Fractional Sales Engineer – Industrial Automation
The Problem US automation integrators lose weeks on "the small stuff": custom brackets, mounting hardware, and cable kitting. They either overpay domestic shops or waste high-priced engineering hours on BOM sourcing. We act as their offshore shop floor, delivering ready-to-install custom components and bundles. We remove the sourcing friction so they can focus on commissioning. About the Role This is a fractional contractor role (10–15 hrs/week) for someone who understands shop floor bottlenecks and can verify the technical specs required to solve them. The Goal: Identify specific hardware/kitting pain, translate those needs into precise technical requirements for production, and convert them into 1–3 pilot orders. What You Will Do Discovery & Application: Run calls with Engineering Managers to map out where custom hardware is slowing down their specific robot cells. Technical Translation: Turn "it needs to fit here" into clean CAD requirements, material specs (e.g., AL6061, Anodizing), and tolerance checks. Qualify: Ruthlessly say "no" to projects that aren't a fit for offshore production or lack clear technical definitions. Technical Review: Act as the final filter to ensure the client’s request is "production-ready" before it hits our offshore facility. Summary: Send concise, technical notes after every conversation. What You Will NOT Do No CRM "activity" tracking or sales theater. No marketing, branding, or LinkedIn "thought leadership." No trade shows or travel. No selling safety-certified or high-liability systems. Ideal Background 5+ years in Industrial Automation (Application Engineering, Technical Sales, or Design). Deep comfort reading blueprints and verifying DFM (Design for Manufacturing) for custom parts. Speak the language of a Mechanical Engineer, not a "SaaS rep." Comfortable working with high-quality offshore manufacturing. Success Metrics (First 60 Days) 40–60 targeted integrators contacted 15–25 real discovery conversations 3–5 "Clean" RFQs (meaning: specs are 100% ready for our factory to quote). 2–3 pilot orders for sensor + cable bundles Compensation & Model $5,000/month contractor fee. Performance bonuses per technically qualified pilot RFQ. Month-to-month agreement. Fully remote; no travel required. Equity & Partnership This starts as a fractional contract, but I am looking for a partner, not just a contractor. If we hit the 60-day pilot targets and the chemistry is right, I want to discuss transitioning this into a co-founder/equity role to build the company together. The goal is to scale this to $10M+ in revenue over the next two years; I'm looking for someone to help lead that growth. Why This is Different We aren't selling software or "ideas." We are selling the elimination of assembly-line headaches. If you’re a technical person tired of corporate sales drag and want to ensure engineering quality is actually met, this is high-trust and low-politics. Apply tot his job