The Opportunity

The Sales Engineer is responsible for driving new business growth and expanding Air Equipment Company’s Controls Products presence across the commercial HVAC and building systems marketplace. This role serves as a trusted advisor to consulting engineers, mechanical contractors, controls contractors, and building owners by delivering technical expertise, responsive service, and value-added solutions. The Sales Engineer will focus specifically on AEC’s industry-leading controls and critical environment offerings, including ABB Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) and Phoenix Controls airflow control solutions, along with complementary product lines such as airflow monitoring, dampers, hydronic measurement, demand control ventilation, and life safety systems. This position owns the sales process from opportunity development through project execution support, ensuring AEC Controls Department continues to be Kentucky’s premier manufacturer’s representative firm for HVAC technical products.  

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage strong relationships with owners, engineers, contractors, and end users across the assigned territory, with an emphasis on controls and critical environment applications.
• Identify, generate, qualify, and pursue new sales opportunities aligned with AEC’s strategic growth goals in the Controls Products market.
• Promote and support key AEC controls product lines, including but not limited to:
  • ABB Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs)
  • Phoenix Controls Venturi valves and airflow control systems
  • Tamco industrial and commercial damper solutions
  • Onicon flow and energy measurement systems
  • Antrum demand control ventilation (DCV) solutions
  • Honeywell gas detection and safety monitoring systems
• Support customers with equipment selection, system application guidance, and design assistance for complex mechanical and controls projects.
• Prepare quotations, pricing, and sales proposals in coordination with internal estimating, engineering, and operations teams.
• Deliver technical presentations and product demonstrations highlighting manufacturer capabilities, system performance, and solution value.
• Maintain accurate pipeline tracking, forecasts, and opportunity documentation within CRM systems.
• Collaborate with internal engineering, service, and project execution teams to ensure successful project delivery and long-term customer satisfaction.
• Provide ongoing customer support before and after the sale, ensuring AEC solutions perform as intended and relationships remain strong.
• Conduct business ethically, legally, and in alignment with AEC’s core values.

Competencies:

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills to effectively convey technical information and to interact effectively with customers and team members
• Strong customer service skills to address inquiries and resolve issues
• Analytical skills to diagnose and solve technical problems
• Ability to identify sales opportunities and develop relationships with potential customers
• Regular interaction with customers via phone, email, and video conferencing
• Strong technical aptitude and ability to understand complex engineering concepts
• Ability to work independently as well as part of a team
• Strong attention to detail
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment

The Ideal Profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, preferably in Mechanical, Electrical, or Industrial Engineering
• Minimum 3 years of HVAC Sales experience
• Knowledgeable regarding ASHRAE recommendations, HVAC industry
• Strong mathematics and physics understanding
• Education and experience with the construction and engineering industry, with specific experience in dealing with construction drawings, specifications, construction schedule and processes is a plus.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to operate computer keyboard and telephone, reach with hands and arms. The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, and sit. The employee is occasionally required to climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

This position will require self-accountability and work independently. The primary objective of this position is to generate revenue and profits for the company under the direction of the Vice President of Industrial Sales. The company’s reputation is often contingent upon how the salesperson represents him/herself and the company, therefore it is imperative that all interaction supports the mission and values of AEC. The Sales Teams, consisting of Commercial Equipment Sales, Industrial Equipment Sales, Controls Sales, and Hydronic Equipment Sales, all work together on strategy, design, proposal generation, and job costing. The successful candidate will demonstrate abilities and experience with collaborative team-based customer service and team-based processing of technical information.
There will be a training period of 3-6 months minimum prior to being responsible for customer interaction and sales. A salary will be provided during this time. Once opportunity pipeline is established, a transition to a commission-based compensation plan will take place.

Description of Principle Duties:
Assist in developing improvements and perform duties with a consistent approach in areas such as:
• Meet or exceed individual objectives as set by VP of Industrial Sales
• Work with Sales Team to meet or exceed Revenue and Profit goals established by EVP of Sales
• Become an expert on the equipment/systems that we represent and how to successfully design projects with customers.
• Learn all manufacturer selection software and pricing to correctly select and price equipment and systems objectives.
• Build customer relationships with excellent customer service and retention in mind.
• Maintain customer information and activity in Salesforce.
• Assist Operations Team and Industrial Admin in project tracking and customer communication.
• Be responsible for all activity around opportunity generation and tracking.
• Be responsible for all activities around order generation & entry.
• Generate approval drawings (submittals) and review order acknowledgements for accuracy.
• Participate in quarterly conversations with Sales Team Leader to review core values, GWC and discuss any issues.
• Travel within territory will be required. 50%-75% of the time spent will be out of the office.
• Other roles and responsibilities as assigned.

Education, Experience and Qualifications:
• Technical or Engineering bachelor’s degree required. Preferably in Mechanical, Electrical, or Industrial Engineering.
• Strong mathematics and physics understanding.
• Preferred - Education and experience with the construction and engineering industry, with specific experience in dealing with construction drawings, specifications, construction schedule and processes is a plus.

