Sales Executive - Upstream Technology

Yokogawa•Sugar Land, TX

About The Position

Not just a job, but a career Yokogawa, award winner for ‘Best Asset Monitoring Technology’ and ‘Best Digital Twin Technology’ at the HP Awards, is a leading provider of industrial automation, test and measurement, information systems and industrial services in several industries. Our aim is to shape a better future for our planet through supporting the energy transition, (bio)technology, artificial intelligence, industrial cybersecurity, etc. We are committed to the United Nations sustainable development goals by utilizing our ability to measure and connect. About the Team Our 18,000 employees work in over 60 countries with one corporate mission, to "co-innovate tomorrow". We are looking for dynamic colleagues who share our passion for technology and care for our planet. In return, we offer you great career opportunities to grow yourself in a truly global culture where respect, value creation, collaboration, integrity, and gratitude are highly valued and exhibited in everything we do. Shape the Future of Decarbonization and Digital Transformation with KBC KBC (A Yokogawa Company), is a global technology-based consulting company that delivers world-class process optimization and energy solutions to the oil & gas, refining, petrochemical, and polymer industries. We blend decades of deep industry expertise with cutting-edge digital technologies enabling clients to achieve operational excellence, sustainability, and profitability. With a focus on decarbonization and net-zero goals, our integrated solutions have helped avoid 400 million tonnes of CO₂ since 1979. At KBC, you’ll be part of a team that empowers industries to navigate the energy transition and accelerate the path to net-zero — all while building a rewarding, future-focused career. Job Purposes Responsible for designing and executing a comprehensive sales strategy to expand KBC’s presence in the upstream sector. Actively influences Production Optimization, Digital Transformation, Asset Management, Automation and Decarbonization of the Upstream by enabling the adoption and implementation of KBC’s Consulting and Technology Solutions, Simulation, Analytics and cloud technologies in the sector. Plays the role of the client expert within the Americas geo-market and acts in conjunction with the internal teams to set strategy and close sales for each client. Responsible for coordinating the internal team to ensure the sales strategy is successfully executed and commercial targets delivered. Advance upstream sales and business development by building strategic relationships and aligning client needs with KBC's value proposition, while managing deals pipeline, and defining tailored solutions that meet customers' business and operational goals.

Requirements

Behavioral Competencies: Customer Focus - Builds strong customer relationships and delivers customer-centric solutions. For example, solicits customer feedback and data; aligns business process with customer needs. Manages Complexity - Makes sense of complex, high quantity, and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems. For example, asks questions to encourage others to think differently and enrich their analyses of complex situations. Accurately defines the key elements of complex, ambiguous situations. Business Insight - Applies knowledge of business and the marketplace to advance the Company's goals. For example, clearly understands how own activities relate to critical business drivers. Monitors business news and market changes for impact on the business or on own expertise area; uses this to shape decisions. Instills Trust - Gains the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity. For example, is consistently honest and straightforward; shares uncomfortable information in a clear and helpful manner. Maintains high ethical standards and professional codes of conduct. Drives Results - Consistently achieve results, even under tough circumstances. For example, regularly pushes self to achieve outstanding outcomes; consistently establishes bold goals for own performance; is passionate about excellent results and significant contributions. Shows great tenacity to complete goals/initiatives in a timely way. Collaborates - Builds partnerships and works collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives. For example, enlists a range of stakeholders to add value; ensures they are well informed and surprises are avoided. Confronts and challenges "us vs. them"; shows strong appreciation for others' efforts toward shared goals.
Skills: Customer-Focused Approach - Uses comprehensive knowledge and skills to act independently while guiding and training others to orient the seller's organization around delivering to the key needs of their customers. Initiates Compelling Sales Conversations - Uses comprehensive knowledge and skills to act independently while guiding and training others to propose a mutually agreed-upon agenda to start sales conversations that offer value to the client. Knows the Buying Influences - Uses comprehensive knowledge and skills to act independently while guiding and training others to accurately identify and understand the key buying influences pertaining to an opportunity. Manages Buyer Indifference - Uses comprehensive knowledge and skills to act independently while guiding and training others to acknowledge and ask questions to understand the circumstances surrounding client indifference. Understands Buying Influencer Needs - Uses comprehensive knowledge and skills to act independently while guiding and training others to quickly and accurately define the needs of the key buying influencers. Verbal Communication - Applies comprehensive knowledge to act independently while providing guidance and training to others on using clear and effective verbal communications skills to express ideas, request actions and formulate plans or policies. Builds Rapport - Uses comprehensive knowledge and skills to act independently while guiding and training others to quickly and effectively establish trust within the buying centers in the client’s organization. Commercial Acumen - Acts independently to apply comprehensive understanding of the business environment and objectives developing solutions while providing guidance and training to others. In-Depth Questioning - Uses comprehensive knowledge and skills to act independently while guiding and training others to explore the depth and breadth of a problem, draw out the implications of not changing, and help clients self-discover and articulate the value of a solution. Manages Resistance - Uses comprehensive knowledge and skills to act independently while guiding and training others to acknowledge a client's indifference and gain agreement from the client to discover the root causes of resistance. Navigates Customer Challenges - Works at an advanced level to navigate conversations in which the customer is frustrated or unhappy with the Company. Typically works independently and provides guidance. Questions Strategically - Uses comprehensive knowledge and skills to act independently while guiding and training others to uncover clients’ explicit needs and/or unforeseen opportunities and challenges. Strengthens Customer Connections - Works at an advanced level to connect with customers to strengthen the relationship, meeting personal needs through positive customer experiences. Typically works independently and provides guidance. Understands Customer Needs - Uses comprehensive knowledge and skills to act independently while guiding and training others to articulate the customer needs in the customer's business language and business context. Understands Issues/Motivations - Uses comprehensive knowledge and skills to act independently while guiding and training others to quickly identify and accurately articulate why a client does or does not want a change based on their business objectives and challenges. Closes Effectively - Uses comprehensive knowledge and skills to act independently while guiding and training others to arrive at mutually beneficial commitments that help move the sales/client relationship forward. Customer and Market Analysis - Acts independently using comprehensive knowledge and/or skills to conduct research and analyze data while guiding and training others on how to develop a comprehensive understanding of customer and market conditions that enables maximum return on investments. Diagnoses Needs with Questions - Uses comprehensive knowledge and skills to act independently while guiding and training others to ask questions that encourage the client to talk openly about their key objectives and challenges. Effectively Presents Solutions - Uses comprehensive knowledge and skills to act independently while guiding and training others to clearly present solutions that link directly to the key objectives and challenges important to the client. Managing Change - Uses comprehensive knowledge and skills to work independently while providing guidance and training to others on maintaining high performance while applying a change mindset to the planning, execution and monitoring of business activities during times of change. Negotiates Strategically/Tactically - Uses comprehensive knowledge and skills to act independently while guiding and training others to facilitate the commercial details of an opportunity such that both parties are satisfied with the value gained. Policy and procedures - Uses comprehensive knowledge and skills to work independently while providing guidance and training to others on developing, monitoring, interpreting and understanding policies and procedures, while making sure they match the Company strategies and objectives. Pre-Call Preparation - Uses comprehensive knowledge and skills to act independently while guiding and training others to carefully prepare for client interactions using established frameworks. Prospecting - Uses comprehensive knowledge and skills to act independently while guiding and training others to identify ideal potential clients. Qualifying - Uses comprehensive knowledge and skills to act independently while guiding and training others to spend the appropriate time for the size and potential of each opportunity.
Education: Bachelor's Degree or Equivalent Level in a related field. Degree in Petroleum Engineering, any other relevant branch of Engineering or Geoscience preferred.
General Experience: Previous experience in any of production engineering, petroleum engineering, facilities engineering, geoscience, consulting or commercial software sales in the Upstream market (either with a producer or service company) is required Demonstrated experience in Upstream commercial deals in a business development role is essential

