Business Development Manager

Sunon Inc

La Verne, CA

JOB DETAILS
SALARY
$80,000–$120,000 Per Year
SKILLS
Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP), Business Development, Business-to-Business (B2B), Cellular Telephone, Change Control, Cost Control, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Customer Satisfaction, Dental Insurance, Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (DFMEA), Ecosystems, Electronics, English Language, Follow Through, Forecasting, Health Insurance, ISO 9001, Machine Tool, Mandarin Chinese Language, Manufacturing, Market Trend Analysis, Microsoft Internet Explorer Browser, Multilingual, OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer), Operations, Pricing, Problem Solving Skills, Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (PFMEA), Product Pricing, Production Part Approval Process (PPAP), Project/Program Management, Reimbursement, Request for Proposals (RFP), Requirements Management, Research & Development (R&D), Sales, Sales Prospecting, Solution Sales, Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), Status Reports, System Integration (SI), Technical Support, Time Management, Total Cost of Ownership, Vendor/Supplier Planning, Vision Plan, Willing to Travel
LOCATION
La Verne, CA
POSTED
29 days ago
Benefits:
  • 401(k)
  • 401(k) matching
  • Dental insurance
  • Health insurance
  • Vision insurance

Job Description
Based in La Verne, you’ll win thermal design-ins with OEMs and Tier-1s. You’ll build programs across EV battery, power electronics, ADAS/compute, lighting, and charging. Meet customers in plants and labs, turn needs into crisp proposals, and guide projects to SOP. Sell our solutions, fans, integrated modules, and system-level cooling while working closely with our R&D and manufacturing teams in Asia. Own the relationship, the forecast, and the follow-through. If you like hands-on selling and clear ownership, you’ll like this role. Automotive sales experience in EV/ADAS/power electronics is strongly preferred; Mandarin/English bilingual is required.
Responsibilities
  • Prospect and qualify new opportunities with OEMs, Tier-1s, and EV ecosystem partners.
  • Meet customers on-site (plants, labs, HQs) to present, gather requirements, and align next steps.
  • Build long-term relationships via calls, email, referrals, networking, and key industry events.
  • Turn requirements into proposals, quotes, and sample/evaluation plans; manage RFIs/RFQs.
  • Drive design-ins from concept to launch; support DV/PV, validation/qualification, and PPAP as required.
  • Coordinate daily with Operations/Manufacturing in Asia on builds, schedules, and escalations.
  • Track POs, shipments, and issues; resolve problems quickly with internal teams.
  • Keep CRM current; deliver pipeline, forecast, and account status reports on schedule.
  • Follow up after delivery to confirm performance and customer satisfaction; close action items.
  •  Provide first-line technical/commercial support; route deeper topics to engineering/FAE when needed.
  • Monitor customer roadmaps, competitors, and market trends; adjust targeting and messaging.
  • Feed product and pricing input to shape the roadmap and reduce Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for customers.
  • Stay current on EV thermal topics: battery packs, inverters, e-axles, ADAS/compute, and charging.
  • Build and execute a Detroit/Great Lakes territory plan; develop referral networks and channel partners.
Experience:
  • 5+ years in automotive B2B sales/BD with OEMs and Tier-1s (EV/thermal, power electronics, or ADAS/compute).
  • Detroit metro–based with regular customer visits (plants, labs, HQs) and ~25–40% travel.
  • Current working relationships with engineering, program management, and sourcing at OEMs/Tier-1s.
  • Hands-on with the auto development cycle: RFQ/RFI, sourcing gates, DV/PV, PPAP/APQP, change control, and SOP.
  • Strong pipeline discipline: CRM hygiene, forecasting, follow-through, and on-time reporting.
  • Comfortable working across time zones with Asia (early/late calls as needed).
  • Bachelor’s in ME/EE/IE or Business with strong technical aptitude (or equivalent experience).
Preferred Experience:
  • Design-in wins for fans, heat sinks, cooling modules, or system/rack thermal solutions—or for power electronics cooling (inverters, OBC, e-axle, battery pack).
  • Familiar with IATF 16949/ISO 9001, DFMEA/PFMEA, control plans, and customer supplier portals.
  • Experience taking programs from first meeting to SOP, with clear revenue and margin outcomes.
  • Pricing/contracting chops: quotes, tooling/NRE, LTAs, and cost-down planning.
  • Mandarin/English bilingual is preferred

Benefits:
  • 401(k)
  • 401(k) matching
  • Cell phone reimbursement
  • Medical Health Insurance: (Dental/Medical/Vision)
  • Paid time off
  • Prescription drug insurance
  • Referral program
Pay:
  • From $80,000 to $120,000 based on experience
  • Plus bonus and commission opportunities
Schedule:
  • 8-hour shift
  • Monday to Friday
  • On-site (La Verne)
  • Willingness to travel:
  • 25% to 40% (Preferred)

About the Company

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Sunon Inc