Sales Engineer

Job Description

Job Title: Sales Engineer
Department: Sales / Preconstruction / Mechanical Construction
Reports To: Sales Manager / Preconstruction Leadership
FLSA: Exempt
Location: Chesapeake, VA

Who We Are

Our Client is deeply committed to its people, culture, and continued business growth. As a full-service MEP contractor, Our Client takes pride in the quality and expertise of its teams, who work across a diverse range of specialties including New Construction, Mechanical Service, Industrial Refrigeration, and Manufacturing.

Perks of Joining Our Client

• Competitive salary
• Career development and progression
• 401(k) plan with company match
• PTO and paid holidays
• Excellent medical, dental, life, vision, and disability benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employee referral incentives
• Car allowance and gas card

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

A Day in the Life
• Develop project solutions that bring value to existing customers and create a competitive advantage in bid situations through value engineering
• Prepare cost estimates and technical proposals for HVAC systems on commercial projects, with a focus on design-build and more complex opportunities
• Serve as the technical point of contact during the preconstruction phase, supporting proposal development and ensuring technical accuracy
• Stay current on relevant codes, standards, and industry requirements to guide customers and support compliance throughout the project lifecycle
• Engage directly with customers, engineers, vendors, and subcontractors to uncover new opportunities and understand market conditions
• Qualify upcoming projects by evaluating scope, risks, delivery approach, award timelines, customer expectations, and overall project fit
• Collaborate with customers to define clear project scopes and translate technical and commercial requirements into actionable information for internal teams
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key vendors and subcontractors to support competitive pricing, reliable partnerships, and high-quality project execution
• Partner with the sales team to develop and refine budgets, ensuring alignment with project requirements and customer expectations
• Support customer relationships by providing technical insight, problem-solving, and solution-oriented recommendations

Qualifications

• Experience in mechanical design, estimating, sales engineering, preconstruction, or a related mechanical construction role
• Strong technical and mechanical knowledge of HVAC, ductwork, plumbing, and piping systems
• Experience preparing cost estimates, technical proposals, budgets, or project scopes for commercial mechanical projects
• Customer-facing experience with the ability to understand needs, explain technical concepts, and support project development

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Ability to translate customer challenges into engineered mechanical solutions
• Strong understanding of commercial HVAC and mechanical systems
• Ability to evaluate project scope, risk, timelines, delivery approach, and customer expectations
• Strong relationship-building skills with customers, engineers, vendors, subcontractors, and internal teams
• Ability to manage customer relationships, perceptions, and expectations
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel for cost estimating and engineering-related functions
• Strong communication, organization, and problem-solving skills
• Knowledge of business and management principles related to strategic planning, cost forecasting, resource allocation, and coordination of people and resources

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Building Construction, Construction Engineering Management, or a related field
• Business development experience with general contractors
• Experience supporting design-build mechanical projects or complex commercial HVAC opportunities
• Familiarity with preconstruction, value engineering, and proposal development processes

Equal Opportunity Employer

Our Client is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other protected status. Veterans and those with previous military experience are encouraged to apply.