Sales Engineer (Technical Sales)

Interstate Advanced Materials•Kent, WA

13d

About The Position

Interstate Advanced Materials is one of the largest distributors of performance plastics, composites, and advanced materials in North America. Our team supports manufacturers, fabricators, engineers, and production teams across a wide range of industries—including aerospace, marine, industrial, automotive, medical, and retail—by delivering the right materials, cut-to-size solutions, and technical guidance they need to achieve exceptional results. We’re passionate, curious, and committed to helping our customers solve problems with high-performance materials—and we’re looking for people who share that mindset. Position Summary The Sales Engineer / Technical Sales Representative is responsible for driving profitable growth within an assigned territory by developing strong relationships with production teams, engineers, fabricators, and purchasing managers. This role is ideal for someone currently working as a Production Manager, Fabrication Lead, , or Materials Specialist who has deep familiarity with plastics, composites, sheet goods, and fabrication processes—and wants to leverage that technical knowledge into a customer-facing, consultative sales role. You’ll help customers choose the right materials, solve application challenges, and optimize their production results while growing Interstate’s presence in the region.

Requirements

3–10+ years of industry experience in plastics distribution, fabrication, machining, composites, industrial materials, or a related sector
Hands-on background in production management, CNC fabrication, materials selection, or engineering support
Strong understanding of sheet goods, plastics, composites, or advanced materials
Ability to read drawings, interpret specifications, and support technical applications
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
Valid driver’s license and ability to travel within assigned territory

Nice To Haves

Previous experience in an outside sales, technical sales, or customer-facing role
Comfort presenting to production teams, engineers, or purchasing groups
Strong problem-solving and consultative selling ability
Familiarity with ERP systems and quoting tools

Responsibilities

Develop and manage a portfolio of new and existing customers across the assigned territory
Conduct onsite visits with manufacturing teams, production floors, engineering groups, and decision-makers
Identify opportunities to increase material usage and introduce new products
Prepare quotes, proposals, and project recommendations with a consultative, solution-based approach
Meet or exceed monthly and annual revenue, margin, and activity targets
Recommend the correct materials based on performance requirements, fabrication methods, or environmental conditions
Assist customers in selecting sheet, rod, tube, composites, foams, or specialty materials for machining, thermoforming, routing, bonding, and other processes
Translate production challenges into material solutions that improve quality, reduce costs, or streamline workflow
Provide product training, demonstrations, and technical guidance to customer teams
Maintain strong working knowledge of Interstate’s product categories and vendor offerings
Stay current with fabrication technologies including CNC routing, laser cutting, thermoforming, lamination, and plastics machining
Understand competitor products, pricing, and industry trends
Work closely with Inside Sales, Purchasing, and Branch Operations to ensure accurate order fulfillment, forecasting, and customer satisfaction
Communicate customer needs, market insight, and emerging opportunities to management