Regional Sales Engineer- East Tennessee

Regional Sales Engineer – East Tennessee

Southern Tool Specialist, Inc. (STS) | Field-based in East TN (Knoxville, or Tri-Cities) | Full-time

Love being the person on the plant floor who solves the problem nobody else could? At STS, you won’t be pushing catalog SKUs. You’ll walk assembly lines at aerospace, automotive, EV/electrification, appliance and defense manufacturers, diagnose what’s slowing them down or causing defects, and engineer the fix — with world-class tools from industry leaders behind you and uncapped commission on every win.

We’re looking for a technically minded sales engineer to own our East Tennessee territory (including Southeast Kentucky and Western North Carolina) and grow it like it’s your own business.

WHY STS

• Specialists, not generalists. Assembly processes are our core competency. We focus on fastening, drilling and material handling and go deep, so customers bring us their hardest problems.
• Premier partners. We represent the leaders in fastening and assembly systems, Lübbering advanced drilling (including the L.ADU used in aerospace), and other carefully selected specialty tools.
• Where manufacturing is heading. You’ll help customers adopt Smart Factory and Industry 4.0 solutions: connected tools, error-proofing and data-driven quality.
• Real backup. You’ll have application engineering support, in-house tool service and repair at our Pelham, AL headquarters for fast turnaround, and a team of sales engineers across 10 Southern states.
• Proven and growing. We’ve served Southern manufacturers since 2001 and were recognized as a Top 10 Solution Provider for 2026.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Own the territory: manage and grow a book of manufacturing accounts across East TN, SE Kentucky and Western NC, and find new customers and new applications within existing accounts.
• Solve problems on-site: visit plants, evaluate assembly processes, and recommend tooling, software and material-handling solutions that improve quality, throughput and ergonomics.
• Engineer the solution: work with our application engineers and OEM partners to scope, demo and trial solutions, then build quotes and negotiate contracts.
• Build relationships at every level: from line operators and maintenance techs to manufacturing engineers, quality, purchasing and plant leadership.
• Bring customers into Industry 4.0: introduce connected fastening, traceability and error-proofing that turn tools into data.
• Plan and forecast: manage your pipeline and report to the East Zone Manager.

WHAT YOU BRING

Must-haves

• 3+ years of outside B2B sales in a technical, industrial or manufacturing setting
• A track record of growing territory: opening new accounts and expanding existing ones
• Experience building quotes, negotiating pricing and closing contracts
• Comfort on a plant floor and the ability to talk shop with engineers and buyers alike
• Ability to live in or near the territory (Knoxville, or Tri-Cities ideal) and travel about 80% of the time, with roughly 40% overnight
• A valid driver’s license
• Must be US Citizen

Nice-to-haves

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Industrial, Manufacturing or Electrical Engineering (or equivalent hands-on experience)
• Experience with assembly tools, power tools, torque/fastening, drilling, automation or material handling
• Familiarity with Industry 4.0, error-proofing, MES or quality systems
• Existing relationships with manufacturers in East TN, SE KY or Western NC

Engineer who wants to move into sales? Or a sales pro who loves the technical side? We want to hear from you. If you meet most of these, please apply. We provide hands-on training on our product lines from day one.

WHAT YOU’LL GET

• Uncapped commission on top of a competitive base salary, plus a vehicle allowance and paid travel
• Health coverage: STS pays 100% of employee medical premiums and 20% for dependents
• 401(k) with up to a 6% company match on base salary
• Paid holidays
• Structured onboarding and ongoing training on our product lines, partner technologies and Smart Factory solutions
• Room to grow in a growth-minded company where engineering rigor is celebrated and your territory’s success is your own