Sales Manager – Shipbuilding & Heavy Fabrication
Location: United States (Remote / Hybrid)
Department: Sales
Reports To: Sales Director
About HD Hyundai Robotics USA
HD Hyundai Robotics is a global leader and the largest OEM industrial robot manufacturer in South Korea, providing automation solutions and advanced robotic technologies across manufacturing, logistics, shipbuilding, welding, material handling, palletizing, machine tending, and emerging automation applications.
As part of HD Hyundai, one of the world's leading industrial groups, we combine global engineering expertise, manufacturing excellence, and financial strength with an entrepreneurial mindset.
HD Hyundai Robotics USA is entering an exciting phase of growth. While supported by the resources and reputation of a global organization, our North American operation remains in the early stages of expansion. This presents a unique opportunity for individuals who enjoy building customer relationships, developing new business, and contributing directly to the growth of a rapidly expanding organization.
Position Summary
The Sales Manager, Shipbuilding & Heavy Fabrication is responsible for growing HD Hyundai Robotics' welding automation and robotics business across the U.S. shipbuilding and heavy steel fabrication market. This role owns new business development and account management with commercial, offshore and workboat, and defense and naval shipyards, along with the heavy fabricators that supply them.
The successful candidate already brings relationships inside shipyards and a track record of selling capital equipment or welding automation into that environment. You will work closely with customers, system integrators, engineering teams, and company leadership to deliver automation solutions that improve shipyard productivity and weld quality.
This is a high-ownership role in an early-stage U.S. operation backed by a global shipbuilding leader. It fits someone who already knows how shipyards buy and wants to build a franchise, not learn the industry from scratch.
Key Responsibilities
Business Development & Sales Growth
• Identify, qualify, and pursue new welding automation and robotics opportunities within U.S. shipyards and heavy steel fabricators.
• Develop and expand relationships with shipyard decision-makers across engineering, production, and capital-equipment procurement.
• Build and maintain a healthy capital-equipment sales pipeline to support revenue growth objectives.
• Prospect through direct outreach, industry networks, referrals, and maritime and fabrication trade events.
• Support channel and partner engagement where system integrators or service partners are involved.
Account Management
• Maintain and strengthen relationships with existing customers to support repeat business and long-term customer satisfaction.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for assigned customer accounts.
• Identify opportunities for additional robot, automation, service, and support sales.
• Assist in managing customer expectations and ensuring timely communication throughout the sales process.
Sales Execution
• Manage sales opportunities from initial customer engagement through quotation, negotiation, order receipt, and project handoff.
• Prepare sales proposals, quotations, budget estimates, and ROI/payback analyses with support from engineering and inside sales teams.
• Coordinate customer requirements with engineering, application, service, and operations teams.
• Maintain accurate customer records, opportunity updates, and forecasting information within CRM systems.
• Achieve or exceed assigned sales targets and performance goals.
Customer Engagement & Market Development
• Represent HD Hyundai Robotics at maritime and fabrication trade shows and industry events.
• Support customer demonstrations, proof-of-concept activities, technical reviews, and site visits.
• Monitor customer needs, market trends, and competitor activities and provide feedback to management.
Additional Responsibilities
• Support continuous improvement of sales processes and customer engagement practices.
• Contribute to a positive, collaborative, and growth-oriented team environment.
• Perform additional duties and special projects as assigned.
Qualifications
Required
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, or a related field, or equivalent industry experience.
• Minimum 5 years of capital-equipment, welding, or automation sales experience, with a majority of that time selling directly to shipyards and/or heavy steel fabricators.
• Demonstrated track record closing capital-equipment or welding-automation sales into marine and shipbuilding accounts (commercial, offshore and workboat, and/or defense and naval).
• Existing, active relationships with decision-makers at U.S. shipyards.
• Working knowledge of shipyard production flow (panel and profile lines, block and sub-block assembly, structural steel welding) and heavy welding processes (submerged arc / SAW, FCAW, GMAW).
• Comfort managing long, consultative, multi-stakeholder capital sales cycles.
• Strong communication, presentation, and negotiation skills.
• Willingness to travel up to 50%, concentrated around U.S. shipbuilding regions.
• Valid authorization to work in the United States.
Preferred
• Direct experience selling welding automation: mechanized or robotic welding systems, panel, profile, or T-beam lines, positioners, and material handling for heavy steel.
• Familiarity with marine and defense standards and class requirements (NAVSEA, MIL-STD, ABS or DNV, AWS D1.1).
• Experience selling into defense and naval shipbuilding, and familiarity with the related compliance environment (ITAR / EAR export control, Buy American and Berry Amendment); U.S. person status for export-control purposes is a plus.
• Active network within maritime or fabrication communities (SNAME, SCA, ASNE, AWS, or similar).
• Territory experience in the Gulf Coast, Southeast, or Mid-Atlantic shipbuilding corridors.
• Experience in an early-stage, high-growth, or entrepreneurial environment.
Performance Measures
• Annual sales revenue achievement
• New customer acquisition
• Pipeline generation and opportunity conversion
• Forecast accuracy
• Customer retention and satisfaction
• Territory growth
• CRM utilization and opportunity management
• Key shipyard account penetration and expansion
What We Offer
• Competitive base salary with performance-based incentive compensation
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits
• 401(k) retirement savings plan
• Opportunity to work with world-class robotics and automation technologies
• Dynamic and collaborative work environment
• The opportunity to help build and shape the future of HD Hyundai Robotics in North America