Sales Engineer (EPC and Owner/Operator) - Houston

Candid Intelligence•Houston, TX

12d

About The Position

Candid is building the AI layer for EPCs and owner operators. We use AI to reduce the manual effort behind preconstruction engineering by automating document understanding, consistency checks, and repetitive workflow steps across major disciplines. The goal is to make preconstruction 10x faster without sacrificing engineering quality. We recently raised $6.5M from top AI and industrial investors (including Schneider Electric and Meta’s Chief AI Scientist). Our team includes engineers from MIT, Carnegie Mellon, major LNG and power projects, and leading EPCs. You are the tip of the spear in Houston. Your job is to get us into the right rooms and close deals. You will own early revenue in the EPC and owner operator space, with a strong bias toward smaller, faster moving firms.

Requirements

5+ years selling into EPCs, industrial services firms, or owner operators (engineering software or technical solutions)
Deep understanding of how EPC preconstruction works (FEL, FEED, early detailed design) and how decisions get made
You can speak engineer and exec and you know when to go deep vs when to zoom out
Strong Houston network and the ability to keep building it (events, lunches, coffees, conferences)
Proven ability to source meetings and close deals, not just “manage accounts”
Comfort selling something new where the category is still forming
Strong writing and follow up skills, you keep momentum without being annoying
High pace. You like being on the ground, in person, and moving fast
Experience working with smaller EPCs or regional owner operators and building relationships there
You are biased toward companies that move fast and don’t take 12 months to buy

Nice To Haves

Prior role as a sales engineer, solutions engineer, or technical BD in industrial software
Experience selling workflows related to engineering documents (PFDs, P&IDs, datasheets, vendor packages, line lists, specs)
Familiarity with typical enterprise procurement and security reviews
Existing relationships with project directors, discipline leads, engineering managers, or digital teams in Houston

Responsibilities

Build and own a Houston based pipeline of EPCs, PMCs, and owner operators
Drive new meetings weekly through outbound, warm intros, events, and local networking
Run discovery calls and qualify deals fast (use case, urgency, buying process, champion, budget)
Deliver product demos that feel credible to engineers and leadership
Translate real workflows into a clear value story and ROI that customers actually believe
Scope pilots and proofs of value with clear success criteria, deliverables, timeline, and next step to production
Coordinate technical deep dives with our team when needed and keep momentum high
Handle common objections (security, data access, accuracy, “we already have a process,” “AI risk”)
Support RFPs, security questionnaires, procurement steps, and contracting workflows
Keep CRM clean and run a tight sales process from first meeting to signature
Shape our positioning and playbook in the market because you will hear the real objections and real motivations first.