Plumbing & Heating Technical Sales Specialist

Job Description (Your First Role)
Rathe Associates is seeking a skilled Plumbing & Heating Technical Sales Specialist to join our team. In this hybrid role, you’ll spend about half your time in the field—visiting contractors, conducting trainings, and providing on-site troubleshooting for our hydronic, hot water, and HVAC systems. The other half of your time (2–3 days per week) will be in the office handling inside support: following up on anything that came up during your field visits, taking inbound calls and emails (from parts identification to deeper troubleshooting, pricing, and availability), and turning those inbound inquiries into warm leads for future sales calls and relationship-building. You will be the main technical and sales contact for clients and distribution partners in the NYC/Long Island area, building relationships and ensuring their success with our products.

Note: This position includes bonus and commission opportunities beyond the base salary.

Growth & Added Responsibilities (Product Champion)

As you excel as a Technical Sales Specialist, you’ll have the opportunity to take on additional “Product Champion” responsibilities. In this capacity, you would:

• Serve as the go-to technical expert for one of our manufacturers’ product lines—covering installation best practices, parts identification, troubleshooting, sizing, and estimating.
• Provide high-level technical support and training assistance to the rest of the team—both inside and in the field.
• Create internal knowledge resources (detailed articles, troubleshooting guides, video tutorials) to help our inside support staff and sales team quickly resolve technical questions.
• Develop customer-facing content (how-to videos, quick-reference sheets, application notes) so contractors and engineers can easily specify and install the product correctly.

These added responsibilities would be layered on top of your core role as Technical Sales Specialist—so you’d still maintain your field visits, inside support, and relationship-building activities.

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Responsibilities

Field Engagement & Sales Cadence

• Schedule and execute regular visits with plumbing and heating contractors throughout NYC/Long Island—introducing new products, conducting on-site troubleshooting, and uncovering needs.
• Host in-field training sessions, lunch-and-learns, and counter days to demonstrate product features and installation best practices.
• Perform on-site start-ups: verify correct equipment selection, check control wiring, and confirm piping layouts.
• Attend trade shows, association meetings, and local networking events to expand Rathe’s presence and gather market feedback.

Inside Support & Follow-Up (2–3 Days/Week in Office)

• Follow up on issues, action items, and opportunities that arose during your field visits.
• Field inbound calls and emails from contractors, distributors, and field reps—identifying parts, checking pricing and availability. These inbound inquiries also serve as warm leads to cultivate into future sales calls and deeper relationships.
• Provide deeper technical troubleshooting remotely—review piping schematics, controls wiring diagrams, or product specs to resolve questions by phone or email.

Technical Troubleshooting & Issue Resolution

• Provide timely support—both remotely and on-site—for hydronic heating, domestic hot water, and HVAC systems supplied by Rathe.
• Diagnose equipment failures, control-wiring errors, pump issues, or piping design conflicts, then propose contractor-friendly solutions.
• Collaborate with the sales team to resolve customer challenges, ensuring minimal downtime and high satisfaction.

Product Champion Responsibilities (as Assigned)

• Develop deep expertise on one manufacturer’s full product line—installation requirements, component identification, troubleshooting procedures, sizing methodology, and project estimating.
• Create and maintain internal knowledge resources: service bulletins, troubleshooting flowcharts, step-by-step installation guides, and short video tutorials.
• Produce customer-facing materials: quick-reference spec sheets, “how-to” videos, application notes, and case studies that can be shared externally.
• Train and mentor other sales and support staff—hosting advanced technical sessions, Q&A webinars, and lunch-and-learns focused on your assigned product line.
• Act as the primary escalation point for complex technical questions from both inside support and field teams.

Documentation & Reporting

• Maintain detailed records of customer interactions, technical issues encountered, and solutions provided.
• Update CRM/ticketing system with call summaries, site-visit findings, and resolution status.
• Provide weekly/monthly reports on territory activity, sales opportunities, training attendance, and technical trends observed in the field.

Market Feedback & Product Improvement

• Gather input from contractors and distributors on product performance, installation challenges, and feature requests.
• Relay actionable feedback to manufacturers and the Rathe management team to drive product improvements and new-model development.

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Qualifications

• Experience: Minimum of 10 years of hands-on plumbing, heating, and HVAC troubleshooting experience—residential and light commercial.
• Technical Skills: Highly comfortable with boiler control wiring, pump/motor troubleshooting, piping layouts, and system commissioning.
• Communication: Exceptional verbal and written skills; able to explain complex technical concepts in simple, contractor-friendly language.
• Self-Motivation: Proactive, customer-focused, and able to independently manage a field schedule while dedicating 2–3 days per week to inside support and follow-up.
• Interpersonal: Strong relationship-building skills—able to gain trust quickly with contractors, distributors, and internal teams.
• Logistics: Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation for local site visits in NYC/Long Island.

About Rathe Associates

Founded in 1969, Rathe Associates solves problems—not just sells products. We’re known throughout New York and Long Island for our hydronic mechanical and plumbing expertise—and our growing HVAC business. Our technical depth, customer service, and innovative solutions set us apart, and we take pride in building long-term relationships.

What It’s Like to Work Here

At Rathe Associates, you’ll be part of a passionate, collaborative team that values technical know-how, proactive problem-solving, and genuine customer connections. You’ll enjoy a supportive atmosphere where your contributions matter and your career growth is encouraged. With one of the lowest turnover rates in our industry, our team members benefit from stability, recognition, and a clear path for advancement.

How You Will Benefit From This Role

• Technical Mastery: Deepen your troubleshooting skills on boilers, pumps, controls, and HVAC systems—both in the field and in the office.
• Relationship Development: Build strong contractor partnerships through regular visits, training events, and strategic follow-up on warm leads.
• Hands-On Experience: Gain real-world exposure via on-site troubleshooting, system start-ups, and installations from start to finish.
• Professional Growth: Take on additional Product Champion responsibilities—creating content, leading advanced training, and becoming the internal expert for a key manufacturer.
• Impact & Recognition: Your proactive fieldwork, inside support, and product-champion contributions will directly drive customer satisfaction, boost sales, and influence product improvements.

If you’re ready to combine deep technical expertise with a relationship-focused sales mindset—supporting customers both outside and inside the office, while gradually adopting Product Champion duties—we’d love to have you join as Rathe Associates’ next Plumbing & Heating Technical Sales Specialist.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $75,000.00 - $110,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift

Supplemental Pay:

• Bonus opportunities
• Commission pay

Application Question(s):

• List for me 3 product types (e.g., boilers, pumps, heat exchangers, expansion tanks, circulators, controls) that you would feel comfortable giving at least a 30-minute informal training on—For example: product purpose, components, troubleshooting steps, sizing principles, etc.

Please elaborate on your response.

• We’re looking for someone who’s naturally comfortable with computers—someone who can quickly learn new programs and confidently use the internet to figure things out. Give an example of a software or app you taught yourself using online resources. What steps did you take, and how comfortable are you with that program today?

Ability to Commute:

• Farmingdale, NY 11735 (Required)

Work Location: In person