Solaris Technical Salesperson - East Coast

CAF Group • Washington, DC

6d • $110,000 - $185,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

Solaris Bus & Coach is seeking a technically strong and commercially driven Technical Salesperson to support its expansion in the East Coast public transit market. This hybrid role involves technical sales, tender leadership, and early project support. The ideal candidate will lead customer discussions, shape opportunities, manage tenders end-to-end as a Tender Captain, and assist with early contract execution. This position is suited for an individual aiming to grow into a full commercial leader role, blending engineering knowledge with direct sales experience.

Requirements

• 3–8 years of experience in technical sales, application engineering, or product engineering.
• Solid understanding of vehicle systems (electric drivetrains, batteries, charging preferred).
• Solid understanding of mechanical and/or electrical engineering fundamentals.
• Ability to work with technical specifications, engineering documentation, and system descriptions.
• Strong communication and presentation skills (client-facing).
• Ability to combine technical depth with sales mindset.
• Comfortable interacting with customers and building relationships.
• Structured and detail-oriented, especially under tender timelines.
• Ambitious and willing to grow into full sales / commercial ownership role.
• Proactive, hands-on, and comfortable working in a developing organization.
• Able to manage multiple parallel workstreams (customers, tenders, internal coordination).
• Strong ownership mindset.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Automotive Engineering or similar.

Nice To Haves

• Automotive, commercial vehicles, or heavy equipment experience is preferred.
• Experience with tenders / RFP processes is a strong plus.
• Early-career candidates with strong technical and commercial potential are encouraged.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support direct customer interactions with transit agencies, combining technical expertise with commercial messaging.
• Conduct product presentations and demonstrations, technical workshops, specification discussions, site visits, depot walkthroughs, and roadshows.
• Translate customer needs into technical solutions, aligning requirements with product capabilities.
• Clearly communicate value proposition (range, reliability, lifecycle cost, performance).
• Build relationships with both technical and procurement stakeholders.
• Act as Tender Captain for selected opportunities, owning bid success end-to-end.
• Lead 3–4 tenders in parallel, including initial qualification, bid strategy definition, and coordination of internal stakeholders.
• Serve as primary interface with the customer during the tender process.
• Manage RfP clarification (Q&A), negotiations, and final offer alignment.
• Make or recommend key trade-offs (e.g., customization vs. standardization, compliance vs. competitiveness).
• Prepare and contribute to tender content, including identification and documentation of RfP deviations.
• Work closely with the Bidding Office to ensure full RfP compliance, high-quality, timely submission, and support internal strategy and review meetings.
• Support early-stage tender shaping activities before RFP release.
• Engage with agencies to understand upcoming procurement plans and influence specifications toward product strengths.
• Identify technical risks, dealbreakers, and required adaptations early.
• Contribute to prioritization of opportunities together with Sales leadership.
• Support transition from bid to contract execution.
• Act as technical point of contact during early contract clarification and kick-off discussions with the customer.
• Ensure alignment between offer commitments and delivery capabilities.
• Support handover to project and aftersales teams.
• Act as the link between Sales, Engineering, and Operations.
• Coordinate with product development, supply chain, and after-sales and service teams.
• Ensure customer expectations are feasible, deliverable, and internally aligned.

Benefits

• This position does not support immigration sponsorship.
• We prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected status.
• We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level