Nikkiso→
Sales Engineer at Nikkiso in Chicago, IL
Skills
Job Description
Company Overview
Nikkiso Clean Energy & Industrial Gases is a leading provider of cryogenic pumps, heat exchangers, process systems, services, and solutions for the LNG and industrial gases industry. We are a subsidiary of Nikkiso Company Ltd, a leading industrial manufacturer headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, with over $1.5B in annual revenue, 8000 + employees worldwide, and publicly traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
Nikkiso Cryogenic Services (NCS) is an industry leader in the provision of services to the industrial gas and air separation industries, enhanced oil recovery operations, marine, clean energy, and alternative fuels markets. Boasting a vast portfolio of innovative solutions, cutting-edge technology, and expert services, the company stands tall as a go-to service provider for a wide range of clients. The company has carved a niche for itself in the market with its consistent delivery of top-tier services that are tailored to meet the specific needs of each industry. Our products have been instrumental in enabling customers to realize safer, greener, and more sustainable operations. From liquefied natural gas (LNG) systems to industrial gas equipment, every product is designed and manufactured with the utmost consideration for safety and environmental sustainability.
Nikkiso Cryogenic Services is not just a leading service provider to a range of industries, but also a champion of safer, greener operations. Its products and services are designed to meet the dual objectives of operational efficiency and sustainability, helping clients achieve their goals while minimizing environmental impact.
Why Join Nikkiso?
At Nikkiso, you’ll be part of a global organization helping shape the future of clean energy, industrial gases, LNG, hydrogen, and cryogenic technologies. We offer the opportunity to work alongside industry experts, contribute to meaningful growth initiatives, and make a direct impact on customer success.
Our culture values:
- Innovation
- Collaboration
- Customer Focus
- Safety
- Continuous Improvement
- Professional Growth
Join us and become part of a team committed to delivering world-class solutions and service excellence across the globe.
Job Overview
Summary/Objective
The Sales Engineer is responsible for developing and maintaining strong customer relationships within the assigned region while identifying and pursuing opportunities to grow aftermarket sales, including services, repairs, upgrades, parts, and technical solutions. This role combines technical expertise with commercial execution, serving as a key customer-facing representative who understands customer needs, recommends value-driven solutions, supports proposal development, and partners with internal teams to ensure successful execution. The Sales Engineer is expected to maintain an active field presence through frequent regional travel, manage opportunities through the sales process, utilize CRM tools effectively, and contribute to revenue growth, customer satisfaction, and long-term business development objectives.
This position is located in Chicago, IL
Responsibilities
Essential Functions/Responsibilities
Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Develop, maintain, and strengthen long-term relationships with customers within the assigned region to support customer retention, satisfaction, and revenue growth.
- Identify, qualify, and pursue new business opportunities within the assigned territory, including aftermarket services, repairs, upgrades, parts, service agreements, and technical solutions.
- Serve as commercial point of contact for customers, helping assess needs and recommend appropriate products, services, and solutions.
- Manage regional sales activities, including prospecting, customer visits, opportunity development, quote follow-up, and sales pipeline management.
- Conduct regular customer site visits to understand installed equipment, operating conditions, service needs, and potential growth opportunities.
- Develop and execute territory plans that align with regional sales goals, market priorities, and overall business strategy.
- Collaborate with proposal managers, operations, engineering, product management, and field service teams to develop accurate, competitive, and customer-focused proposals.
- Provide technical input and customer requirements to internal teams to support the preparation of quotations, scopes of work, pricing, and service recommendations.
- Maintain current knowledge of company products, services, applications, and technical capabilities to effectively communicate value to customers.
- Monitor customer needs, market trends, competitor activity, and regional business conditions to identify risks, opportunities, and areas for growth.
- Use CRM tools to maintain accurate records of customer interactions, opportunities, forecasts, pipeline activity, installed base information, and sales progress.
- Prepare and deliver sales presentations, technical discussions, and business proposals to customers, highlighting the value, benefits, and differentiators of NCS offerings.
- Support contract and commercial negotiations with customers, including scope clarification, pricing discussions, terms review, and resolution of open commercial items.
- Partner with operations and field service teams to support successful execution of sold work and ensure customer expectations are clearly communicated and understood.
- Proactively follow up on customer issues, service concerns, delivery commitments, and technical questions to support timely resolution and customer satisfaction.
- Represent the company at customer meetings, industry events, trade shows, technical seminars, and other business development activities as needed.
- Promote a culture of world-class customer service, professionalism, safety, dependability, and accountability in all customer and internal interactions.
- Complete required safety training, follow company safety policies, and wear approved PPE when visiting customer sites, workshops, production facilities, or field service locations.
- Other duties as assigned.
Competencies
The successful candidate will possess a unique blend of educational qualifications, sales skills, leadership experience, and personal attributes that ensure the individual is well-equipped to understand the complexities of business development across different cultures and regions.
- Customer Focus: Strong commitment to understanding customer needs, building long-term relationships, providing responsive support, and delivering solutions that improve customer satisfaction and loyalty.
