Account Manager (Texas)

Please note: the successful candidate must be located in Texas.

Job Summary

This position is responsible for identifying, developing, and securing new business opportunities for Howmet’s industrial fastening products and joining solutions.  This position combines strong technical knowledge with consultative selling skills to identify customers’ needs, develop technical solutions, and drive opportunities from initial prospecting through commercial award and production launch. The ideal candidate is a technically minded, highly motivated business developer who can engage engineering, purchasing, manufacturing, and executive-level contacts. The Sales Engineer will serve as a technical and commercial liaison between customers and internal engineering, manufacturing, product management, and commercial teams.

• Develop and execute a strategic new business development plan focused on targeted industries, customers, applications, and geographic markets.

• Identify and prospect new customers through cold calling, networking, industry research, trade shows, customer referrals, and other business development activities.

• Identify opportunities where fastening and joining solutions can improve product performance, manufacturing efficiency, quality, cost, or reliability.

• Conduct technical discussions with customer engineering, manufacturing, quality, and purchasing organizations to understand application requirements and develop appropriate solutions.

• Introduce customers to the company’s fastening technologies, products, tooling, and value-added solutions.

• Develop application-specific proposals and coordinate technical evaluations, samples, testing, prototypes, and product trials.

• Lead new product and application opportunities from concept through customer approval, commercial award, and production launch.

• Build and maintain a robust sales pipeline and accurately forecast new business opportunities.

• Prepare quotations, business cases, presentations, and technical proposals in collaboration with internal teams.

• Develop a strong understanding of competitive products, technologies, pricing, and market trends.

• Identify opportunities to replace competitive fastening products and expand the company’s share of customer spend.

• Work closely with engineering and product development teams to identify opportunities for new product development and customized fastening solutions.

• Coordinate customer trials, installation evaluations, and technical problem-solving activities.

• Participate in industry trade shows, conferences, customer events, and technical seminars to generate new opportunities and increase market awareness.

• Maintain regular customer contact and continuously develop relationships beyond the initial point of contact.

• Negotiate commercial terms and support the transition of awarded business into production.

• Maintain accurate customer, opportunity, and activity information within the company’s CRM system.

• Meet or exceed established new business revenue, margin, pipeline, and customer acquisition objectives.

• Bachelor's degree is required, preferred to be in Mechanical, Structural or Materials Engineering.

• 3+ years of experience in technical sales, industrial sales, engineering, manufacturing, or business development.

• Demonstrated success in new business development and consultative selling.

• Strong mechanical aptitude and ability to understand technical drawings, specifications, manufacturing processes, and product applications.

• Ability to communicate technical concepts effectively to both engineering and non-technical audiences.

• Strong presentation, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.

• Generate qualified new customer opportunities.

• Establish relationships with decision-makers and technical influencers.

• Convert competitive applications into new business.

• Develop new applications and markets.

• Move opportunities through the sales funnel and ultimately secure production awards.

• Deliver profitable revenue growth.

• Proficiency with CRM systems, Microsoft Office, and sales forecasting tools.

• Preferred:

• Experience with industrial fasteners, fastening systems, joining technologies, tooling, or related components.
• Experience selling to OEMs, Tier suppliers, industrial manufacturers, or engineering organizations.
• Experience working with engineering specifications and customer qualification processes.
• Understanding manufacturing processes such as stamping, machining, fabrication, welding, assembly, or automated fastening.
• Existing relationships within targeted industrial markets.
• Experience managing long-cycle technical sales opportunities.