Senior Sales Solutions Engineer

About Aerovel (the Airbus Helicopters Flexrotor Program)

Aerovel, the Airbus Helicopters Flexrotor Program, is seeking a Senior Sales Solutions Engineer to join our Sales Team in Bingen, WA. This role is crucial for driving sales growth by providing technical expertise throughout the sales process and acting as a liaison between sales and engineering. You will ensure customer requirements are translated into technical solutions, support customer-facing materials, and coordinate with engineering for tailored product offerings. Additionally, you will support marketing initiatives, event coordination, and operational excellence.

About the Team

The Airbus Helicopters Flexrotor Program offers an advanced small tactical unmanned aerial system (STUAS) with vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capabilities. This technology is designed for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) operations, day or night, for US and allied forces on land and at sea.

Your Working Environment

Located in the scenic Columbia River Gorge in Bingen, WA, our workplace fosters innovation and allows you to contribute to groundbreaking solutions. We offer a collaborative environment where you can solve complex challenges and celebrate successes as part of a cohesive team that values innovation and the beauty of the Pacific Northwest.

How We Care for You

• Financial Rewards: Competitive base salary, incentive compensation (including profit sharing), retirement savings plan, and Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).
• Work/Life Balance: Generous paid time off, personal time, holidays, and parental leave.
• Health & Welfare: Comprehensive insurance coverage (medical, prescription, dental, vision), life and disability insurance, and Employee Assistance Plan (EAP).
• Individual Development: Opportunities for upskilling and development through our global Leadership University, offering over 10,000 e-learning courses, certifications, career path development, accelerated programs, and national/international mobility.

Your Challenges and Responsibilities

Sales & Technical Support (60%)

• Lead technical capture efforts, ensuring solutions are technically sound, feasible, and aligned with the Flexrotor product roadmap.
• Provide product and service expertise to drive customer engagement, solution alignment, and successful deal capture.
• Serve as the primary technical lead for BD engagements, interfacing cross-functionally with Sales, Engineering, Operations, and Program Management.
• Manage technical content for proposals, white papers, and capability briefs, ensuring accuracy, clarity, and compliance.
• Act as the primary technical point of contact for customers, addressing inquiries and providing product demonstrations.
• Translate complex technical concepts into clear, customer-friendly language for proposals and presentations.
• Support compliance checks (e.g., export, regulatory, denied party screening) for technical offerings.
• Develop and execute technical strategies to maximize win probability with high-quality, compliant proposals.
• Support competitive analysis and market intelligence to keep the sales team informed on industry trends.
• Manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment, including pre-sales technical support, proposal contributions, and solution development.
• Train Offer and Sales teams on the technical aspects of the Flexrotor.

Liaison with Engineering (30%)

• Act as the bridge between sales and engineering, ensuring alignment on customer requirements, technical feasibility, and delivery timelines.
• Facilitate regular meetings and communications between sales and engineering to resolve technical challenges and prioritize customer needs.
• Serve as a strategic bridge between client needs and technical execution, influencing the product vision and engineering roadmap.
• Coordinate updates to product configurations and pricing databases with engineering.

Marketing and Event Support (10%)

• Support the creation and maintenance of technical marketing collateral (brochures, presentations, digital assets).
• Support logistics for trade shows, conferences, and customer demos, including technical setup and support.

Your Boarding Pass (Qualifications)

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or equivalent experience.
• Minimum of eight (8) years of experience in technical sales, solutions engineering, program management, or a related field.
• Minimum of five (5) years of experience in the aviation, aerospace, or UAS industry.
• Minimum of five (5) years of experience working with cross-functional teams, especially engineering and sales.
• 10% Domestic and International Travel required.
• Must be a US Person under ITAR definition (U.S. Citizen, green card holder, or person covered under our existing ITAR license).
• Proficiency in translating and understanding engineering drawings and technical specifications.
• Ability to lead multiple simultaneous tasks with potentially overlapping deadlines.
• Strong attention to detail, excellent organizational skills, solid follow-through, strong motivation, personal and communication skills.
• Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear, compelling messaging for both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Proficient in CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce), MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), and data analysis tools.
• Ability to communicate effectively in verbal and written form in English.
• Operator level proficiency in MS Office 365, GSuite applications, Adobe Acrobat, and Solidworks.

Preferred:

• 2 years of experience in proposal development.
• 5 years of experience with Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) solutions.
• 5 years of experience working with U.S. Federal or International government requirements and acquisition processes.
• Willingness to learn and adapt to new processes and requirements.
• Global mindset and proven track record managing complex projects across diverse time zones.
• Fluency in French, German, or Spanish.
• Proficiency in CostPoint, SharePoint, and Salesforce.

Physical Requirements:

This role is 90% Onsite. Specific physical abilities required include vision for reading screens and documents, hearing for conversations and warnings, speaking for communication, operating office equipment, carrying and lifting up to 10lbs, pushing/pulling small furniture, sitting for long periods, occasional squatting/kneeling, standing for discussions, and frequent independent travel. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) may be required, including safety shoes, glasses, hearing protection, masks, and gloves, especially during shop floor visits.

Key Information

• This role requires that you must be a US Person under ITAR definition.

Salary Range:

$143,000 - $229,000/year. Actual salary may vary based on geographic differential, skills, experience, and other factors. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, prescription insurance, EAP, FSAs, HSAs, life and AD&D insurance, short/long-term disability, 401(k), paid time off, tuition assistance, and potential bonuses.

Key skills/competency

• Sales Solutions Engineering
• Technical Sales
• Aerospace Engineering
• UAS Industry Expertise
• Customer Requirements Translation
• Proposal Development
• Cross-functional Collaboration
• Technical Marketing
• Market Intelligence
• STUAS/VTOL Systems