Your next career opportunity
At Crawford, the #1 electrical distributor across Texas and Louisiana, successful associates drive and promote our mindset of Adapt, Dare and Learn. We are focused on building customer centric strategies, inspiring, empowering, and developing our associates who adapt to change and drive and deliver results.
Stay up to date with Crawford, follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook!
Position:
Automation and Controls Specialist
Location:
Houston, Texas
About Crawford:
If you are looking for a company who is committed to building a relationship with you, who encourages having fun at work, who is powered by difference, and who is passionate about your future, it's time to apply at Crawford Electric Supply. Known in the electrical distribution industry for being a great place to work and build a career, Crawford prides itself on being a business partner rather than just an electrical supplier to its customers. Every day, Crawford associates provide the best customer experience while at the same time offering the widest variety of electrical products on the market. For the past 30 years, Crawford has built a culture of growth, opportunity, innovative thinking, and stability for its employees by truly living up to the company motto of, "Whatever it Takes!" through our mindset competencies below:
Want more jobs like this?
Get Human Resources and Recruitment jobs in Deer Park, TX delivered to your inbox every week.
Adapt: Effectively embrace new situation and people
Dare: Appropriately challenge the status quo
Learn: Learn from others, from mistakes, and self-improve
Job Summary
The Automation and Controls Specialist is responsible for driving the business strategy to accelerate growth in Automation related businesses including but not limited to:
Schneider Electric and other automation component sales such as programmable controllers, I/O, safety, industrial computers, motor drives, system network design, operations software, and plant maintenance software.
This position will create and execute a sales plan that meets or exceeds set sales goals for both accounts directly assigned as well as the overall Automation sales of the area of responsibility. This includes providing technical, marketing, and commercial leadership for sales growth, being responsible for supporting the commercial plan for this business segment and taking a lead role in developing a competency plan to ensure that support functions (inside/outside sales) are adequately prepared to maximize share gain for this business in the assigned territory.
Responsibilities
- Area of responsibility includes locations within and adjacent to the Houston, Texas market and Texas I-10 corridor.
- The Automation and Controls Specialist serves as the key driver and business leader for the area of responsibility for all of Crawford's Industrial Automation products and service offerings.
- This position must be able to articulate the value of Schneider Electric's portfolio of Automation products and services and utilize outcome-based selling strategies at all customer levels.
- Responsible for annual planning, forecasting, and driving the business strategy to accelerate business growth and sales performance in the assigned geography.
- Lead the commercial introduction of new products and services including:
- Set business goals,
- Identify customer targets,
- Drive marketing efforts, and
- Coordinating sales engagement
- Provide technical, application, and industry training to distributor account managers for core products.
- Consult and advise customers on proposals and pricing strategies.
- Guide customers on the proper installation and configuration of core products, modernizations, and conversion to upgraded technology.
- Collaborate with Crawford and Schneider Electric Automation sales, specialists, and domain experts to sell core products.
- Provide pre-sale and post-sale support.
- Understand market trends, business drivers, KPIs, and competing forces and translate them into customer solutions.
- Build and maintain trusted customer relationships, while understanding the different personas within the customer (e.g., buyer vs influencer) as well as their business drivers.
- Develop, create, and implement account and territory plans, campaigns, and commercial programs for new and existing business.
- Act as a trusted partner to the aligned Schneider Electric (Square D) Automation Business Units (BUs), providing local market intelligence and constructive customer feedback.
- Interface with Schneider Electric's Business Leaders and Technical Consultants to facilitate the resolution of quality and delivery issues when necessary and provide feedback to the appropriate Schneider Electric Specialist team relative to product or service gaps, as well as opportunities.
- Develop marketing and sales collateral on their products, services, and solutions relevant to their market for internal, partner, and customer use.
- Serve as a domain expert for this portfolio of products and services, maintaining and building technical and sales competency through both formal and informal training, as well as regular product updates and team meetings.
- Lead and support customer-facing technical events.
- Respond in a timely manner to customer and sales requests, including outside of normal business hours.
- Travel as required within assigned geography including overnight, and to training and other events nationally for up to two weeks annually.