Nice To Haves

Proven success selling commercial software and/ or consulting solutions to the Upstream sector -ideally related to production optimization, process simulation, energy management, and digitalization – is a plus.
Experience managing senior relationships within enterprise accounts.
Ability to translate technical offerings into high-level business outcomes.
Skilled in long sales cycles, opportunity management, and stakeholder engagement.
Proactive and networked self-starter with an entrepreneurial mindset.

Responsibilities

Business Development - Participate in formulating the strategy and identifying, evaluating, and structuring key transactions to ensure continued financial health and maximum value creation through the entire sales engagement and product life cycle. Transactions may involve alliances, collaborations, mergers and acquisitions, in and out licensing initiatives, and other activities.
Customer Relationship Development / Prospecting - Develop and implement a relationship management plan for strategic, complex potential accounts to build key relationships at local and national levels. Coordinate the engagement of KBC with the customer organization to ensure effective two-way flow of information and resolution of issues.
Customer Needs Clarification - Consult with a range of customer representatives at different levels to identify the outcomes they require, introducing relevant internal specialists and utilizing their expertise to gather and analyze complex customer data, clarify mid- to long-term customer needs, and develop and agree to a specification of customer requirements.
Sales Opportunities Creation - Actively create and drive new business opportunities by engaging directly with potential clients, attending industry events, and building a strong personal network of senior decision-makers. Represent the Company externally to uncover client needs, gather valuable market intelligence, and position the company as a trusted, forward-thinking partner. Through strategic outreach and consistent presence in the business community, enhance the Company’s reputation and fuel sustainable growth.
Sell Customer Propositions - Lead a cross-functional internal team (for example, technical, commercial, and legal) to configure a complex tailored or bespoke product and services solution and associated contractual terms that meet the customer's mid- to long-term needs at a national/key operating unit level. Negotiate agreement with the customer and internally with commercial colleagues to ensure that customer requirements are met at an acceptable level of profitability and cash flow escalating issues to senior management where appropriate.
Promoting Customer Focus - Develop internal marketing plans and work collaboratively with other departments to improve internal relationships and build strong external customer relationships.
Customer Relationship Management / Account Management - Develop and implement relationship management plans for complex existing customer accounts to identify and build relationships with relevant decision makers and influencers within the customer organization and to enable effective two-way flow of information and resolution of issues. Manage ongoing relationships with identified customer segments to ensure their needs are met, providing themes, summary analyses, and recommendations for changes based on customer input.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Data - Oversee the implementation and maintenance of the customer relationship management system within the area of responsibility, identifying and communicating opportunities for system improvement that may enhance the management of customer relationships.
Operational Compliance - Monitor and review performance and behaviors within area of responsibility to identify and resolve non-compliance with the Company's policies and relevant regulatory codes and codes of conduct.
Personal Capability Building - Act as subject matter expert in an area of technology, policy, regulation, or operational management for the team. Maintain external accreditations and in- depth understanding of current and emerging external regulation and industry best practices through continuing professional development, attending conferences, and reading specialist media.