Field Application Engineer

Avnet•Irvine, CA

About The Position

Drives the design chain value proposition by generating the greatest number of design wins in technologies and registrations for customers engaged in product design resulting in growing business. Interface with the engineering departments of customers and suppliers. Performs a variety of product, technical and engineering functions including but not limited to: pre/post sales support, research, design and development.

Requirements

Deep understanding of business, financials, products/services, the market or the needs/challenges of assigned accounts.
Requires depth and/or breadth of sales expertise within a specialized product, service or account type.
Requires a deep understanding of the full range of offerings that the organization and its competitors sell and that assigned customers buy.
Recognized as a technical expert (by colleagues and customers) in one or several product/service areas.
Complexity is extremely high (territory/account, products/services, sales or account management process); serves as team lead.
Plans own territory or account approach and has input into colleagues' approaches; manages own and often others' resources.
Leads others to solve complex problems; uses sophisticated analytical thought to exercise judgement and identify innovative sales solutions.
Leads sales teams on negotiations to identify, pursue or manage accounts/ opportunities with extremely large size/strategic importance/risk of loss.
Develops colleagues' understanding; acts as a role model for colleagues with less experience.
Has extremely high authority/opportunity to set and negotiate product/service terms.
Plans own territory or account approach and has input into colleagues' approaches; manages own and often others' resources.
Serves as consultant to management and/or internal/external spokesperson for the organization on major initiatives related to policies, plans and long-range objectives.
Impacts the relationship the organization has with its leading clients.
Leads sales that have a significant impact on the function/region/division.
Actions may impact the organization and its reputation.
Effects of erroneous decisions may be long-lasting, influence the future course of the organization and/or require the expenditure of extensive additional resources.
Minimum experience required is typically 8+ years with bachelor's or equivalent.
This is typically the most senior sales position in the company and is reserved for the most experienced sales professionals.

Responsibilities

Proactively develops and implements the technical sales account penetration strategy in each market presenting new products and technologies to current and potential customers; develop knowledge to uncover, understand, compare, and contrast the solutions (pre-component selection).
Provide valuable participation in supplier/customer design review.
Good understanding of customer needs relative to product(s), technology, direction, competition, design process and design cycle.
Identify and develop relationships with all key technical decision makers and influencers in each account.
Discover design requirements from the system level down to each individual element collaborating with the design, production and/or engineering departments to develop/execute technical strategies that help solve customer design challenges.
Market supported lines to sales team by driving adoption of advocated solutions, with supplier partners, that meet customer needs and lead to increased design activity, design wins and sales growth.
Proactively provides general application and product level sales training, proactively align with sales team in securing business.
Communicate account calls with suppliers, account managers and/or inside sales.
Identifies and tracks largest design opportunities from concept to production, utilizing all supplier resources to assure greatest potential for success.
Creates presentations and other sales tools to enhance technical value and become a "trusted advisor" to both internal and external customers.
Manages the product from beginning to end which involves communication and in-depth consultation with customers, sales and vendors.
Research major industry players to be able to communicate to internal and external customers industry trends and directions.
A thorough understanding of product lifecycles and the ability to design a full solution based on the customers expectation of product performance, lifecycles and total costs.
Attend internal and external technical training to complete and maintain certification as necessary.
Other duties as assigned.