- Technical Aptitude: Ability to understand industrial equipment, aftermarket services, technical applications, and customer operating conditions in order to recommend appropriate products, repairs, upgrades, and service solutions.
- Sales and Business Development: Demonstrated ability to identify opportunities, develop leads, manage accounts, grow revenue, and support achievement of regional sales goals.
- Relationship Building: Ability to establish trust and credibility with customers, internal teams, suppliers, and other stakeholders through professionalism, follow-through, and consistent communication.
- Communication Skills: Strong verbal, written, listening, and presentation skills, with the ability to explain technical and commercial information clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
- Negotiation and Influence: Ability to support commercial discussions, address objections, influence customer decisions, and help move opportunities through the sales process.
- Problem Solving: Ability to assess customer challenges, gather relevant information, coordinate internal resources, and recommend practical solutions in a timely and professional manner.
- Results Orientation: Self-motivated and accountable for meeting sales objectives, maintaining an active pipeline, following up on opportunities, and delivering measurable business results.
- CRM and Sales Process Discipline: Ability to accurately maintain customer records, opportunities, forecasts, installed base information, and account activity using CRM and other sales tools.
- Market Awareness: Understanding of regional market dynamics, competitor activity, customer needs, and industry trends that may impact sales strategy and business opportunities.
- Collaboration and Teamwork: Ability to work effectively with operations, field service, engineering, proposal, product management, finance, and customer service teams to support customer requirements and business goals.
- Planning and Organization: Strong ability to prioritize accounts, manage travel schedules, prepare for customer meetings, track follow-up actions, and balance multiple opportunities at different stages of the sales cycle.
- Adaptability: Ability to adjust to changing customer priorities, travel demands, proposal deadlines, market conditions, and internal business needs.
- Commercial Acumen: Understanding of pricing, margins, customer value, contract considerations, and the financial impact of sales decisions.
- Safety Mindset: Commitment to following company and customer safety requirements, completing required safety training, and using appropriate PPE when visiting customer sites, workshops, or industrial environments.
- Professionalism and Accountability: Demonstrates integrity, reliability, responsiveness, sound judgment, and ownership of customer commitments and business responsibilities.
Work Environment
This position operates in a combination of office, remote, customer site, workshop, and industrial field environments. Significant regional travel is required to maintain customer relationships, develop new business opportunities, support technical sales activities, and achieve expected customer-facing engagement levels, including the organization’s 1:1 customer engagement ratio.
The Sales Engineer will regularly visit customer offices, production facilities, service centers, and industrial job sites. Work environments may vary and can include exposure to shop conditions, industrial noise, temperature changes, moving equipment, and customer-specific safety requirements. The employee must follow all company and customer safety policies, complete required safety training, and wear approved PPE as needed.
Qualifications
Education and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business Administration, Technical Sales, or a related field preferred; equivalent combination of education and relevant experience may be considered.
- Technical degree, trade certification, or equivalent hands-on experience with industrial equipment, rotating equipment, cryogenic systems, pumps, compressors, or related mechanical systems may be acceptable in lieu of a bachelor’s degree.
- Continued education or training in technical sales, customer relationship management, negotiation, industrial safety, or project management is preferred.
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business Administration, Technical Sales, or a related field preferred; equivalent combination of education and relevant experience may be considered.
Experience
- Minimum of 3–5 years of experience in technical sales, sales engineering, business development, account management, field service, applications engineering, or a related customer-facing technical role.
- Experience selling or supporting aftermarket services, repairs, maintenance, upgrades, spare parts, service agreements, or technical solutions in an industrial, manufacturing, energy, LNG, industrial gas, or rotating equipment environment preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to build and maintain strong customer relationships, identify customer needs, and develop business opportunities within an assigned region or territory.
- Proven ability to meet or exceed sales goals, manage a sales pipeline, support proposal development, and close business opportunities.
- Experience conducting customer visits, site assessments, technical discussions, sales presentations, and commercial follow-up with customers.
- Working knowledge of CRM systems, sales forecasting, opportunity tracking, and customer account management required; Salesforce experience preferred.
- Ability to understand technical product and service offerings and translate customer needs into practical commercial and technical solutions.
- Experience collaborating with operations, field service, engineering, proposal, product management, and customer service teams to support customer requirements and business objectives.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present technical and commercial information clearly to customers and internal stakeholders.
- Ability and willingness to travel significantly within the assigned region to support customer engagement, business development, and sales growth objectives.
- Minimum of 3–5 years of experience in technical sales, sales engineering, business development, account management, field service, applications engineering, or a related customer-facing technical role.
Physical Demands
Stand, walk, sit, talk, hear, type, and write.
Reach with hands and arms, bend, stand on a stool or climb, and use fingers and hands to feel objects, tools, or controls.
Use standard office equipment such as computers, smart phones, printers, photocopiers, etc.
Lift files and open desk drawers and filing cabinets.
Other Duties
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
EEOC Statement
Nikkiso CE&IG is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.