Project Sales Engineer – Mechanical Construction

Project Sales Engineer – Mechanical Construction

Cincinnati, OH

Comfort Systems USA Ohio is seeking a seasoned Project Sales Engineer – Mechanical Construction to identify, develop, estimate, and secure commercial and industrial HVAC and mechanical construction projects throughout the Greater Cincinnati market.

This is a sales-focused individual contributor role responsible for owning and quarterbacking opportunities from initial customer engagement through solution development, estimating, proposal, negotiation, contract award, and turnover to Construction leadership and field supervision.

The Project Sales Engineer builds and maintains relationships with industrial and commercial customers, general contractors, building owners, engineers, facility leaders, and other key decision-makers. This individual serves as a trusted technical and commercial resource, bringing together the right internal and external resources to develop practical, competitive, and constructable mechanical solutions.

The ideal candidate brings proven experience developing and selling commercial or industrial mechanical construction work and understands how to balance customer needs, technical requirements, constructability, cost, margin, schedule, and risk to secure profitable projects.

Key Responsibilities

Project Development & Sales

• Identify, develop, and secure commercial and industrial HVAC and mechanical construction opportunities throughout the Greater Cincinnati market.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with industrial and commercial customers, general contractors, building owners, developers, engineers, facility leaders, and other key decision-makers.
• Develop new business while expanding relationships and identifying additional opportunities with existing customers.
• Serve as the primary owner of the sales opportunity, coordinating customer, estimating, technical, vendor, subcontractor, and Construction resources throughout the pursuit.
• Meet with customers and project partners to understand facility needs, project objectives, budgets, schedules, operational concerns, and technical requirements.
• Qualify opportunities based on customer needs, scope, timing, competition, delivery method, technical requirements, resources, risk, and overall business fit.
• Lead opportunities from initial development through solution presentation, proposal, negotiation, and contract award.
• Maintain an active pipeline of qualified opportunities and provide accurate sales and project forecasting.
• Participate in customer meetings, industry organizations, networking events, and other business development activities that strengthen market relationships and generate opportunities.

Estimating & Preconstruction

• Independently develop estimates for assigned commercial and industrial HVAC and mechanical construction opportunities from initial concept through final proposal.
• Review drawings, specifications, existing conditions, site requirements, and customer expectations to develop complete project scopes.
• Perform project takeoffs and develop pricing for equipment, ductwork, piping, labor, materials, subcontractors, and other project requirements.
• Solicit and evaluate equipment, vendor, and subcontractor pricing.
• Conduct site visits to evaluate existing systems, constructability, access, phasing, schedule requirements, and project risks.
• Develop conceptual budgets, detailed estimates, proposals, scope narratives, assumptions, exclusions, clarifications, and preliminary schedules.
• Evaluate labor requirements, project costs, gross margin, constructability, schedule, and risk before submitting proposals.
• Lead internal bid reviews and engage Construction leadership, Foremen, Supervisors, Engineering, vendors, and other resources to validate scope, pricing, labor assumptions, constructability, and project approach.
• Maintain ownership and accountability for the accuracy and completeness of the final estimate and proposal.

Solution Development & Value Engineering

• Translate customer needs and facility challenges into practical mechanical system solutions.
• Develop solutions that balance system performance, constructability, lifecycle cost, energy efficiency, schedule, budget, and customer objectives.
• Identify and present value-engineering alternatives that improve project value and strengthen the Company’s competitive position.
• Support design-build, design-assist, negotiated, retrofit, replacement, and complex mechanical construction opportunities.
• Evaluate equipment and system alternatives and recommend solutions based on customer and project requirements.
• Coordinate with internal Engineering resources, consulting engineers, manufacturers, vendors, Construction leadership, and field supervision as needed.

