Automation Advisor - Aviation/Transportation

Tennant Company•Plymouth, MN

3d•$104,000 - $156,000•Remote

About The Position

The Transportation & Aviation Automation Advisor is Tennant Robotics' market expert for airports and the broader transportation sector. The role places particular emphasis on aviation and requires a practical understanding of airport and port authorities, airlines, terminal operators, concession and facility-management partners, public procurement, security-sensitive operations, and multi-party decision structures. This role involves building and executing a national account-based strategy for priority airports, authorities, airlines, passenger terminals, transit systems, rail, and ports, and developing relationships across the authority, operator, airline, contractor, BSC, concession, and facility-management ecosystem. The goal is to create scalable automation programs for large, high-traffic, extended-hour, security-sensitive transportation environments.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree
Minimum of 7-10 years of strategic sales, account-based marketing, business-development, or facilities experience in aviation, transportation, infrastructure, public authorities, or adjacent markets.
Demonstrated ability to navigate complex accounts with public and private stakeholders.
Strong operational discovery, stakeholder mapping, executive communication, pilot design, and commercial judgment.
Ability to travel 25% nationally for account development, site evaluations, industry events, and field enablement.

Nice To Haves

Experience selling into airports, airport authorities, airlines, transit agencies, rail operators, ports, passenger-terminal operators, or their service partners.
Knowledge of authority governance, public procurement, facility-management agreements, operating partners, and security-sensitive environments.
Aviation-focused ABM, strategic-account, capital-equipment, facilities-technology, automation, or infrastructure background.
Established transportation-industry relationships and experience with multi-site or network deployments.

Responsibilities

Build and execute a national account-based strategy for priority airports, authorities, airlines, passenger terminals, transit systems, rail, and ports.
Develop relationships across the authority, operator, airline, contractor, BSC, concession, and facility-management ecosystem.
Create scalable automation programs for large, high-traffic, extended-hour, security-sensitive transportation environments.
Build and maintain a focused portfolio of high-potential targets, including new customers, existing Tennant customers not yet using robotics, and installed-base expansion opportunities.
Research target organizations, stakeholders, operating environments, business priorities, and automation maturity.
Create informed outreach and account-based pursuit strategies with field sales, strategic accounts, channel partners, Marketing, and leadership.
Understand the customer's cleaning operation, labor model, workflow, facility conditions, performance requirements, and business objectives.
Evaluate automation fit, identify readiness risks, and translate customer challenges into clear use cases and measurable outcomes.
Design the evaluation pathway, including site assessments, demonstrations, testing, pilots, success criteria, and multi-site validation.
Translate capabilities into operational and financial value, including labor optimization, consistency, safety, data visibility, service support, and scalability.
Develop credible ROI assumptions and adapt the value proposition for operations, facilities, procurement, finance, IT, security, and executive stakeholders.
Position automation as a long-term operating capability rather than a stand-alone equipment purchase.
Serve as commercial quarterback when designated, maintaining the opportunity strategy, stakeholder map, risks, next actions, and path to decision.
Coordinate account teams, technical resources, Customer Success, Service, Product, Engineering, Marketing, Pricing, and executive sponsors.
Maintain accurate CRM information and provide a reality-based view of timing, customer commitment, deployment readiness, and deal risk.
Map governance, ownership, operating, contracting, and procurement structures for priority transportation accounts.
Identify decision-makers and influencers across facilities, terminal operations, custodial services, procurement, engineering, innovation, finance, IT/security, sustainability, and executive leadership.
Develop evaluation strategies for terminals, concourses, baggage and support areas, parking structures, maintenance facilities, depots, and other large transportation spaces.
Coordinate account-based pursuits across local sales teams, strategic accounts, BSCs, facility operators, distributors, and executive sponsors.
Create directive aviation and transportation training that helps local teams understand entry points, buying groups, authority structures, and opportunity-development steps.