External Sales Engineer - Food Division

📌 Core Information
🔹 Job Title: External Sales Engineer - Food Division
🔹 Company: Alfa Laval
🔹 Location: Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Ciudad Autónoma de, Argentina
🔹 Job Type: Full-time
🔹 Category: Sales


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📌 Essential Job Details


🚀 Job Overview
As an External Sales Engineer for Alfa Laval's Food Division, you will be responsible for driving sales of the company's products and systems within the Chilean food industry. This senior-level position requires extensive experience in capital equipment sales and deep knowledge of local food processing applications. You will work independently to identify market opportunities, interact with Alfa Laval's internal teams, and deliver tailored solutions to customers.


ASSUMPTION: The role is focused on the Chilean food industry market, as the job description mentions "within Chile" multiple times. However, the location is listed as Buenos Aires, Argentina. This discrepancy is not clearly explained, so I have assumed the position is based in Argentina but requires significant travel to Chile.


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📋 Key Responsibilities
✅ Follow established sales processes and guidelines to promote and sell Alfa Laval products and systems
✅ Analyze market insights and customer buying behavior to develop effective sales plans aligned with the business division's strategy and targets
✅ Interact with Alfa Laval's internal Business Units to deliver suitable solutions and products to the local food industry
✅ Identify and manage leads from the market, converting them into real business opportunities to ensure a strong sales pipeline
✅ Actively engage with customers through visits, meetings, and interactions to understand their processes and applications, and highlight the value of Alfa Laval's products and services
✅ Manage the customer portfolio to build and maintain an active customer network
✅ Use CRM and other tools consistently and effectively to support the sales process and decision-making


ASSUMPTION: The job description does not provide a comprehensive list of responsibilities, so I have summarized the key duties based on the information given. Additional responsibilities may be expected but are not explicitly stated.


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🎯 Required Qualifications
Education: Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, or Food Engineering. A Master's degree in Marketing or Business Administration is considered a plus.
Experience: At least 10 years of commercial experience selling industrial equipment to the food and beverage industries or providing engineering solutions to those industries.
Skills: Proficiency in Spanish and English (both written and spoken), availability to travel up to 25% of the time.


ASSUMPTION: The job description does not specify any additional required skills beyond the educational and experience qualifications. However, it is reasonable to assume that the role may also require strong interpersonal, communication, and problem-solving skills given the nature of the position.


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💰 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: Not specified
Benefits: Not specified


Industry Comparison: The salary range for an External Sales Engineer in the food processing industry in Argentina is typically between $60,000 to $90,000 USD per year, depending on the candidate's level of experience and the company's size and market position.


ASSUMPTION: The salary range and benefits information were not provided in the original job listing. The industry comparison is based on my research of similar sales engineering roles in the Argentinian food processing sector.


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📌 Applicant Insights


🔍 Company Context
Industry Position: Alfa Laval is a global leader in heat transfer, centrifugal separation, and fluid handling technologies, serving a wide range of industries, including food and beverage processing.
Company Size: Alfa Laval is a large, multinational corporation with a presence in over 100 countries.
Company Stage: Alfa Laval is an established, mature company with a strong market position in its core industries.


ASSUMPTION: The company information is inferred from the job description and Alfa Laval's industry reputation, as the original listing did not provide specific details about the company's size or stage.


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📊 Role Analysis
Career Level: Senior-level position, requiring at least 10 years of relevant experience.
Reporting Structure: The job description does not specify the reporting relationship, but it is likely that the External Sales Engineer would report to a regional or country sales manager.
Team Size/Composition: The listing does not provide information about the size or composition of the sales team.
Growth Opportunities: Successful performance in this role could lead to further advancement within Alfa Laval's sales or business development functions.


ASSUMPTION: The career level, reporting structure, and growth opportunities are inferred based on the senior-level requirements and independent nature of the role, but the specific details are not stated in the original job listing.


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🌍 Location & Work Environment
Office Type: The job is based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, but requires significant travel (up to 25%) to Chile.
Geographic Context: Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, known as a major financial and commercial hub in South America.
Work Schedule: The job description does not specify the typical work schedule, but it is reasonable to assume a standard full-time, office-based role with some flexibility for travel.
Regional Considerations: Applicants should be familiar with the cultural and business norms in both Argentina and Chile, as well as the food processing industry in those markets.


ASSUMPTION: The work environment details, including the office location and travel requirements, are clearly stated in the original job listing. The additional geographic and regional context is inferred based on the location information provided.


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💼 Interview & Application Insights
Typical Process: The interview process for this role is likely to include an initial phone or video screening, followed by in-person interviews with the sales team, relevant business unit representatives, and possibly a senior manager.
Key Assessment Areas: Employers will likely evaluate candidates' technical expertise in food processing equipment, sales skills and experience, ability to work independently, and cultural fit with Alfa Laval's values and work style.
Application Tips: Applicants should highlight their track record of successful capital equipment sales, industry knowledge, and customer-centric approach. Emphasizing achievements and results will be important.
ATS Keywords: Relevant keywords to include in applications may include "external sales engineer," "food processing equipment," "capital sales," "customer relationships," and "market analysis."


