Position Overview
We are seeking a dynamic, technically minded, and commercially driven Junior Sales Manager / Engineer to join our plastic manufacturing and packaging team in Cape Town. If you have a background in engineering, a technical eye, and a genuine passion for sales, marketing, and data-driven relationship building, this role offers an exceptional career trajectory.
Positioned as a crucial bridge between the engineering world and our commercial operations, you will initially focus on learning the ropes of technical sales, customer account management, and digital marketing. With mentorship from our senior leadership, this position is structured for rapid professional development, allowing you to gradually take full ownership of strategic account management, business development, and cross-functional product launches.
Key Responsibilities (Growing into the Role)
Technical Sales, Relationship Management & Travel
- Proactive Client Travel: Regularly travel to visit both existing customer accounts to nurture relationships and new prospective leads to unlock fresh business opportunities.
- Dedicated After-Sales Support: Take hands-on ownership of comprehensive after-sales support, serving as the dependable point of contact for clients post-delivery to ensure long-term satisfaction and account retention.
- Technical Consultation: Conduct customer site visits to understand product applications, engineering specifications, and initial manufacturing feasibility.
- Commercial Proposals: Assist in preparing and presenting technical quotations, commercial proposals, and supply agreements.
- Project Management: Take full ownership of executing smaller internal projects and growth initiatives from start to finish, managing timelines, resources, and deliverables to support business expansion.
Engineering, Shop-Floor Integration & New Developments
- On-the-Ground Learning: Integrate and interact regularly with the production and projects teams to deeply understand our specific manufacturing processes, tooling capabilities, and technical details.
- Managing New Developments: Lead and coordinate new product developments from a commercial standpoint, working closely with the projects team for technical assistance to get complex products that require extensive marketing and sales support successfully off the ground.
- Cross-Functional Liaison: Act as the primary bridge between the customer and our internal production, tooling, procurement, and quality teams to ensure technical and commercial requirements are achieved.
Data Representation, Forecasting & Process Improvement
- Data Visualization & Reporting: Utilize tools like PowerBI and other advanced data-representation methods to create clear sales forecasts, track key performance indicators (KPIs), and present data effectively to management.
- Cross-Functional Project Support: Collaborate actively with the internal projects team to manage aspects of finance and procurement related to new account rollouts and product lines.
- Systems & Data Optimization: Work closely with the personnel responsible for capturing data on the floor to optimize accuracy, streamline data-capturing workflows, and continuously improve internal reporting processes.
Marketing & Digital Branding
- Brand Execution: Take a proactive role in supporting the company's digital marketing, social media presence, and online brand positioning.
- Content Creation: Assist in maintaining the company website and developing marketing collateral, promotions, and campaigns alongside internal resources or external partners to drive product awareness.
- Digital Campaigns & Lead Generation: Monitor and optimize incoming lead generation. Prior experience with Google Ads, SEO, and other modern digital marketing techniques to capture scalable market interest is highly advantageous.
Key Skills & Qualifications
Education, Experience & Technical Foundation
- Experience: 2 to 4 years of relevant work experience in a technical sales, engineering support, or production environment where you have been exposed to commercial operations.
- Qualification: A Diploma or Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical field.
- Technical Acumen: Ability to interpret technical drawings, understand physical product specifications, and translate technical needs into viable business solutions.
- Industry Interest: A keen interest or basic exposure to plastics manufacturing processes (e.g., injection moulding, blow moulding, extrusion and packaging) or general production environments is highly advantageous.
- Project Management Knowledge: Strong foundational knowledge of project management methodologies to independently plan, track, and lead smaller projects and organizational initiatives. Prior training or certification in project management is highly advantageous.
Commercial, Sales & Analytical Skills
- Sales Passion & Modern Methodologies: A distinct drive for business growth, relationship-building, and commercial negotiation. As a core part of your professional development, you will be expected to know, utilize, and expand your skills with frameworks such as:
- SPIN Selling & Consultative/Solution Selling: Shifting focus to active listening, diagnosing production problems, and aligning capabilities with customer needs.
- Lead Qualification (BANT Framework): Evaluating prospects based on Budget, Authority, Need, and Timeline.
- Strategic Frameworks: Building trust and navigating complex B2B cycles using concepts from Challenger, Sandler, or SNAP selling.
- Sales Funnel Tracking: Managing explicit steps from initial touchpoint to final order closure.
- Data & Analytics Literacy (PowerBI): Solid proficiency in data representation, sales forecasting, and tracking KPIs. Hands-on familiarity with PowerBI, advanced Excel analytics, or similar Business Intelligence (BI) platforms is strongly required.
- Project Management Mindset: Strong organizational skills to manage complex product rollouts. Prior training or certification in project management methodologies is highly advantageous.
- Communication & People Skills: Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills. Must be a natural "people person" who excels at building rapport, active listening, and managing cross-departmental relationships confidently.
- Problem-Solving Ability: A strong technical and commercial problem solver who can think on their feet, troubleshoot customer roadblocks, and find practical manufacturing solutions.
Language Requirements
- English: Excellent verbal and written English proficiency is essential for professional correspondence, proposal writing, and technical presentations.
- Afrikaans: The ability to speak and understand Afrikaans is highly advantageous for regional customer engagement and shop-floor collaboration.
Personal Attributes
- High learning agility with a desire to be mentored and "taught the ropes."
- Proactive, self-motivated, resilient, and target-driven.
- Highly collaborative with the ability to fit into a close-knit, fast-paced manufacturing team.
- Exceptional attention to detail, accountability, and professional integrity.
Compensation & Benefits
- Competitive foundational salary structure aligned with a junior/growth-track role.
- Retirement Annuity (RA) contribution included as part of the company benefits package.
- Performance-based incentive structure as you begin bringing in and securing accounts.
- Clear career development pathway to evolve into a fully-fledged Sales Engineer / Business Development Manager.
- Direct mentorship and training from senior management, Engineering Managers, and the Managing Director.
Education:
- High School (matric) (Required)
Work Location: In person