Knowledge/Skill Set:
• Effective interpersonal and customer service skills
• Strong written, verbal and presentational communication skills
• Must have the ability to switch quickly between tasks based on priority and timeline
• Works well within a team dynamic to ensure timely execution of tasks
• High computer proficiency (comfort with word, excel and using an internet browser)
• Critical thinking ability, willingness to learn

• About AEC
  Core Values
  o We are humbly confident
  o We care
  o We do the right thing
  o We have a “can do” and solution-oriented attitude
  o Customer success is paramount

Our Purpose/Cause/Passion: Experts Helping Experts
Our Niche: Creating and maintaining healthy environments
Our Culture: We take our knowledge very seriously, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously. Management is humble and approachable. Everyone is important. We do not abandon customers.

• On-boarding program with one-on-one support from our President and Executive Leadership Team
  • Ongoing access to leadership and employees
  • Professional development opportunities through seminars, conferences factory training, and web-based training

Candidate can expect to go through several manufacturers (various location around the US) training programs as well as on the job training. Candidate can expect travel for our company to be primarily in the state of Kentucky and Southern Indiana.
Compensation commensurate with education and experience. Full benefits offered
**This job description shall remain fluid and will be reviewed on an as needed basis

Overview

As the Industrial Engineer - Warehouse Design & Automation, you will be a technical leader responsible for designing, engineering, and scaling warehouse facilities across a multi-site fulfillment network. Your primary mission is to translate business demand and growth forecasts into data-driven, buildable warehouse designs that optimize throughput, labor efficiency, space utilization, and cost.

This role partners closely with Operations, Real Estate, Facilities, IT, Finance, and external automation vendors to deliver standardized, scalable solutions for greenfield builds, expansions, and retrofits. You will bring a strong systems mindset, deep understanding of material flow, and a bias for simplicity, operability, and long-term sustainability.

What You’ll Do

Warehouse Design & Engineering

• Design end-to-end warehouse layouts for new facilities, expansions, and retrofits, supporting high-throughput fulfillment operations.
• Engineer material flows from inbound receiving through outbound shipping, ensuring efficient, safe, and ergonomic processes.
• Define building-level requirements including dock counts, clear heights, column spacing, power, floor loading, and equipment zoning, in partnership with cross-functional teams.
• Develop and maintain layout drawings, design assumptions, and engineering narratives for leadership, finance, and vendor review.

MHE & Automation Engineering

• Specify, evaluate, and engineer material handling and automation systems including:
• Conveyors, sorters, and divert systems
• Pick modules, pallet flow, case flow, and mezzanines
• AMRs, AGVs, and goods-to-person solutions
• Packaging, labeling, dimensioning, and weighing systems
  
  
• Develop functional specifications, throughput targets, and redundancy strategies for automation systems.
• Partner with integrators and vendors through RFPs, design reviews, FAT/SAT, commissioning, and go-live support.

Capacity Modeling & Data Analysis

• Build capacity, throughput, and labor models using forecasted volumes, SKU profiles, and order characteristics.
• Analyze peak scenarios, seasonality, and failure modes to stress-test designs.
• Quantify trade-offs between labor, automation, space utilization, service levels, and cost.
• Use post-launch operational data to refine assumptions and continuously improve design standards.

Financial Analysis & Business Case Development

• Develop CapEx and OpEx estimates for MHE and automation investments.
• Support ROI, payback period, and total cost of ownership analyses.
• Partner with Finance and Leadership to support capital planning and investment decisions.
• Drive standardization across facilities to reduce engineering variability and lifecycle cost.

Launch Support & Continuous Improvement

• Support warehouse launches and expansions through go-live and stabilization.
• Partner with Operations, Maintenance, and Controls teams to resolve systemic design issues.
• Perform post-launch audits and feed learnings back into network design standards and playbooks.
• Document and maintain reference designs, engineering standards, and best practices.

What You’ll Need

• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related field.
• Alternatively, equivalent hands-on experience designing warehouse automation systems may be considered.
• 5+ years of experience in warehouse design, material handling engineering, or automation.
• Proven experience designing high-volume distribution or fulfillment centers.
• Strong analytical and modeling skills, with advanced proficiency in Excel; SQL, Python, or simulation tools are a plus.
• Proficiency in AutoCAD or similar layout and design tools.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience in large-scale e-commerce, retail, or 3PL fulfillment networks.
• Familiarity with WMS concepts and system integration dependencies.
• Greenfield warehouse launch experience.
• Experience working directly with automation integrators or MHE vendors.
  
  

Key Attributes

• Strong systems thinker with the ability to design for scale, peak, and failure scenarios.
• Data-driven decision maker who can clearly communicate technical trade-offs to non-technical stakeholders.
• Practical, operations-aware engineer who values simplicity, maintainability, and standardization.
• Builder mindset with a desire to create mechanisms, standards, and repeatable solutions.