Senior Technical Sales Specialist - Supervisor

Primary Duties & Responsibilities

• Provides technical support and leadership throughout Coherent’s global sales organization, including preliminary feasibility assessments and design support.

• Translates customer requirements and specifications into clear technical guidance for Engineering, Product Management, and other internal stakeholders.

• Supports the development of product specifications for quotations, manufacturing, and specialty product designs, including pre-sales and post-sales activities.

• Coordinates long-term quality-improvement initiatives between customers and Coherent.

• Provides technical leadership and high-level support to assigned key accounts by working directly with end customers, Key Account Managers, Account Managers, and internal support functions.

• Maintains strong customer relationships and a high level of customer engagement through professional, timely, and effective communication.

• Serves as the primary technical interface between Sales, Product Management, and Engineering.

• Advises Key Account Managers and Account Managers on customers with complex or challenging technical requirements.

• Leads internal product training and knowledge-sharing activities focused on assigned business units and product lines.

• Supports business units and product lines in evaluating mid-term and long-term market demand, growth opportunities, and market potential.

• Provides input to business-unit and product-line budgeting activities and five-year strategic planning processes.

• Leads, mentors, and develops Technical Sales Specialists to promote consistent technical support, customer engagement, and alignment with business objectives.

Education & Experience

BA/BS degree in Science or Engineering; Background in Physics, Optics, Lasers, Electro-Optics, or Photonics.

5-10 years of technical sales experience in an Optics, Lasers, or Electro-Optics related industry.

Skills & Other Requirements

• Ability to understand customer applications, business challenges, needs, and opportunities and support the development of effective solutions.

• Provides product-application support to the global sales organization and external customers.

• Provides architectural direction and technical guidance to sales and pre-sales teams.

• Maintains awareness of emerging technologies, market trends, and operational developments relevant to assigned business units and product lines.

• Ability to gather, evaluate, and apply technical, operational, sales, and marketing information to support sound business decisions.

• Demonstrated innovation, collaboration, team leadership, accountability, and successful execution.

• Demonstrates passion, initiative, persistence, creativity, and accountability within the Technical Sales Team.

• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to understand complex business processes and data, make independent decisions, and implement effective solutions.

• Proven ability to communicate technically complex information clearly to audiences with varying levels of technical expertise.

• Ability to build and maintain strong business relationships with internal and external customers.

• Collaborates effectively with Engineering, Manufacturing, Product Management, Marketing, and Sales during product-development activities.

• Recommend product enhancements and updates to support new business opportunities and evolving customer requirements.

• Supports the development of sales and marketing strategies that promote profitable growth.

• Contributes to the development of pricing strategies and guidelines for new product development.

• Serves as a technical resource, mentor, and leader to the global sales organization and Technical Sales Specialist team.

• Demonstrated problem-solving, decision-making, organizational, and prioritization skills.

• Ability to adapt to changing business conditions, evolving technologies, and new responsibilities.

• Ability to achieve results independently and through effective collaboration with others.

• Identifies, recommends, and implements process and business improvements.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities involving internal teams, customers, and other stakeholders.

• Ability to work effectively in a cross-functional, cross-cultural, and global team environment.

• Handles special assignments promptly, professionally, and with appropriate follow-through.

• Demonstrates a high standard of ethics, professionalism, leadership, technical competency, and accountability.

• Willingness and ability to travel as necessary to meet business objectives.