Inside Sales Engineer
The Company:
Cognex is the global leader in the exciting and growing field of machine vision. With over $800 million of cash in the bank and no debt, we are a financially strong international company with a culture that maintains the fast paced, creative environment of a startup. Our employees, proudly called “Cognoids,” take their work seriously, but don't take themselves seriously. Our Work Hard, Play Hard, Move Fast culture recognizes our employees for their innovation, perseverance and hard work in a fun, rewarding, and quirky environment.
Job Summary:
This Sales Development Engineer (SDE), in partnership with our Field Sales Engineers, will drive new market share acquisition in exciting, rapidly growing markets.
A Sales Development Engineer at Cognex is not your ‘traditional’ Sales Development role. A SDE at Cognex has the unique opportunity to gain exposure to not just Sales Development’ processes and functions, but multiple facets of our business. A SDE will work cross-functionally with Marketing on strategy and lead generation campaigns, receive hands-on application and product training at our Tech Center from experienced Application Engineers (AE’s), travel to sales territories to shadow experienced sales engineers for the customer-facing experience; and will work on various projects within various business units.
Developing future leaders at Cognex is one of our main goals. To accomplish this objective, a SDE Certification Program was developed to ensure a new SDE will gain training in Cognex products, as well as the company’s proven sales process. They will learn and understand the commercial benefits and value propositions of all products by collaborating with numerous parts of the business. After 12-18 months, a successful SDE becomes an ideal candidate for future Field Sales Engineer openings and other opportunities within Cognex, like Application Engineering, Product Marketing, and more!
Essential Functions:
- Qualify Marketing and Sales leads utilizing proven sales strategies.
- Initiate and develop conversations with strategic targets to help convert marketing leads into new accounts.
- Research and contact key target accounts based on information discovered.
- Set priorities and advance sales opportunities with respective Sales team members/leaders.
- Drive outbound activity within region by working cross-functionally with sales and marketing.
- Develop technical command of the diverse Cognex product portfolio through extensive hands-on training.
- Build cross-department relationships and lines of communication.
- Manage project-creation activities in the CRM database.
- Contribute feedback to Marketing and Sales effectiveness and efficiency initiatives.
- Develop sales skills and product expertise through completion of SDE Certification Program.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Perform with a results-oriented, ‘hunter’ mentality to move fast and meet goals; required.
- Proven ability to operate in disciplined, process-driven environment is required.
- Engaging verbal and written communication skills, including attention to detail; required.
- Good computer skills including Microsoft Office, online and social media are required.
- Knowledge of engineering or manufacturing mindsets is required.
- Good listening, note-taking, and de-briefing skills are required.
Minimum education and work experience:
- Bachelor’s degree is required; Concentration in Technical or Engineering track (i.e. Computer Science, Electrical)
- Customer facing experience within a highly-technical hardware or software engineering and manufacturing company is a plus.
- Proven ability to understand business objectives and achieve goals; required.