Sales Specialist - Proposals

Crane Company•Twinsburg, OH

About The Position

The Sales Specialist - Proposals serves as a customer service point of contact for assigned products, customers, and accounts. The role handles inquiries involving quotations, sales orders, delivery status, invoicing, returns, and basic product support, resolving matters directly or escalating them appropriately. The position prepares proposals and quotations for standard and configured products, coordinating technical, pricing, delivery, and commercial inputs with Sales, Engineering, Supply Chain, Finance, and other stakeholders. It receives, reviews, and enters customer orders in SAP, confirming requirements, pricing, terms, product configuration, shipping and billing information, and supporting documentation. The specialist manages orders from receipt through shipment and invoicing, including acknowledgements, expediting, delivery coordination, documentation, and proactive status communication. The role follows approved pricing and commercial frameworks, identifies non-standard requirements for review and approval, investigates customer issues, coordinates corrective actions, and supports returns, repairs, and warranty transactions under established procedures. The role also maintains accurate customer, quotation, and order information in CRM systems; supports regional sales, orders, profitability, and Inquiry-to-Order quality goals; and contributes to procedures, metrics, special projects, and continuous improvement initiatives. This description indicates the general nature and level of work and is not a comprehensive inventory of all duties or qualifications.

Requirements

Associate degree in Business, Supply Chain, Engineering Technology, or a related field preferred; high school diploma or equivalent required.
At least five years of customer service, inside sales, order management, commercial operations, or related business experience in an industrial or business-to-business environment involving internal and external customers.
Demonstrated experience managing customer orders from quotation through delivery, including order entry, schedule management, pricing verification, and coordination with operations, engineering, and supply chain teams.
Experience reviewing customer purchase orders, interpreting commercial terms and conditions, supporting pricing activities, and ensuring compliance with contractual requirements.
Strong attention to detail, organization, and process discipline, with the ability to maintain accurate records and meet customer and internal commitments.
Strong oral and written communication skills and a practical, responsive, professional approach to customer and cross-functional interactions.
Ability to identify issues, coordinate solutions, and resolve routine to moderately complex problems with appropriate escalation.
Self-starter able to work independently, manage multiple priorities, and succeed in a fast-paced environment.
Proficiency with standard computer technologies, MS Office software, PDF creation, and business ERP and CRM applications.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting customers in industrial sensor technology, energy, nuclear instrumentation, oil and gas, or an engineered-product environment.
Experience with SAP or a comparable enterprise order-management system.
Experience preparing proposals, reviewing customer purchase orders, working within contractual and pricing frameworks, and coordinating commercial approvals when required.
Demonstrated ability to improve processes, document procedures, support team training, and contribute to customer-service metrics and operational performance.

Responsibilities

Serve as a customer service point of contact for assigned products, customers, and accounts; respond to or escalate inquiries about quotations, sales orders, delivery status, invoicing, returns, and basic product support.
Prepare accurate, timely proposals and quotations for standard and configured products, coordinating technical, pricing, delivery, and commercial inputs with internal stakeholders.
Receive, review, and enter customer orders in SAP, verifying requirements, pricing, terms, product configuration, ship-to and bill-to information, and required documentation.
Manage orders from receipt through shipment and invoicing, including acknowledgements, expediting, delivery coordination, documentation, and communication of status, risks, and changes.
Work within approved pricing and commercial frameworks; identify non-standard terms, specifications, or requirements and coordinate required reviews and approvals.
Investigate order, delivery, invoice, return, and service concerns; coordinate corrective actions across functions and communicate through resolution.
Process return material requests and authorizations and support repair and warranty transactions in accordance with established procedures and approvals.
Maintain accurate customer, quotation, and order information in CRM systems.
Support regional sales, orders, profitability, and Inquiry-to-Order quality goals.
Contribute to procedures, metrics, special projects, and continuous improvement initiatives.