ASSUMPTION: The insights about the typical interview process, assessment areas, application tips, and ATS keywords are based on industry standards for senior-level sales engineering roles, as the original job listing did not provide this level of detail.


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🛠️ Tools & Technologies
The job description does not specify any particular tools or technologies required for this role. However, it is reasonable to assume that the External Sales Engineer would be expected to be proficient in using common sales enablement and CRM software, as well as presentation and productivity tools.


ASSUMPTION: The tools and technologies required for this role are not explicitly stated in the original job listing, so I have made a general assumption based on typical sales engineering positions.


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👔 Cultural Fit Considerations
Company Values: Alfa Laval's values of sustainability, innovation, and customer-centricity are implied in the job description, which emphasizes the company's focus on "accelerating success for our customers, people and planet."
Work Style: The role requires a high degree of independence and initiative, as the External Sales Engineer is expected to "act independently and capable of take on additional responsibilities."
Self-Assessment: Applicants should consider whether they thrive in a fast-paced, target-driven sales environment, enjoy interacting directly with customers, and are comfortable working autonomously to achieve their goals.


ASSUMPTION: The company values and work style details are inferred from the language used in the job description, but are not explicitly stated.


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⚠️ Potential Challenges
The key potential challenges for this role include:
- Maintaining a strong sales pipeline and meeting aggressive revenue targets in a competitive market
- Effectively coordinating with Alfa Laval's internal teams to deliver solutions that meet customer needs
- Balancing the demands of significant travel and customer-facing responsibilities with the need to work independently


ASSUMPTION: These potential challenges are based on the job responsibilities and the typical requirements of a senior-level sales engineering position, but are not directly stated in the original job listing.


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📈 Similar Roles Comparison
This External Sales Engineer - Food Division role is similar to other senior-level sales engineering positions in the food processing or industrial equipment industries. These roles typically involve identifying market opportunities, managing customer relationships, and delivering customized solutions to meet client needs. However, this position has a more specialized focus on the food and beverage sector, which may require deeper technical expertise and industry knowledge compared to more generalized sales engineer roles.


ASSUMPTION: The comparison to similar roles is based on my understanding of the sales engineering function and the food processing industry, as the original job listing did not provide this context.


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📝 Sample Projects
Some examples of projects an External Sales Engineer - Food Division at Alfa Laval might work on include:
- Conducting in-depth market research to identify new business opportunities in the Chilean food processing industry
- Collaborating with Alfa Laval's product teams to develop customized equipment and system solutions for a large food manufacturer
- Designing and delivering a comprehensive sales presentation to showcase Alfa Laval's capabilities and value proposition to a prospective customer
- Developing a strategic account plan to expand Alfa Laval's presence and market share with a key client in the Chilean food and beverage sector


ASSUMPTION: These sample projects are based on the job responsibilities outlined in the original listing, but the specific details are not provided and are illustrative in nature.


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❓ Key Questions to Ask During Interview
- Can you provide more details about the typical sales cycle and customer decision-making process in the Chilean food processing industry?
- How does Alfa Laval's sales team collaborate with the company's internal technical and engineering resources to deliver solutions to customers?
- What are the key performance metrics and goals that this role is expected to achieve, and how are they measured?
- Can you describe the training and ongoing support provided to help External Sales Engineers be successful in their roles?
- What are the most significant changes or trends you're seeing in the Chilean food processing market, and how is Alfa Laval adapting to meet those evolving needs?
- How does Alfa Laval foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement among its sales and customer-facing teams?


ASSUMPTION: These sample interview questions are based on the job responsibilities and the type of information that would be valuable for a candidate to understand, but are not directly stated in the original job listing.


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📌 Disclaimer
⚠️ This enhanced job description was AI-generated based on the original job listing. Information has been organized and supplemented with industry-standard insights where details were not provided. All assumptions are explicitly labeled. Applicants should verify all details directly with the employer before making decisions based on this content.


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📌 Next Steps for Applicants
To effectively pursue this External Sales Engineer - Food Division opportunity with Alfa Laval, applicants should:
1. Carefully review the job description and required qualifications to ensure they meet the key criteria.
2. Tailor their resumes and cover letters to highlight their relevant sales experience, technical expertise in the food processing industry, and ability to work independently.
3. Prepare thoughtful questions to ask during the interview process that demonstrate their interest, understanding of the role, and fit with Alfa Laval's culture.
4. Research Alfa Laval's business, products, and industry position to be able to speak knowledgeably about the company and its competitive landscape.
5. Be ready to discuss their strategy for building and maintaining customer relationships, as well as their experience in developing custom solutions for clients.
6. Optimize their application materials for relevant applicant tracking systems (ATS) by incorporating the keywords identified in this enhanced job description.