Sales Operations Specialist
Physical Electronics USA | Chanhassen, Minnesota
Do you enjoy bringing order, visibility, and accountability to complex sales processes?
Are you energized by improving workflows instead of simply maintaining them?
Can you coordinate quotes, purchase orders, shipments, tenders, and special requests without letting details fall through the cracks?
Physical Electronics USA is seeking a detail-oriented and improvement-focused Sales Operations Specialist to support the execution and continuous improvement of our sales process.
This position is ideal for someone who enjoys coordinating complex commercial activity while also improving the systems, tools, and workflows behind the work. You will help manage the process from quote support through purchase order review, order entry, shipment tracking, customer notification, billing accuracy, sales forecasting, margin analysis, and sales data maintenance.
You will serve as a central coordination point between Sales, Accounting, Service, Purchasing, ULVAC-PHI, forwarders, customers, global representatives, and technical reviewers. The role requires strong process ownership, commercial awareness, attention to detail, and the ability to identify and resolve workflow gaps before they create customer, shipment, revenue, margin, or compliance problems.
What You Will Do
Sales Operations Workflow, CRM, and Process Improvement
Own workflow visibility for quote-to-order-to-shipment execution and maintain current status for assigned transactions.
Maintain accurate and auditable CRM records, forecast files, purchase order logs, CQR logs, shipment logs, margin worksheets, and customer/order folders.
Create and maintain standardized workflows, checklists, templates, dashboards, and operating procedures.
Use workflow automation, AI-assisted tools, CRM reports, and Excel-based tools to reduce manual re-entry, missed follow-ups, inconsistent documentation, and avoidable errors.
Provide regular status reporting on open orders, tenders, specials, shipments, blockers, overdue actions, customer commitments, and risks.
Recommend and implement approved process improvements with Sales leadership and affected departments.
Quote, Purchase Order, Billing, Forecast, and Margin Control
Prepare and validate quotes and compare customer purchase orders against approved pricing, configuration, delivery terms, warranty, service, training, payment terms, and special conditions.
Identify and document penalties, liquidated damages, deadlines, acceptance terms, cancellation clauses, invoicing rules, and customer-specific requirements.
Complete or coordinate customer risk assessments, financial review documentation, solvency checks, and recurring reviews when required.
Coordinate with Sales, Accounting, management, and customers to resolve commercial conflicts before order acceptance.
Enter and maintain order information, revenue components, warranty, service contracts, training, and other revenue sources in forecasts and related records.
Create the sales forecast using information provided by the Sales Director and regional sales personnel.
Maintain accurate shipment and customer acceptance forecasts by coordinating with Service and ULVAC-PHI.
Create and analyze accounting margin reports and worksheets to support accurate commercial and financial decision-making.
Confirm billing information aligns with the quote, purchase order, approved terms, and forecast before invoicing support is completed.
Coordinate letters of credit, bank guarantees, advance payments, special invoicing terms, and related financial documentation.
Shipment, Delivery, and Customer Notification
Maintain current production and shipment status for assigned open orders.
Coordinate shipment readiness with ULVAC-PHI, Purchasing, Sales, customers, and forwarders.
Recommend shipment methods based on customer terms, Incoterms, deadlines, cost, risk, compliance requirements, and special handling needs.
Coordinate import/export documentation, commercial invoices, packing lists, forwarder instructions, customer contacts, and other shipping requirements.
Track planned ship dates, document readiness, forwarder confirmation, customs clearance, actual shipment, estimated delivery, and final delivery confirmation.
Notify customers of shipment timing, release, delays, changes, and delivery status using defined communication standards.
Escalate delays, missing documents, customs issues, unclear shipping terms, delivery penalty exposure, and other risks promptly.
Tender, RFQ, RFP, and RFI Management
Own the RFQ, RFP, RFI, and tender intake and submission workflow, including customer deadlines and internal milestones.
Establish internal owners, due dates, document requirements, and review schedules.
Use AI-assisted tools where appropriate to summarize requirements, identify missing documents, compare commercial terms, and draft response checklists.
Route technical requirements to the appropriate PHI personnel and track responses to completion.
Assemble commercial responses, pricing proposals, technical inputs, certifications, and supporting documents for complete and timely submissions.
Maintain and renew letters of authorization for agents and representatives.
Specials and Customer Quote Request Support
Maintain awareness of active CQRs, specials, and special configuration requests affecting quotes, orders, shipments, and customer commitments.
Receive updates from the Technical Sales Engineer or assigned technical owner and keep the CQR/specials log current.
Confirm required technical and commercial approvals are documented before quote release, order processing, or customer communication.
Track feasibility reviews, decision logs, pricing and margin inputs, assumptions, response timing, and open risks.
Perform other duties as assigned.
What We Are Looking For
At least five years of relevant experience in sales operations, commercial operations, order management, technical sales support, customer operations, complex administrative support, or a related role.
Experience supporting complex B2B sales involving quotes, purchase orders, customer terms, order documentation, billing requirements, shipment coordination, and cross-functional review.
Ability to compare quotes, purchase orders, payment terms, delivery terms, penalties, deadlines, and customer requirements and identify issues requiring escalation.
Strong CRM experience, including record accuracy, data quality, workflow discipline, reports, dashboards, and user adoption support.
Strong Excel skills, including structured trackers, formulas, pivot tables, data validation, margin analysis, forecasting, and practical data cleanup.
Demonstrated experience improving workflows, implementing tools, creating dashboards, automating manual processes, or standardizing business procedures.
Strong written communication, organization, follow-up discipline, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple deadlines.
Preferred Qualifications
Associate or bachelor’s degree in business, operations, supply chain, logistics, paralegal studies, technical administration, or a related field. Equivalent experience may be considered.
Experience with technical manufacturing, scientific instrumentation, capital equipment, export-controlled products, or complex engineered products.
Experience with international shipment coordination, import/export documentation, forwarders, Incoterms, or regulated shipment processes.
Experience supporting RFQ, RFP, RFI, tender, contract, or commercial terms review processes.
Experience with AI-assisted document review, workflow automation, Power Automate, Salesforce automation, Power BI, or similar tools.
A background in paralegal work, contract administration, business operations, logistics, accounting analysis, forecasting, or process improvement.
Why Join Physical Electronics?
Physical Electronics develops advanced scientific instrumentation used by organizations working in semiconductors, energy storage, advanced materials, coatings, and other innovative technologies.
In this position, you will have the opportunity to:
Take meaningful ownership of complex sales operations and commercial execution.
Improve workflows rather than simply inherit them.
Help shape how PHI uses CRM, automation, dashboards, templates, and AI-assisted tools.
Work across Sales, Accounting, Service, Purchasing, technical teams, global partners, and customers.
Make a visible impact in a collaborative, specialized organization.
We are looking for someone who takes pride in getting the details right, enjoys solving operational problems, and wants to build efficient, dependable, and scalable sales processes.
Apply today to help strengthen the workflows and systems that support PHI’s customers and sales organization.
Physical Electronics USA is an equal opportunity employer. We consider qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law.
