Sales Engineer

Job Description
Job Purpose
As a Sales Engineer covering London & SE, you will play a critical role in driving revenue growth through both the development of new customer relationships and the nurturing of existing accounts. You will be the face of Instron to customers, responsible not only for sales generation but also for aligning our solutions with customer needs and acting as their advocate within our organization.

This role combines strategic territory planning with hands-on technical engagement, requiring both commercial acumen and technical proficiency in materials testing systems.

Key Tasks & Responsibilities
Sales Execution & Growth

• Own and manage the entire sales cycle within your assigned territory.
• Develop and execute a territory plan that supports long-term growth and short-term performance targets.
• Identify, qualify, and convert new business opportunities.
• Drive sales of Instron's broad portfolio of products including electromechanical, fatigue, impact, and rheology

Customer Engagement

• Deliver compelling, solution-focused product and software demonstrations tailored to customer needs.
• Provide timely and technically sound responses to inquiries and application challenges.
• Act as a trusted advisor by understanding customer objectives and aligning solutions to achieve them.
• Build and maintain long-term customer relationships that lead to repeat business and referrals.

Collaboration & Forecasting

• Work closely with Account Representatives, Service teams, and Application Engineers to ensure customer satisfaction.
• Maintain accurate funnel and forecasting data to meet monthly and quarterly targets.
• Bring valuable market and customer insights to influence internal product development and innovation.

Key Competencies

• Strong technical aptitude with the ability to quickly master complex product lines.
• Ability to clearly communicate technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• High level of self-motivation, initiative, and independence.
• Skilled in managing multiple priorities and navigating complex buying processes.
• Fluency in English, both verbal and written.
• Cross-cultural awareness and adaptability when working with international teams and clients.
• Prior experience in technical B2B sales, ideally within materials testing, capital equipment, or scientific instrumentation.
• Proven track record of exceeding sales targets in a technical field.
• Experience working independently in a remote sales capacity, preferably within the automotive or manufacturing industries.
• Familiarity with CRM tools and sales pipeline management.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Automotive Engineering, or a related technical discipline.

Key KPIs
The primary Key Performance Indicators ( KPI's) for this role will be:

• Manage a strong, healthy sales funnel aligned with annual sales target.
• Accurate forecasting and funnel velocity.
• Successful acquisition of new customer accounts.
• High-quality customer engagements, including demos, visits, and application testing.
• Positive feedback from customers and internal stakeholders.
• Clear communication and collaboration with global product teams to influence future developments.

Working Conditions

• Normal office environment. Telephone and remote video meetings / communication with customers and colleagues in the team.
• Requirement to travel to customer sites at short notice and up to 50% to 60% of the time for up to two weeks at a time.
• Working hours may need to be adapted to accommodate business needs and may include weekends or evenings on occasion.

Physical Requirements

• Some lifting and handling will be required during customer product demonstrations and exhibitions.