply documents.
• Assisting with estimates of man-hours required to complete projects.
• Managing automation projects and reporting on progress – where assigned.
• Installing, testing, and commissioning control systems on-site.
• Training operators and engineers on control systems.
• Design, configuration, integration and implementation of process control solutions for various industries.
• Executing project work packages according to internal company methodologies, workflows using online management systems

Ad hoc duties as required by an authorized person

EDUCATION:

• A B.Eng, B.Sc or B.Tech in Electrical, Electronic, Software Engineering, Automation and Control or equivalent combination of education and technical experience
• Pr Eng, Pr.Tech Eng (or working towards one) would be advantageous.

KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS:

ESSENTIAL:

• 5+ years’ experience in either a consulting engineering firm or in a project engineering environment.
• Knowledge of process manufacturing, field instrumentation and control system installation is crucial.
• Thorough knowledge of process instrumentation and control systems.
• Experience working with a variety of control systems including DDC, DCS and PLCs.
• Experience designing and programming control systems with emphasis on PLCs, SCADA and HMI systems.
• Experience with a combination of Siemens (PCS7, Step7, WinCC), Allen Bradley (Controllogix, RSView), Schneider (Citect, Wonderware, Modicon) or DCS other systems is mandatory.
• Experience in commissioning and startup of control systems is required.
• Ability to troubleshoot control systems from field level up to supervisory and control levels.

• Experience with control system and PC networking technologies.
• Experience working with SQL Server, Oracle, or other relational databases.
• Experience with Visual Basic and C scripting.
• Programming experience or training in a variety of languages is mandatory.
• Experience with Windows and Linux is mandatory.
• Proficiency in Office packages is mandatory.
• Experience in mining, energy, oil & gas, pharmaceutical and/or food-and-beverage industries is required.
• The preferred candidate will be a systems thinker who is able to apply himself / herself in application of knowledge from first principles. The candidate should also exhibit potential to challenge conventional methodologies and determine the best technical implementation method.

DESIRABLE:

• Familiarity with a 3rd generation programming IDE would be advantageous.
• Experience with databases is advantageous.

SKILLS:

• Strong morals and work ethic which is transparent and respects people.
• Must be self-driven and teachable.
• Ability to work with plant engineers, external vendors, operators and management.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work in a team environment.
• Ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced multi-tasking environment.
• Continuously seeking to develop personal skills.
• Self-driven and ambitious.
• Be willing to travel and work away from home.
• Be willing to work long hours when required by the project
• Problem Solving
• Excellent Product/Sales Knowledge
• Selling to Customer Needs
• Software Requirements
• Product Development
• Excellent Presentation Skills
• General Programming Skills
• Technical Understanding
• Verbal Communication
• Requirements Analysis
• Innovation
• Time management