Technical sales recruitment
Pre-Sales Engineer Recruitment
A Pre-Sales Engineer provides the deep technical expertise that enables complex industrial and capital equipment sales to progress from enquiry to purchase. Unlike applications engineers who focus primarily on product specification, pre-sales engineers conduct hands-on demonstrations, build proof-of-concept solutions, and produce detailed technical proposals that give customers enough confidence in a solution to commit to a purchase. Pre-sales engineer roles are common in industrial automation, vision and robotics, capital equipment, and test and measurement sectors where the solution must be shown to work before the sale closes. Salaries run from £30,000 at graduate entry to £70,000 and above for senior specialists in vision, robotics, and complex control systems.
What the role involves
- Conducting technical demonstrations at customer sites and in internal demonstration facilities, including hands-on configuration and operation of complex systems
- Designing and building proof-of-concept solutions to validate that a proposed system will work in the customer's specific application
- Producing detailed technical proposals and solution architectures that translate customer requirements into a specified, costed solution
- Responding to technical questions and tender requirements in ITTs and RFPs, ensuring the technical response is accurate and compelling
- Supporting the commercial sales team on technically complex opportunities, attending customer meetings and providing technical credibility in front of engineering decision-makers
- Feeding customer technical requirements and unsolved application problems back to product and engineering teams to inform roadmap priorities
Who employers are looking for
A BEng in a relevant engineering discipline is the standard entry requirement: automation, electrical, electronic, or mechatronics depending on the product sector. Deep technical knowledge of the relevant product or system category is the differentiator: a pre-sales engineer in machine vision who cannot set up and operate a camera system, or one in industrial automation who cannot programme a basic control application, will not be credible in a demonstration. Technical knowledge must be current and hands-on.
Strong presentation and demonstration skills are the customer-facing layer on top of technical depth. Pre-sales engineers must communicate complex solutions clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences, adapting their presentation from engineering teams in the morning to procurement managers in the afternoon. Programming or configuration experience relevant to the specific product is expected: PLC programming, vision system configuration, or test sequencing depending on the sector. Customer-facing experience is tested at interview through scenario questions or role plays.
Vision and robotics system specialists are in short supply across the UK market, and experienced pre-sales engineers in these disciplines command a measurable salary premium above general automation equivalents. Some organisations include commission on deals supported by pre-sales engineers, particularly where the pre-sales contribution is essential to winning technically complex contracts.
Salary benchmarks
Industrial automation pre-sales engineers earn above mechanical equivalents. Vision and robotics system specialists are in short supply and command a premium. Some organisations include commission on deals supported by pre-sales engineers.
Industries that hire Pre-Sales Engineers
- Industrial automation: demonstrating and specifying complex PLC, drive, robot, and motion control solutions for manufacturing and process customers
- Capital equipment: technical scoping and demonstration for bespoke machinery where proof-of-concept validation is required before order placement
- Test and measurement: demonstrating and configuring data acquisition, signal processing, and automated test systems for R&D and production applications
- Vision systems and robotics: solution design, proof of concept, and technical proposal for machine vision and collaborative robot applications
- Process control: system design and technical proposal for control and SCADA systems in process and utilities environments
Related roles
- Applications Engineer: a closely related role; the distinction varies by business, with some using the terms interchangeably and others separating specification from demonstration
- Sales Engineer: the commercial field sales partner; pre-sales engineers typically support sales engineers on their most technically complex opportunities
- Technical Sales Manager: the management route above senior pre-sales engineers who move into commercial or technical leadership
- Proposals Engineer: the document production partner; pre-sales engineers often work alongside proposals engineers on large bid responses
Where we place Pre-Sales Engineer professionals
We place pre-sales engineer professionals across the UK. Browse by location or register your CV for roles that match your experience.
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