Controls Outside Sales Engineer
For more than 75 years, Air Equipment Company has been solving the toughest HVAC challenges with smart, reliable solutions. We partner with over 45 leading manufacturers to bring cutting-edge air systems to life—and we do it with a team that values agility, collaboration, and fresh thinking. From engineers to sales and support, every voice on our team plays a part in pushing the industry forward.
If you’re looking for your next move, we’re glad you found us. At AEC, you’ll join a company where local roots meet the strength of a national network—giving you the tools to grow, the space to innovate, and the chance to make a real impact from day one. We review every application carefully and appreciate your interest in growing your career with our team.
The Opportunity
The Controls Sales Engineer will play a pivotal role in driving the growth of AEC's Controls Products business. This is a territory-growth role for a technically sound, relationship-driven salesperson who can identify opportunities early, influence project direction, and convert technical value into booked revenue. The role focuses on ABB VFDs, Phoenix Controls airflow solutions, airflow monitoring, dampers, hydronic measurement, demand control ventilation, gas detection, life-safety systems, and related controls offerings.
A successful candidate will have AEC's established market reputation, manufacturer relationships, and internal technical support behind them while building trusted relationships with consulting engineers, mechanical contractors, controls contractors, owners, facility leaders, and end users.
Why Strong Salespeople Should Consider This Role
- Opportunity to help grow a focused controls offering backed by AEC's local reputation and long-standing customer reationships.
- Access to respected product lines including ABB VFDs, Phoenix Controls, Tamco, Onicon, Antrum, Intec gas detection, and complementary controls solutions.
- Ability to sell high-value outcomes: energy efficiency, building performance, airflow control, life safety, and critical-environment reliability.
- Internal technical, estimating, service, project execution, and manufacturer partner support.
- A competitive compensation and benefit package with performance-based incentive opportunity, ramp support, and upside for account growth.
Description of Principal Duties
- Develop and execute account plans to grow AEC Controls Products revenue in the assigned territory.
- Build and maintain relationships with consulting engineers, mechanical contractors, controls contractors, owners, facility managers, and end users.
- Maintain expert-level knowledge of the equipment and systems AEC represents, including applications, technical product knowledge, and project execution requirements.
- Promote ABB VFDs, Phoenix Controls airflow solutions, Tamco, Onicon, Antrum, Intec gas detection, and related controls offerings through presentations, customer visits, demos, and lunch-and-learns.
- Identify, generate, qualify, and pursue new opportunities, including plan/spec, design-build, retrofit, owner-direct, and service-led opportunities.
- Prepare budgets, quotations, and proposals in coordination with estimating, engineering, operations, manufacturer partners, and leadership.
- Maintain customer information, activity, pipeline, forecasts, next steps, and opportunity documentation in Salesforce.
- Provide the Application Engineering Team with the information needed for opportunity generation, order generation, and order entry when applicable.
- Coordinate clear sales-to-execution handoffs; assist Project Managers with project tracking, customer communication, submittal review, and order acknowledgment review as needed.
- Work with the entire sales team to help each other meet business objectives and protect long-term customer relationships.
- Participate in AEC's Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), including department L10 meetings, quarterly Rocks with milestones, and individual metrics; travel within the territory as required, with approximately 50%-75% of time out of the office.
- Other responsibilities may be assigned as needed.
What Success Looks Like
- First 90 days: learn AEC's controls portfolio, meet key manufacturer partners, understand active opportunities, and build a target account plan.
- By 6 months: actively develop opportunities with engineers, contractors, owners, and end users across the territory.
- By 12 months: build a qualified pipeline, grow booked controls revenue, strengthen customer relationships, and increase specification influence in priority controls segments.
Education, Experience and Qualifications
- Proven success in outside sales, technical sales, business development, territory management, or account management.
- Experience in HVAC, BAS/controls, VFDs, electrical distribution, mechanical systems, industrial automation, critical environments, engineered building products, or related technical solutions.
- Technical or engineering bachelor's degree preferred, but not required for candidates with strong technical sales experience.
- Commercial HVAC or controls sales experience is a plus.
- Familiarity with ASHRAE recommendations, construction drawings, specifications, construction schedules, and construction processes is preferred.
- Strong application aptitude, math/physics understanding, critical thinking ability, and willingness to learn.
Knowledge / Skill Set
- Effective interpersonal, customer service, and relationship-building skills.
- Strong written, verbal, and presentation communication skills.
- Ability to switch quickly between tasks based on priority and timeline.
- Team-oriented approach with strong follow-up, organization, CRM, and pipeline management discipline.
- High computer proficiency, including Word, Excel, internet research tools, and Salesforce or similar CRM platforms.
Physical Demands and Work Environment
- Primarily an outside sales role with customer visits, jobsite meetings, office/remote work, manufacturer interaction, and occasional travel for training or market development.
- Frequently required to stand, walk, and sit; continually required to use hand and finger dexterity, talk, hear, and read technical information or use a keyboard.
- Occasionally required to lift, push, or carry items less than 25 pounds.
About AEC
Our Purpose / Cause / Passion: Experts Helping Experts
Our Niche: Creating and maintaining healthy environments
- Core Values: We are humbly confident; we care; we do the right thing; we have a positive, can-do, solution-oriented attitude; customer success is paramount.
- Our Culture: We take our knowledge very seriously, but we do not take ourselves too seriously. Management is humble and approachable. Everyone is important. We do not abandon customers.
Resources Provided
- Onboarding program with one-on-one support from the president and executive leadership team.
- Ongoing access to leadership, employees, manufacturer partners, and internal technical resources.
- Professional development through seminars, conferences, web-based training, and manufacturer training.
- Outside sales resources should include, as confirmed by HR/leadership, vehicle or car allowance, fuel/expense support, phone, laptop, CRM tools, and a protected ramp period
*This job description shall remain fluid and will be reviewed on an as-needed basis.
Employment practices will not be influenced or affected by an applicant’s or employee’s race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status or any other legally protected status. Reasonable accommodations will be made for qualified individuals with disabilities unless doing so would result in an undue hardship.
Salary ranges listed are dependent upon a candidate’s qualifications, experience, internal equity, and the budgeted amount for the specific role and location.
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