Sales Engineer - Ethiopia (Nairobi based)

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Role Summary
We are looking for a high-energy, technically strong Sales Engineer to support distribution growth across assigned East Africa markets, including Ethiopia, while being based in Nairobi, Kenya. The role will focus on market intelligence, distributor enablement, technical product support, customer relationship development, and opportunity identification.
Key Responsibilities
Market Development and Planning
Developing regional market development plans for Ethiopia and assigned surrounding markets, aligned with Timken’s regional growth objectives as directed by the manager.
Identify and map target customers, end users, distributors, engineering companies, mining operations, cement plants, power generation facilities, manufacturing companies, and other industrial prospects across assigned markets.
Collect market intelligence on customer needs, competitor activity, industry trends, importation considerations, and distributor capability to support regional planning.
Prepare non-binding account insights, opportunity summaries, and recommended actions for review and decision by the Manager.
Customer and Distributor Engagement
Build and maintain professional relationships with distributors, end users, maintenance teams, engineering teams, procurement stakeholders, and other industrial contacts.
Conduct planned customer and distributor visits to understand technical needs, application requirements, and potential product fit.
Support distributor development through technical guidance, product knowledge sharing, joint visits, and coordination of approved marketing activities.
Coordinate with internal teams, including Sales, Marketing, Engineering, Customer Service, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain, to support customer and distributor responsiveness.
Escalate all commercial matters, including pricing, discounts, terms, quotations, purchase order acceptance, and contract-related discussions, to the Manager.
Technical Support
Provide technical presentations, product information, product demonstrations, and application support for Timken bearing and power transmission product portfolios.
Support distributors and customers with technical product understanding, application considerations, and troubleshooting guidance within approved Timken processes.
Read and interpret technical mechanical drawings, specifications, and application information to support accurate internal recommendations.
Provide internal and external technical training on Timken products and applications where approved by the Country Manager.
Pipeline, Reporting and Compliance
Maintain accurate CRM records, visit reports, opportunity notes, customer requirements, and distributor engagement records.
Maintain pipeline visibility, demand planning, market feedback, and opportunity prioritisation.
Monitor competitor activity and communicate insights to the Manager for review and agreed response planning.
Follow Timken policies, local legal requirements, anti-bribery and anti-corruption standards, trade compliance requirements, and delegated authority limits at all times.
Track all cross-border travel and ensure travel activity remains aligned with approved business, tax, immigration, and legal guidance.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related Engineering discipline.