ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY
Our client is a fast-growing, accredited calibration and metrology services provider, part of a larger family of advanced manufacturing companies. Since being acquired in late 2023, the business has grown from roughly $3.5M and 20 employees to more than 50 employees and a projected $8M+ in revenue, performing over 62,000 calibrations a year across a very broad scope of accreditation (400 to 450 types of calibration: dimensional, electrical, mechanical, weights and measures, flow, and more). This is a confidential search; the company will be disclosed upon mutual interest.
This role launches the company’s greenfield expansion into the Houston market. Backed by private equity and committed to organic growth into new geographies, the company has established a foothold in Houston with technicians on the ground and is building out a dedicated brick-and-mortar lab. The Regional Sales Manager will be the face of the business in Houston, the first salesperson in a ripe oil-and-gas and manufacturing market, with the autonomy to own and grow the territory.
THE ROLE
This is a true hunter role. The mission is to identify, prospect, and win new calibration service business across the greater Houston market, then hand accounts to the operations and service team to deliver. The right person is highly visible, self-directed, and operates like the CEO of their territory, owning the market with minimal day-to-day oversight while staying tightly connected to the Chicago-based team through pipeline reviews and monthly sales meetings.
The sale is consultative and contract-oriented. The goal is to land multi-year calibration service agreements (the average contract runs about three years), supported by an inside sales and technical team that handles quoting and pricing. The salesperson’s job is to understand the customer’s needs, secure the gauge list (the customer’s list of assets), and work with the Chicago team to turn that into a winning proposal. Selling into the quality department of manufacturers, the RSM positions accredited ISO 17025 calibration as the trusted, audit-ready solution.
CORE RESPONSIBILITIES
Business Development and Sales
• Identify, prospect, qualify, and develop new calibration service business across the Houston territory
• Meet or exceed monthly, quarterly, and annual sales goals and KPIs
• Conduct customer visits and presentations to uncover calibration needs and secure asset/gauge lists
• Present multi-year calibration service agreements and fixed-price contract options
• Respond promptly to inbound leads from marketing and demand-generation activity
• Prepare proposals and negotiate pricing and contract terms within company guidelines, supported by the inside sales and technical team
• Maintain post-sale relationships through onboarding to ensure the account delivers the revenue projected, then hand off to service operations
Account Strategy and Cross-Sell
• Assess current and future calibration requirements and determine service scope by equipment type, quantity, and location
• Partner with sister-company metrology equipment sales teams to capitalize on cross-selling opportunities
• Coordinate seamless customer onboarding and handoffs between business units
Sales Operations
• Maintain accurate pipeline, forecasts, and activity in Salesforce
• Provide weekly updates and forecasts; participate in monthly pipeline and sales meetings
• Track market trends, customer needs, and competitor activity in the Houston market
TERRITORY AND TRAVEL
The territory is the greater Houston metro, anchored by the new lab on the southeast side of the city. Candidates should be based to navigate the full Houston pinwheel (roughly within the College Station to Beaumont to Galveston footprint) and comfortable driving the market daily. Travel runs around 75%, but it is local field travel with very few overnights, this is a drive-the-market role, not a fly-constantly role. Density of customer base is key to the service model, so the focus stays on Houston.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
• A hunter from the calibration / metrology services industry with an existing network and book of business in the Houston market
Strong Parallels (Priority Two)
• Industrial services sales to manufacturers – metrology equipment, machine tool, MRO, compressed air service contracts, HVAC, or similar
• Service-contract hunters who generate new recurring-revenue business (not account managers who farm a fixed book)
Must-Haves
• A true hunter mentality – knocking on doors and winning net-new business, not managing an existing account base
• Based in the greater Houston market and able to own a highly visible, first-in-market territory independently
• Technical aptitude to come up to speed on calibration and sell into manufacturing quality departments
• Roughly 10+ years of sales experience preferred (6 to 7+ acceptable for strong calibration-industry candidates)
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
Unlimited, uncapped earning potential with two flexible structures depending on the candidate:
• Higher-commission model: ~$75K base plus 6% of new revenue paid over two years, with car allowance, fuel, and expense account – a richer commission structure than the national norm
• Higher-base model: a higher base (competitive with national players, up to roughly $120K for a senior hire with a book of business) paired with a lower, shorter commission (around 4% for one year)
• Full benefits package; company supports the role with inside sales, technical sales support, and a hands-on service team
The company is flexible and will work with the right candidate on structure. Higher-base offers assume the candidate brings a book of business and a plan to grow the market.