Assistant Manager, Sales Engineering

About the role

The role provides effective technical and design proposals to improve customer satisfaction and win new programs and new business. This is a remote position based in Detroit, MI.

Key Accountabilities

• Lead sales engineering activities to ensure accurate, timely, and high-quality technical support to customers across multiple programs.
• Ensure customer requirements are fully understood and translated into feasible designs.
• Manage product development timelines and technical deliverables.
• Drive effective technical communication with customers and internal stakeholders.
• Ensure material and validation compliance to support production readiness.
• Support customer satisfaction through quality and issue resolution.
• Contribute to technology development, team capability, and continuous improvement.

Primary Responsibilities

• Manage multiple program timelines, ensuring on-time customer approvals for tools, designs, prototypes, and validation milestones.
• Work closely with customers, Japan team, production, materials, and quality teams to ensure clear understanding of requirements and feasible, manufacturable solutions.
• Provide technical input, feasibility assessment, and solution development to support new customer opportunities and future programs.
• Prepare and manage quality deliverables (PPAP, APQP, AAR, FTN) and support investigation and resolution of quality events with customers and internal teams.
• Serve as a subject-matter expert in manufacturing processes, materials, and design principles, while training and mentoring junior sales engineers.

Core Functional Competencies

• Project Integration: Ensure that all of a project's work elements are coordinated, including project planning and execution processes.
• Project Management: Plans, organizes, and manages tasks and resources to bring about successful completion of a specific project.
• Quality Control: Maintain curriculum and instruction quality standards.
• Consultative Sales Skills: Ability to alleviate channel partner's pain points and recommend products and services that meet channel partners' needs.
• Customer/Dealer Problem Resolution: Gather and analyze information to understand root causes of issues and determine appropriate solutions.
• Technical Product Acumen: Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of Yamaha's products and services.

Core Behavioral Competencies

• Yamaha Way (Will, Integrity, Initiative, Challenge, Commitment):
• Customer Focus
• Instills Trust
• Drives Results
• Manages Conflict
• Develops Talent
• Ensures Accountability

Qualifications

• Strong technical background in product design, manufacturing processes, and feasibility analysis.
• Proven ability to coordinate cross-functional teams across engineering, production, quality, and materials.
• Experience managing multiple programs, timelines, and customer deliverables simultaneously.
• Effective communication and negotiation skills with customers, suppliers, and stakeholders.
• Travel up to 50%, including international travel.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE

• Experience providing technical leadership or mentoring within an engineering team.
• Experience in the automotive industry, particularly supporting OEM customers.
• Knowledge of plastic injection molding and related manufacturing processes.
• Background working with multi-region teams, international customers, or programs involving cross-border engineering collaboration.
• Familiarity with automotive product launch and quality processes (e.g., APQP, PPAP, DV/PV).
• Demonstrated ability to support customer-facing engineering discussions and negotiations.
• Live in the Detroit metropolitan area.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package including Medical, Vision, Dental, LTD, Life-Insurance and 401k with match AND automatic contributions.
• Performance based bonus program.
• Robust employee wellness programs including free music lessons.
• Generous Wellness reimbursement program.
• Tobacco cessation reward program.
• Private concerts from award-winning artists.
• Discounted hotel, travel, entertainment, and other attractions.
• Employee product purchase program.
• Casual dress.
• Vacation, sick-time and personal floating holidays.
• Monthly events, for example -- Bring Your Dog to Work Day, Employee Singing Competitions, Spirit Week and other fun events.
• Inclusive and passionate culture.