Commercial Sales Trainee - Military veterans preferred

Commercial Sales Trainee
Sales and Business Development
Vernon Hills,Illinois
Full-Time/Regular

Ready to turn your Engineering degree into a dynamic career? MEAU’s Commercial Sales Training Program is an immersive and guided hands-on journey where you will develop knowledge of our products and solutions while learning proven sales techniques to start a successful career in Industrial Automation sales. **Accepting applications now for June 2026 start!**

As a Commercial Sales Trainee at MEAU, you will rotate through multiple departments under the guidance of experienced managers and subject matter experts to gain a comprehensive understanding of Mitsubishi Electric’s products, services, and core business operations while also providing a comprehensive foundation in sales techniques and behaviors. This program follows the 70-20-10 learning model: 70% hands-on experience, 20% mentorship and collaboration, and 10% formal training.

Upon successful completion of the program (approximately 10 months), you’ll transition into a Sales Engineer role—ready to drive MEAU’s growth by identifying new business opportunities, managing a defined sales territory, and building lasting customer relationships. Graduates of the program emerge as confident, well-rounded professionals prepared to contribute meaningfully to MEAU’s revenue and market expansion goals.

Essential Functions

• Engage in a rotational training program with managers and SMEs to gain insight into Mitsubishi Electric’s products, services, and operations, while building a strong foundation in sales techniques for success in a Commercial role.
• Actively support Sales, Marketing, and Industry Solutions teams by engaging in real-world activities such as lead follow-up, prospecting, customer visit shadowing, and trade show participation.
• Participate in all trainings offers and complete all assignments.
• Successfully pass any assessments throughout the training.
• Maintain a performance rating of Meets Expectations or better throughout the duration of the program.
• Travel approximately 50% of the time for job shadowing, customer visits, training sessions, etc.

Essential Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in an Engineering field, or equivalent education and work experience
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Goal oriented and results driven
• Emotionally resilient with the ability to persevere under pressure
• Collaborative with the ability to build strong and lasting relationships

SALES ENGINEER - future role

Under general supervision, promote and sell Mitsubishi Electric Automation production throughout assigned territory. Grow MEAU revenue and increase market share all product categories including Services, Programmable Logic Controllers, Variable Frequency Drives, Servo & Motion Controller, CNC, Human Machine Interfaces, Robots, Digital Solutions, and Low Voltage Control Products. Support existing direct accounts and distributor partners while identifying and developing new customers to attain established sales and growth objectives.

Essential Functions

• Identify, qualify, and develop OEM and System Integrator accounts aligned with MEAU’s product and service offerings, establishing regular engagement to drive conversion and growth.
• Prospect and generate new business independently and in collaboration with distribution partners, leveraging marketing support to ensure lead quality and territory expansion.
• Manage the full sales cycle—from initial engagement to purchase order—by creating strategic account plans, conducting product demonstrations, and preparing proposals.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Field Application Engineers and internal teams to deliver tailored automation solutions and maintain strong interdepartmental communication.
• Utilize CRM tools to track sales activity, forecast performance, and maintain accurate account data, while participating in sales reviews and meeting quota-driven goals.

Expected pay range for the Commercial Sales Trainee position is $70,000-$75,000 annually.

Why choose us?

You would be joining:

• A successful team of smart, dedicated professionals who are not only the best in their respective fields but are committed to a tradition of technological leadership and innovation.
• An organization that truly cares about employee engagement and understands the impact of clear and consistent communication.
• Our leaders are committed to ensuring all employees are regularly informed about the state of the business, understand how they fit in, and know where they can make a difference.
• Employees are encouraged to pursue professional development opportunities and participate in in-house training programs.

We value our employees, and we offer an extensive benefits package that adds value to your total compensation. Our broad range of benefits include:

• Health, dental and vision insurance plans with company contribution – we offer different plans, including PPO and HMO (HMO offered only in some states)
• Competitive 401k with company match
• Paid Vacation
• 13 Paid Holidays, including floater holidays
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Flexible Spending Account
• Life Insurance
• Employee life insurance - company paid core coverage plus supplemental coverage
• Dependent life insurance
• Short-Term Disability
• Long-Term Disability
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employee Discount Program
• Pet Insurance

Mitsubishi Electric Automation, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, marital status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other lawfully protected characteristic.

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