Sales Engineer

Engineer the systems behind some of Chicago’s most impressive homes.

Our client is a Chicago-area technology integrator that has engineered, programmed and installed systems in high-end homes for more than 20 years. Their projects run from single rooms to seven-figure whole-home systems: lakefront estates with hundreds of lighting loads, dedicated home theaters and networks that span multiple buildings.

They need a Sales Engineer to be the technical authority behind every project. You’ll take architectural plans and a client’s vision and turn them into an engineered system with a cost model you’d stake your name on. Your designs, estimates and standards will shape how the company builds and prices everything it does.

You don’t need a home technology background. If you’ve worked as an estimator, applications engineer, project engineer or MEP or electrical engineer, you already have the hard part: reading drawings, building accurate numbers and making sound engineering calls. They’ll train you on the products, platforms and certifications.

About the Company

For 20+ years, they’ve designed and installed lighting systems and fixtures, motorized shading, cinema-grade audio and video, enterprise-class networks and the automation that ties it all together. They partner with leading architects, interior designers and custom builders, and they’re known for holding themselves to a higher engineering standard than the rest of the industry.

What You’ll Do

Design and estimating

• Review architectural, electrical and MEP drawings and design integrated lighting, shading, AV, automation and network systems

• Compare products, platforms and design approaches, and recommend solutions with clear, defensible reasoning

• Build complete estimates covering every device, cable, component and labor hour, and validate cost and margin before any proposal goes out

• Produce device layouts, rack elevations and engineering reviews for field teams to install from

• Manage scope changes and change orders as projects evolve

• Present design options and tradeoffs to clients, architects and designers alongside the sales and project teams

• Hand each project off to operations with a clean, complete engineering package

Engineering standards and quality

• Own and document the engineering and installation standards the whole team builds to

• Set programming standards for automation and control systems, review completed work and verify compliance

• Serve as escalation engineer for the service team by diagnosing complex system issues and reviewing programmers’ technical analysis

• Step in on system programming when a project calls for it

Tools, software and growth

• Help develop internal software and tools with outside development partners, from defining requirements to accepting the finished product

• Lead QA/QC testing on new software and systems before they go live

• Coordinate with outside vendors and developers to keep projects on spec, on schedule and on budget

• Evaluate new products and technologies to shape the platforms the company deploys

• Build estimating templates, product libraries and processes that let the company scale

Compensation & Benefits

• Base salary: $70,000 – $120,000.

• Annual performance bonus tied to accuracy and quality

• Full benefits (Medical, Vision, Dental)

• Paid training and certifications on platforms like Lutron and Savant

• A defined career path from Sales Engineer to Senior Sales Engineer to Lead Systems Engineer, with promotions tied to clear, measurable skills

• Ownership from day one. Your work sets the standard for the whole company.

• A consistent weekday schedule built for a long-term career

What You Bring

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical, mechanical, industrial, civil or architectural engineering, construction management or a related technical field (required)

• 2+ years in sales engineering, estimating, applications engineering, project engineering or similar technical work (preferred)

• The ability to read and interpret architectural, electrical and MEP drawings

• Advanced Excel skills. When you notice yourself repeating work, you build a tool to do it.

• Strong engineering judgment and a high standard for accuracy

• Clear communication with both technical and non-technical people, including clients, architects and outside vendors

• Experience with CAD, Revit or Bluebeam (preferred)

• A background in control systems, electrical or building systems (preferred)

• Experience with software QA, testing or managing outside development vendors (preferred)

• Familiarity with scripting, networking or control system programming is a plus. No coding is required.

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.