Sales Engineering Manager

Pelican•Torrance, CA

2d•$125,000 - $150,000•Onsite

About The Position

Pelican is seeking a customer-focused Sales Engineering Manager to lead the development of custom protective packaging solutions from concept through production. In this role, you'll partner with customers, Sales, Engineering, and Manufacturing to solve complex technical challenges and deliver innovative packaging solutions that protect some of the world's most valuable equipment. You'll serve as the technical lead for multiple customer programs—combining engineering expertise, project management, and customer collaboration to deliver high-quality, manufacturable solutions that exceed expectations.

Requirements

5+ years of experience in technical sales, sales engineering, packaging engineering, program management, product development, or a related customer-facing technical role.
Experience developing and supporting custom packaging solutions, protective packaging systems, engineered foam applications, reusable transport packaging, or related industrial products.
Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, design for manufacturability (DFM), cost drivers, and operational execution within a production environment.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple customer programs simultaneously while balancing technical requirements, timelines, budgets, and business objectives.
Experience leading cross-functional teams and coordinating efforts across Sales, Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, and Operations.
Strong commercial acumen with the ability to evaluate project profitability, margin impact, risk, and overall business viability.
Excellent customer-facing communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to effectively engage engineering, procurement, operations, and executive-level stakeholders.
Proven problem-solving and analytical skills with the ability to assess technical challenges, identify risks, and develop practical solutions.
Experience supporting proposal development, technical presentations, customer requirements gathering, and solution development.
Strong project management skills, including planning, prioritization, resource coordination, and execution tracking.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Outlook.

Nice To Haves

Experience with ERP, CRM, CAD, or project management systems preferred.

Responsibilities

Partner with Sales and customers to develop innovative technical packaging solutions that meet performance, cost, and manufacturability requirements
Lead customer projects from concept through production, managing scope, priorities, timelines, and technical execution
Serve as the primary technical advisor and day-to-day customer contact throughout the project lifecycle
Collaborate with customer engineering and procurement teams to define requirements and develop custom packaging solutions
Design engineered foam cushioning systems, shock-isolated assemblies, reusable transport containers, and other custom protective packaging solutions
Evaluate new opportunities by balancing technical feasibility, manufacturing capability, commercial viability, and project risk
Coordinate cross-functional teams across Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, Estimating, and Sales to ensure successful project execution
Manage multiple customer programs simultaneously while proactively identifying and resolving technical and operational challenges
Drive process improvements that enhance manufacturability, design standardization, and quoting efficiency
Support customer presentations, technical training, and solution demonstrations for customers and internal teams
Identify emerging technologies, market trends, and customer needs to support innovation and business growth
Perform additional duties as assigned