Customer & Partner Relationships

• Serve as a trusted technical and commercial advisor throughout the sales and preconstruction process.
• Develop credibility and long-term relationships with industrial and commercial customers, general contractors, engineers, vendors, equipment representatives, and subcontractors.
• Understand how general contractors procure, evaluate, negotiate, and award mechanical construction work and effectively navigate the bidding and project development process.
• Clearly communicate technical concepts, recommendations, scope, pricing, and project value to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Lead customer presentations, proposal reviews, scope discussions, value-engineering conversations, and project negotiations.
• Maintain clear communication throughout the sales process and ensure commitments made to customers and project partners are understood and achievable.

Project Turnover & Construction Coordination

• Lead the transition of awarded work from sales and preconstruction to the Construction Leader, Foremen, and Supervisors.
• Provide complete turnover documentation, including final estimates, approved scope, proposals, assumptions, exclusions, equipment selections, labor assumptions, vendor and subcontractor pricing, schedules, and customer commitments.
• Lead or participate in project turnover and kickoff meetings to communicate scope, budget considerations, schedule requirements, customer expectations, and identified risks.
• Remain engaged during execution as a customer and technical resource to address scope questions and commitments established during the sales process.
• Coordinate customer communication with Construction leadership and support changes, additional scope, and follow-on opportunities.
• Review completed projects with Construction leadership and field supervision to evaluate estimate-to-actual performance, lessons learned, customer feedback, and future opportunities.
• Review completed projects with Construction leadership and field supervision to evaluate estimate-to-actual performance, lessons learned, customer feedback, and opportunities to improve future estimates.

Qualifications & Experience

Required

• Minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in commercial or industrial HVAC/mechanical construction sales, project development, estimating, or a closely related environment, with demonstrated responsibility for developing and securing work.
• Proven experience developing and selling mechanical construction solutions to industrial and commercial customers.
• Demonstrated experience working directly with general contractors and successfully navigating mechanical construction opportunities from pursuit through award.
• Demonstrated ability to independently estimate commercial and industrial HVAC and mechanical construction projects.
• Strong knowledge of commercial and industrial HVAC systems, including equipment, ductwork, piping, hydronic systems, and related mechanical infrastructure.
• Ability to read and interpret mechanical drawings, specifications, plans, and construction documents.
• Strong understanding of mechanical estimating, including takeoffs, labor, materials, equipment, subcontractor pricing, project costs, margins, constructability, and risk.
• Proven customer development, consultative selling, negotiation, communication, and presentation skills.
• Strong commercial and financial judgment with the ability to evaluate project opportunities, costs, margins, risk, and profitability.
• Ability to independently manage multiple sales opportunities while effectively coordinating internal and external resources.
• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Construction Management, Engineering Technology, or a related field, or equivalent relevant industry experience.

Preferred, Not Required

• Experience with design-build, design-assist, negotiated, retrofit, replacement, and complex mechanical construction projects.
• Established relationships within the Greater Cincinnati commercial and industrial construction market.
• Background developing engineered or conceptual HVAC/mechanical solutions.
• Experience with construction estimating, CRM, or mechanical design software.

Who This Role Is For

• A seasoned individual contributor who knows how to quarterback a sales opportunity from initial relationship development through contract award and turnover.
• A proven mechanical construction sales professional who has established credibility with industrial/commercial customers and general contractors.
• Someone who knows how to uncover opportunities, understand customer challenges, bring the right resources together, develop a solution, estimate and price the work, present it effectively, negotiate, and close.
• A commercially minded professional who understands that winning the right work requires balancing customer relationships with scope, constructability, labor, cost, margin, schedule, and risk.
• Someone who takes ownership of commitments made during the sales process and remains accountable for transitioning those commitments successfully to Construction leadership and field supervision.

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience.
• Performance-based incentive opportunities.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• 401(k) with company match.
• Paid time off and company holidays.
• Company-paid life insurance and disability benefits.
• Professional development and leadership growth opportunities.

Comfort Systems USA Ohio delivers commercial and industrial HVAC, mechanical construction, building automation, security, and integrated building solutions.

Based in Cincinnati, the Project Sales Engineer – Mechanical Construction plays a key role in developing customer and general contractor relationships, identifying and securing profitable mechanical construction opportunities, and connecting the sales process with the Construction teams responsible for successfully delivering the work.