Senior Account Sales Engineer

Cognex•US_Minnesota_Field, MN

About The Position

Cognex is an international industrial machine vision company that develops vision and ID systems using optics, image sensors, and artificial intelligence software. The Senior Account Sales Engineer drives sales within an assigned territory, manages complex opportunities and customer relationships, and provides technical support throughout the sales and implementation process. The role works with end users, sales colleagues, integration partners, and engineering teams in a remote field-sales environment, including customer-site visits and overnight travel.

Requirements

5–8 years of technical sales experience in factory automation or a related industry, including demonstrated ability to manage complex sales cycles in direct-sales and partner-sales environments.
At least 3 years of experience with machine vision or similar fields.
Demonstrated success in solution-based selling and managing long-term, intricate projects.
Experience using CRM systems such as Salesforce or equivalent software.
Ability to sell technical products across organizational levels and cultivate long-term relationships with accounts and partners.
Expertise in demonstrating products and selling Cognex products amid multiple layers of competition and account requirements.
Action-oriented and self-motivated, with excellent communication and listening skills.
Ability to meet with multiple accounts at their sites weekly; overnight travel is required, with the amount dependent on geography.
Ability to work independently in a remote field-sales environment.
Valid driver’s license and ability to meet with multiple customers at their sites within a day or week.
Ability to lift up to 25 pounds and demonstrate Cognex products.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, ideally in a STEM or Business field.

Responsibilities

Attain or exceed the monthly territory bookings quota.
Drive territory bookings by applying territory and account management best practices and executing Cognex sales strategies and procedures for current and prospective customers.
Build and maintain a 12–24-month pipeline of qualified opportunities, focusing on large, complex projects.
Lead contract negotiations, close deals, and ensure compliance with agreements.
Capture and maintain account potential for current and future opportunities.
Conduct product demonstrations, assess applications, and deliver on-site solutions to address customer needs.
Complete standard application evaluations for customers.
Provide hands-on support for system programming and configuration after sale to support successful implementation.
Collaborate with integration partners and use the “best sales channel” approach to secure strategic opportunities.
Partner with Territory Sales Engineers, OEM Sales Engineers, and GAMs to coordinate coverage and support for key end-user accounts.
Coordinate complex application evaluations, leveraging the Applications Engineering team for technical assessments.
Manage weekly forecasts accurately and ensure timely, clear information flow within the team.
Use CRM and Service Cloud tools to track sales execution, monitor key metrics, and capture market insights.
Understand and apply Cognex sales strategies and processes.
Engage with the End-User Sales Readiness team to provide and coordinate pre- and post-sales support, technical guidance, application evaluations, and training.