Senior Sales Engineer - South Africa

About Kennametal

With over 80 years as an industrial technology leader, Kennametal Inc. delivers productivity to customers through materials science, tooling and wear-resistant solutions. Customers across aerospace and defense, earthworks, energy, general engineering and transportation turn to Kennametal to help them manufacture with precision and efficiency. Every day approximately 8,700 employees are helping customers in nearly 100 countries stay competitive. Kennametal generated $2.1 billion in revenues in fiscal 2023. Learn more at Follow @Kennametal: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.

Senior Sales Engineer

The Senior Sales Engineer will operate in the Mining Sector, with specific focus being given to Hard Rock (Underground and Open Cast) Mining customers within the borders of South Africa. The Senior Sales Engineer will be responsible for several activities within the sales process including for the identification of new opportunities at customers known to the business, as well as the identification of new opportunities at new customers. Coupled to this, the Senior Sales Engineer will be responsible for leading commercial negotiations linked to the applicable sales opportunities and with specific focus being given to the attainment of business-related Sales and EBITDA targets.

A key requirement of this role would be to continuously seek to increase Kennametal Market Share within this segment, through the identification of product development opportunities, thereby allowing for the development and introduction of additional products into the segment. The Senior Sales Engineer will be required to be an active participant and key role player in the design / production / engineering / research and development process as the role will be responsible for driving interdepartmental collaboration forward to attain the desired sales related outcomes.

This position will further provide direction and support to both Local Management and the other Sales Engineers within the business to identify additional opportunities and markets. This position will also require long-term planning to accomplish the growth ambitions for this sector.

Key Job Responsibilities:

Drive the Kennametal cultural beliefs of Customer First, Everyone Matters, Own It, Be Bold, Focus Now.

Develop new and maintain existing relationships within the Sector, at End User, Original Equipment Manufacturer, Fabricator and Distributor level.

Identify business opportunities and generate sales.

Ensure that budgeted margins are maintained.

Develop and articulate the sales strategy for the role.

Prepares sales and engineering reports by collecting, analyzing, and summarizing information.

Support sales forecasting, plan preparation and sales inventory planning.

Lead in the design, production, engineering, or research and development process required to ensure that products and services are enhanced to suit the needs of the customer.

Maintains professional and technical knowledge through various means, including but not limited to the reviewing professional publications and establishing personal networks.

Provide technical support to customers.

Education:

Technical Engineering Qualification – Preferably in a related field. (Fabrication / Manufacturing / Design of metal components used in the mining or adjacent industries.)

Relevant Work Experience:

5+ years of sales and sales leadership experience.

Proven commercial understanding with a track record of developing and executing strategies and action plans.

Experience in the management of Key Accounts and Distributors specifically within the mining industry.

Functional / Technical Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:

A broad knowledge of the Underground and Open Cast Mining industry, specifically focusing on Hard Rock mining in South Africa.

An in-depth understanding of the manufacturing industry and concepts associated with machine design / welding and fabrication.

Excellent verbal, presentation, and written communication skills.

Strong business and commercial acumen.

Strong influencing skills at multiple levels of an organization.

A process-oriented mindset supported in applying Sales productivity tools and systems (CRM, SAP etc.)

An independent self-starter and team-player.

Structured and analytical style of working.

Fluent in English – Speaking and writing.

Willingness to travel frequently including staying overnight.

Able to cooperate effectively on different levels externally and on lateral level within KMT.

Excellent planning skills.

Result and Performance focus.

Competencies:

Acting Decisively.

Acting Strategically.

Communicating Effectively.

Creating an Inclusive Environment.

Customer Focus.

Driving Continuous Improvement.

Driving for Results.

Safety Focus.

Integrity & Business ethics.

Equal Opportunity Employer