Manager, Technical Sales & Applications - Trim Systems

Current CVG employees, please click HERE to login and apply. CVG Trim Systems & Components is seeking an Manager, Technical Sales & Applications to drive technical and commercial growth across our injection-molded trim portfolio. This is a hybrid role for an experienced plastics professional who can sit across the table from a customer's engineering team in the morning, work through a DFM challenge on a complex molded part, and then shift gears in the afternoon to lead RFQ strategy, quote positioning, and account expansion. Roughly 60% of the role is hands-on applications engineering: material selection, tooling strategy, manufacturability analysis, and real-time technical problem-solving in front of customers. The remaining 40% is commercial: building relationships across engineering, sourcing, and operations leadership at target accounts, identifying whitespace, and converting technical credibility into booked business. Key Responsibilities Applications Engineering & Technical Customer Engagement (~60%) Act as the primary technical point of contact in customer meetings on injection-molded trim applications, including material selection, tooling, tolerances, and DFM Lead working sessions with customer engineering teams to diagnose design constraints, cost drivers, and manufacturability issues, and propose solutions on the spot Translate customer application requirements into manufacturable, commercially viable solutions in partnership with internal Engineering, Tooling, and Operations teams Drive DFM/DFA recommendations that improve part cost, cycle time, quality, and tooling longevity Support prototype reviews, PPAP discussions, and production readiness assessments Represent the Voice of the Customer in internal product development, capability planning, and capital investment discussions Business Development & Account Growth (~40%) Build and expand relationships across engineering, purchasing, program management, and executive levels at strategic customer accounts Identify whitespace within existing accounts and pursue new target accounts in automotive, commercial vehicle, and adjacent industrial markets Lead RFQ strategy, solution positioning, and proposal development in coordination with Sales, Engineering, and Program Management Quantify and communicate value (cost-out, performance, total landed cost, supply continuity) to technical and commercial buyers Contribute to annual revenue forecasting, pipeline reviews, and margin targets for the trim portfolio Represent CVG Trim Systems at trade shows, technical conferences, and customer engineering events Monitor competitor activity, material trends, and OEM platform changes to protect and grow share Required Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Plastics Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related technical discipline Minimum 7 years of combined experience in injection molding, plastics manufacturing, tooling, applications engineering, or technical sales within the plastics or molded components industry Demonstrated experience in a customer-facing role (applications engineering, sales engineering, or technical account management) Experience supporting or leading RFQ and quoting processes for engineered plastic components Ability to travel up to 50% within North America Authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship Preferred Qualifications Experience selling or supporting injection-molded components into automotive, commercial vehicle, heavy truck, agricultural, or construction equipment OEMs and Tier 1s Prior P&L exposure or experience owning a book of business with revenue targets Experience with Moldflow, GD&T, APQP/PPAP, and IATF 16949 environments Master's degree in Engineering, Plastics, or Business Administration Desired Characteristics Comfortable as the senior technical voice in the room — confident answering material, tooling, and process questions in real time without retreating to "I'll get back to you" Commercially minded engineer or technically grounded sales professional — equally credible discussing gate design and discussing margin Consultative seller who builds trust through technical depth rather than relationship-only selling Strong executive presence across engineering, purchasing, and operations audiences Self-directed and accountable; able to operate independently across a wide territory Strategic thinker who can prioritize accounts and opportunities for highest impact Skilled negotiator with disciplined pipeline and forecasting habits Collaborative across internal Engineering, Operations, and Program Management functions CVG IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER Commercial Vehicle Group, Inc (CVG) is an equal employment opportunity employer such that all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. 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