What are the responsibilities and job description for the Technical Sales Specialist - Data Center position at Optical Cable Corporation?
Basic Function: The Technical Sales Specialist proactively engages in and supports sales activities within data center environments, providing advanced technical expertise to effectively address complex customer requirements and deliver optimal OCC solutions.
Significant Responsibilities:
- Performs specific job responsibilities:
- Provides advanced technical expertise in support of outside sales, inside sales, and customer service teams, as well as directly to data center customers, including contractors, engineers, and consultants. Delivers technical training and certification support for OCC solutions, including structured cabling and data center infrastructure systems, and drives product specification at the end-user and consulting engineer level.
- Interprets and analyzes engineering drawings, specifications, and data center design documentation to develop accurate bills of material (BOMs) for complex project requirements.
- Develops and executes a strategic technical support plan for assigned sales territories, with a focus on data center markets, to increase specification, adoption, and sales of OCC products and solutions.
- Independently partners with the outside sales team to identify, pursue, and support new and existing business opportunities within the data center segment, in alignment with direction from the Manager of Business Development.
- Provides field-level technical, pricing, and product feedback based on customer engagements and project experience, specifically related to data center applications, and recommends improvements to enhance competitiveness and customer satisfaction.
- Serves as a technical account specialist for assigned strategic accounts and data center initiatives, collaborating with regional sales and business development teams while contributing market intelligence and competitive insights to the organization’s knowledge base.
- Promotes OCC’s service excellence and quality. Provides excellent service to customers; builds strong relationships and team cohesiveness; focuses on quality and positive solutions; communicates respectfully; demonstrates compassion and understanding in response to customer requests/needs.
- Champions OCC’s vision and values (as outlined in our 15 Essential Points of Success); complies with policies and procedures, ethical standards, and Code of Conduct.
Job Scope:
- Managerial: No direct reports. Partners with members of the sales and business development team to provide technical knowledge, support, and training as directed.
- Communication: Communicates regularly with outside sales representatives located in the territory, other regional sales managers, business development, inside sales representatives, senior management, and engineers.
- Confidentiality: A High level of confidentiality is required regarding corporate initiatives, customer matters, and employee issues
- Financial: Maintain reasonable expenses (being especially mindful of the travel and expense policy)
- Judgment: May make independent decisions concerning specific customer demands with consultation from the Outside Sales Representative or Business Development team
- Compliance: Responsible for SOX compliance as it pertains to the team's work processes; responsible for understanding, following, and administering corporate policies.
- Travel: Travel throughout the region and to headquarters up to 50% of working time.
Minimum Qualifications Required:
Education: BA/BS or equivalent educational background.
Experience: 3-5 years of sales experience in a technical support role
Licensure, Certification, and/or Registration: RCDD desirable
Essential Skills, Abilities, & Knowledge: Operate independently with little direct supervision; involve management staff appropriately. Participate in management and leadership level meetings. Utilize Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint with minimal support. Maintain interpersonal relationships through appropriate and concise communication, oral and written. Use math and writing skills to correctly complete all documentation required for team reporting and compliance obligations. Understand, follow, and administer policies, especially those related to quality and compliance. Attention to detail in completing assignments and documentation. Prioritize workload effectively. Effective interpersonal and communication skills with an ability to work in a team environment. Demonstrated history of making positive contributions to the organization as a technical resource. Experience within the cable connectivity market preferred.
Working Conditions: This is a partially sedentary job that requires a sighted individual (i.e., vision corrected to near 20/20) for computer usage and requires an individual with normal hearing (i.e., hearing corrected to normal ranges) for extensive, direct, and/or telephone contact with customers, management, and employees. Requires an individual with the ability to enter data into a computer. Responsibilities require an individual to be physically mobile to move around the building. The nature of this position and the personal interactions involved require that an individual possess significant and persuasive interactive communications skills. Requires an individual with the ability to travel within a geographic territory by car and by plane. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
Note: This job description is only meant to be a representative summary of the major responsibilities and accountabilities performed by incumbents of this job. The incumbents may be requested to perform job-related tasks other than those stated in this description.