VP Sales Engineering

Vention • Detroit, MI

6d • Hybrid

About The Position

This is a pivotal leadership role at the heart of Vention’s commercial engine. You will lead the Application Engineers and Solution Architects who partner with our quota-carrying sales teams to win technically complex deals — ensuring every solution we sell is one our customers can successfully deploy to achieve their manufacturing automation objectives. Beyond supporting today's business across SMB, Commercial, and Enterprise, you will spearhead our evolution into larger, more complex Enterprise engagements — including multi-system deployments, professional services scoping, and solutions that stretch the boundaries of the MAP platform. You will be a bridge between what is commercially possible and what is technically sound.

Requirements

• 12+ years in industrial automation, robotics, or manufacturing technology, including deep hands-on technical expertise.
• 5+ years leading pre-sales, application engineering, or solutions engineering teams in a commercial technology environment.
• Demonstrated track record of partnering with quota-carrying sales teams to close complex, high-value deals.
• Experience scoping and selling professional services or project-based engagements alongside a product platform.
• Exposure to all commercial segments — from transactional SMB to large Enterprise / Fortune 500 manufacturers.
• Fluency in automation system design: mechanical, controls architecture, robotics, and AI enabled software integration.
• Comfort with the full pre-sales technical toolkit: concept design, BOM estimation, feasibility assessment, ROI modelling, and TCO business cases.
• Enough technical credibility to earn respect from your engineers and challenge assumptions in customer discovery.
• Strong commercial instincts — you understand deal economics, margin implications, and how pre-sales investment drives win rates.
• Exceptional communicator: equally effective presenting to a CTO, coaching a junior engineer, or aligning with a product team.
• Energized by ambitious targets, comfortable with ambiguity, and capable of building structure in a scaling organization.

Nice To Haves

• Bilingual (English/French) an asset
• experience working across North America and Europe a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and grow a team of Application Engineers and Solution Architects; align capacity and expertise to deal complexity and segment requirements
• Build career paths and a coaching culture that attracts and retains top automation and robotics engineering talent.
• Educate the team on best machine design practices, from EOL solution, to conveyor, to gantry robots, etc.
• Global team management
• Drive constant improvement in process, ways of working, template ad tools
• Deploy the right talent model: high-velocity support for SMB/Commercial; deeper, consultative engagement for Enterprise pursuits.
• Partner tightly with quota-carrying sellers and leadership across all three segments to qualify opportunities, shape the technical approach, and drive closure.
• Own the technical win — ensuring Vention’s solution architecture is compelling, credible, and competitive at every stage of the sales cycle.
• Define and enforce rigorous scope validation standards so that every committed solution is deliverable within budget and timeline.
• Ensure that pre sales engineering resources are utilized effectively and efficiently
• Support client visits and business development activities
• Support complex RFQ/RFP responses, executive-level presentations, and technical workshops for Enterprise prospects.
• Lead the design of pre-sales motions, solution frameworks, and engagement models suited to Enterprise complexity — multi-system, multi-site, and professional services–inclusive deals.
• In close partnership with Post Sales Engineering, work with customers and prospects to scope and price professional services engagements that set realistic expectations and protect project margins.
• Push the boundaries of the MAP platform: champion creative solutions, collaborate with Product and Engineering on feasibility, and help define what's next.
• Serve as the critical bridge between pre-sales and the post-sales engineering team — ensuring clean, detailed handoffs that set delivery up for success.
• Feed structured field intelligence to Product and Engineering: win/loss insights, recurring technical gaps, customer requirements that should shape the roadmap.
• Act as the stakeholder representing pre-sales in the Vention TMP product development process.
• Collaborate with Marketing on technical content, reference architectures, demo assets, and event presence that accelerate the pipeline.
• Build and continuously refine pre-sales processes, qualification frameworks, and design review cadences that scale across segments.
• Define and track pre-sales KPIs: technical win rate, time-to-proposal, scope change rate, and NPS at handoff.
• Develop tools, templates, and playbooks that multiply team output without sacrificing solution quality.

Benefits

• Career pathing: Real opportunities to grow through personalized development plans, bi-annual employee reviews, and mentorship program
• Professional development: Continuous training in performance management, inclusive leadership, leadership operating model, team building, and giving/receiving feedback
• Gender diversity & inclusion: Pay equity reviews, inclusive policies, and a Women’s Employee Resource Group offering networking, mentorship, and quarterly learning sessions.
• Hybrid work: Enjoy flexibility with our hybrid model, allowing you to work from home on select days.
• Community engagement: Two paid volunteering days per year to give back to causes you care about.
• Central location: Regular team gatherings and a collaborative office space in the heart of Montreal, surrounded by cafés and restaurants.
• Team events: All year round employee events including annual kick-off, employee summit, quarterly happy hours, and department events.
• Comprehensive benefits: A complete group benefits plan for you and your family that start day one.
• Top-up and benefits for new parents: Additional financial support and resources to support employees during their transition to parenthood.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: No Education Listed