- Acknowledge and maintain compliance with applicable Sonepar, Crawford, and Schneider Electric focused vendor policies.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor of Science in Engineering or equivalent combination of skills, experience, or education.
- 5 years' experience with Schneider Electric (Square D) automation services, products, and applications or equivalent experience with competitive products and solutions. (for Senior level; 1.5 to 5 years for Level II; 1 year for Level I)
- Ability to create professional proposals from customer specifications, follow process and approval procedures.
- Good technical writing, presentation, and communications skills with the ability to present topics to groups of customers and internal peers in English. Ability to converse in additional languages, especially Spanish, would be very desirable.
- Ability to determine data trends and utilize the information in the decision-making process.
- Demonstrates professional selling skills, e.g., prospecting, negotiation techniques, preparing for professional meetings, handling customer objections, gaining committed customer relationships.
- Ability to identify and understand market trends and conditions, competitive forces, sales opportunities, and growth through strategic business planning.
- Willing to continuously learn and improve technical competency.
Preferred Qualifications
- Outcome-based sales experience with an understanding of the important business drivers (key factors and activities that drive the operational and financial results) for industrial customers.
- Deep technical knowledge of programmable controllers, I/O, safety, industrial computers, system network design, design software, operations software, and plant maintenance software and able to articulate core product capabilities to customers in a way that is relevant to customer's industry and applications.
Note: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. All personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed. Crawford is an equal opportunity employer
Crawford is a subsidiary of Sonepar USA.
Why work for Crawford?
If you are looking for a company who is committed to building a relationship with you, who encourages having fun at work, who is powered by difference, and who is passionate about your future, it's time to apply at Crawford Electric Supply. Known in the electrical distribution industry for being a great place to work and build a career, Crawford prides itself on being a business partner rather than just an electrical supplier to its customers. Everyday Crawford associates provide the best customer experience while at the same time offering the widest variety of electrical products on the market. For the past 30 years, Crawford has built a culture of growth, opportunity, innovative thinking, and stability for its employees by truly living up to the company motto of, "Whatever it Takes!" through our mindset competencies below:
Adapt: Effectively embrace new situation and people
Dare: Appropriately challenge the status quo
Learn: Learn from others, from mistakes, and self-improve
Our Competitive Benefits?
401K Matching, Competitive Medical Plans (medical, dental, and vision), Paid Vacation/Sick time, Paid Holidays, Flexible Spending Accounts (Health and Dependent Care), Employee Assistance Program, Employee Discounts, Long term and Short term disability, Life Insurance, and ample opportunities to learn and grow.
About Crawford
In 1990, Crawford Electric Supply opened its first store in Dallas, TX and began a tradition of excellence. Within five years of opening, the store was ranked #1 in the twin city market. Over the next few years, Crawford grew from just one store of 6 employees with $2 million in sales to 6 locations with $320 million in sales (Dallas, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Fort Worth, and College Station). Always striving to be the preferred business to business provider of electrical products and solutions, each location rose to the top of their respective markets and continued to expand our footprint. Today, Crawford has grown to 25 locations across Texas and Louisiana with more than 600 associates. We are proud to serve commercial, residential, and industrial markets. Over the last 30 years, Crawford has lived up to and exceeded its motto of, “Whatever it Takes!“
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
Sonepar is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer encouraging diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship status, ancestry, sex, age, physical or mental disability unrelated to ability, marital status, family responsibilities, pregnancy, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, transgender, sex stereotyping, order of protection status, protected veteran or military status, or an unfavorable discharge from military service, and other categories protected by federal, state or local law.
Sonepar and our family of brands are committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. In keeping with our commitment, we will take the steps to assure that people with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. Accordingly, if a reasonable accommodation is required to fully participate in the job application or interview process, to perform the essential functions of the position, and/or to receive all other benefits and privileges of employment, please call 843-745-2420 or email recruiting@sonepar-us.com.
EEO is the Law
Applicants and employees are protected under Federal law from discrimination. To learn more, Click here.
Pay Transparency Non-Discrimination Provision
Sonepar follows Executive Order 11246, including the Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision. To learn more, Click here.