Senior Technical Sales Engineer

About the role

We're looking for a Senior Technical Sales Engineer to lead sales and business development efforts for Optigon's materials characterization systems. This role is ideal for someone with a strong technical background who enjoys engaging with researchers and engineers, developing customer relationships, and driving sales of sophisticated scientific equipment.

As our first dedicated sales hire, you'll work closely with our founders and engineering team to expand our customer base across academic research, industrial R&D, and manufacturing. You'll take ownership of the sales process and work with customer prospects from initial conversation to close by understanding their application and helping identify how Optigon's measurement solutions can best serve their needs.

In addition to direct sales, you'll help establish scalable sales processes, identify new market opportunities, and coordinate marketing and outreach efforts. This is a hands-on role with opportunities to travel domestically and internationally, attend scientific conferences, and play a meaningful part in shaping Optigon's commercial growth.

Responsibilities

• Own sales opportunities from initial contact through product demonstrations, quotations, negotiations, and close
• Identify and engage prospective customers through cold outreach, industry research, referrals, and other lead-generation activities
• Develop and maintain relationships with researchers, engineers, and decision-makers at academic institutions and industrial companies
• Represent Optigon at scientific conferences, trade shows, customer meetings, and site visits, both domestically and internationally
• Work with our engineering team to coordinate product demonstrations, sample measurements, and technical discussions
• Maintain and develop our CRM, sales pipeline, forecasting, and customer follow-up processes
• Coordinate marketing and outreach activities, including LinkedIn, email campaigns, conference planning, and scientific content
• Identify new applications, customer segments, and market opportunities for Optigon's measurement technologies
• Gather customer feedback and work with our engineering team to inform product development and commercial strategy
• Contribute to building scalable sales workflows, documentation, and best practices

Desired Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Materials Science, Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field
• 2+ years of relevant experience in technical sales, business development, or a customer-facing role involving scientific or industrial equipment
• Strong technical understanding of materials science, optical characterization, semiconductor devices, or related scientific fields
• Demonstrated ability to independently develop customer relationships, manage sales opportunities, and drive commercial outcomes
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage technical audiences and explain complex technologies
• Strong organizational skills and experience managing multiple customer relationships and sales opportunities
• Willingness to conduct cold outreach, travel to customer sites, and represent Optigon at industry events
• Ability to work independently, take ownership, and contribute across functions in a small-team environment

Additional Experience (nice to have)

• Master's degree or PhD in Materials Science, Physics, Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, or a related field
• Research or industry experience with perovskites, thin-film photovoltaics, semiconductors, or other optoelectronic materials and devices
• Experience selling scientific instruments, optical characterization systems, semiconductor metrology equipment, or manufacturing inspection systems
• Familiarity with photoluminescence, spectroscopy, microscopy, or other optical characterization techniques
• Existing relationships with academic research groups, industrial R&D teams, or manufacturers in relevant markets
• Experience developing sales processes, CRM systems, or business development strategies at an early-stage company

Role Details

• Compensation: Competitive base salary, plus commission, equity, and benefits
• Health and dental insurance with up to 100% premium coverage
• 401(k) Matching
• Job Type: Full-time, in-person
• Location: Somerville, MA (Greentown Labs)
• Travel: 25-40% (domestic and international)

Additional information

If you don't meet every qualification listed above, we still encourage you to apply. We value practical experience, curiosity, and a willingness to learn, and we recognize that no candidate checks every box.