Associate Sales Engineer – Southern California

About the Role

Join Instron, a global leader in materials testing systems, and collaborate with engineers, researchers, and manufacturers to develop safer, stronger, and more reliable products. This role offers a unique opportunity to grow into a trusted technical advisor within a company trusted by 95% of the world's largest manufacturers.

• Global Leader: Over 75 years of innovation and excellence in materials testing solutions.
• Meaningful Work: Partner with professionals in industries such as medical devices, aerospace, automotive, and consumer goods.
• Cutting-Edge Technology: Represent industry-leading solutions.
• Career Growth: Develop technical, commercial, and customer-facing skills through structured training, mentorship, and hands-on experience.
• Collaborative Culture: Work alongside passionate, supportive colleagues who value curiosity, learning, and teamwork.

Responsibilities

• Partner with customers to understand testing applications, technical challenges, and business objectives.
• Recommend solutions and support product demonstrations, technical presentations, proposals, and quotations.
• Collaborate with Sales Engineers, Applications Engineers, and Product Managers to solve complex customer problems.
• Build trusted customer relationships through responsiveness, technical expertise, and exceptional support.
• Manage opportunities using CRM tools while continuously expanding your knowledge of testing applications, technologies, and industry trends.

Requirements

• Strong mechanical aptitude, intellectual curiosity, and a passion for learning new technologies.
• Excellent communication, problem-solving, and relationship-building skills with a customer-focused mindset.
• Self-motivation, coachability, and the ability to work independently while contributing to a collaborative team environment.
• A technical bachelor's degree (Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or similar) with 0-5 years of relevant experience in engineering, manufacturing, laboratory, technical support, applications, or customer-facing roles. Technical sales experience is a plus but not required.
• Enthusiasm for a development-focused role that includes travel throughout Southern California and a comprehensive onboarding program, with approximately 50% of the first 12 months spent in the Boston, MA area working alongside technical experts, Sales Engineers, and product teams.
• Current Southern California residency is strongly preferred.

Pay

This position has a starting salary range of $80,000 to $90,000 per year and includes an incentive structure. Pay is determined by several factors, including a candidate’s experience, relevant skills, and qualifications.