What are the responsibilities and job description for the Sales Engineer - Service position at Dürr?
Your Tasks
- The Sales Engineer – Automotive Paintshop Service & Upgrades is responsible for supporting automotive OEM and Tier 1 customers with technical and commercial proposals for paintshop modifications, upgrades, retrofits, and refurbishments. This role leads specification reviews for service-related RFQs, defines technically sound upgrade solutions, and develops accurate cost calculations for associated work on existing paint shop systems.
- Service RFQ & Scope Review
- Lead and support technical reviews of service-related RFQs for automotive paintshop upgrades, modifications, expansions, and refurbishments.
- Analyze existing paintshop installations, as-built documentation, and operating conditions to define upgrade scope.
- Interpret customer requirements related to performance improvements, capacity increases, quality enhancements, safety upgrades, and regulatory compliance.
- Identify constraints associated with brownfield environments, including production continuity, space limitations, and phased implementation.
- Specification Development & Finalization
- Develop and finalize technical specifications for service and upgrade proposals, including:
- Equipment retrofits and replacements
- Process improvements and technology upgrades
- Controls, automation, and software updates
- Safety, environmental, and compliance-related modifications
- Define assumptions, interfaces, exclusions, and responsibilities clearly for service scope.
- Coordinate with service engineering, controls, electrical, and mechanical disciplines to ensure feasibility and alignment.
- Cost Calculation & Commercial Support
- Prepare cost estimates for service work, including equipment, engineering, installation, commissioning, production downtime, and aftermarket services.
- Work with suppliers and internal service teams to obtain accurate pricing for parts, labor, and subcontracted work.
- Cross-Functional & Service Collaboration
- Act as the technical-commercial interface between Sales, Service Engineering, Project Management, Field Service, and Purchasing.
- Support internal proposal reviews, technical risk assessments, and execution readiness checks.
- Assist with technical handover from sales to execution, ensuring clarity on scope, assumptions, and constraints of live plant environments.
- Customer Engagement & Site Support
- Participate in customer meetings, plant walkdowns, and technical clarification discussions.
- Support bid clarification and negotiation phases with technical justification and cost transparency.
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Controls, Industrial, or Chemical preferred).
- Experience
- 5 years of experience in automotive paintshop systems, with a strong emphasis on service, upgrades, or brownfield projects.
- Proven experience supporting service RFQs and aftermarket proposals for automotive OEM facilities.
- Hands-on knowledge of operating paintshops and legacy equipment.
- Technical Skills & Knowledge
- Strong understanding of automotive paintshop processes and installed systems.
- Experience with retrofits, control upgrades, safety upgrades, and refurbishment strategies.
- Solid cost estimation skills for service, retrofit, and brownfield scopes.
- Familiarity with global and regional codes and standards applicable to existing facilities.
- Ability to interpret as-built drawings, OEM standards, and plant documentation.
- Soft Skills & Competencies
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, particularly for constrained environments.
- Excellent communication skills with both technical and non-technical customer stakeholders.
- High attention to detail, especially around scope definition and risk management.
- Ability to manage multiple service RFQs simultaneously in a time-sensitive environment.
- Practical, solution-oriented mindset with strong customer focus.