Solaris Technical Salesperson - West Coast

Company: CAF USA

Location:

Washington DC, US

Solaris Bus & Coach is one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of city buses and a recognized pioneer in zero-emission public transport solutions. As part of the CAF Group, a global leader in sustainable mobility, Solaris combines the agility of a high-growth business with the stability and scale of an international industrial group. With over 25,000 vehicles delivered to 850+ cities across more than 30 countries, Solaris has built a strong reputation for innovation, quality, and reliability in electric and hydrogen bus technologies.

Solaris is now strategically expanding into North America as a key pillar of CAF’s growth strategy in zero-emission mobility. The company has already achieved major milestones in the region, including its first U.S. contracts in Seattle and San Francisco, a landmark trolleybus contract in Vancouver, and participation in Washington state pooled procurements. These successes are rapidly establishing Solaris as a credible and growing player in the North American transit market.

About the Role:

We are looking for a technically strong and commercially driven Technical Salesperson to support our expansion across the West Coast public transit market. This is a hybrid role combining technical sales, tender leadership, and early project support. You will be responsible for supporting customer discussions, shaping opportunities, and leading selected tenders end-to-end (Tender Captain responsibilities) and supporting early-stage contract execution. The role is ideal for a candidate who wants to grow into a full commercial leader role over time, combining engineering understanding with direct sales exposure.

• 1. Technical Sales & Customer Engagement
  • Lead and support direct customer interactions with transit agencies, combining technical expertise with commercial messaging
  • Conduct product presentations, technical workshops, site visits, depot walkthroughs, and roadshows
  • Translate customer needs into technical solutions, aligning requirements with product capabilities
  • Clearly communicate value proposition (range, reliability, lifecycle cost, performance)
  • Build relationships with both technical and procurement stakeholders
• 2. Tender Leadership (Tender Captain Responsibilities)
  • Act as Tender Captain for selected opportunities, owning bid success end-to-end
  • Lead 3–4 tenders in parallel, including initial qualification, bid strategy definition, coordination of internal stakeholders (engineering, pricing, legal, aftersales)
  • Serve as primary interface with the customer during the tender process
  • Manage RfP clarification (Q&A), negotiations, and final offer alignment
  • Make or recommend key trade-offs, prepare and contribute to tender content, ensure compliance and quality submissions, support internal strategy and review meetings
• 3. Early-stage Tender Shaping Activities
  • Support early-stage tender shaping before RFP release
  • Engage with agencies to understand upcoming procurement plans and influence specifications toward product strengths
  • Identify technical risks, deal breakers, and required adaptations early
  • Contribute to prioritization of opportunities together with Sales leadership
• 4. Early Contract & Project Support
  • Support transition from bid to contract execution
  • Act as technical point of contact during early contract clarification, kick‑off discussions with the customer
  • Ensure alignment between offer commitments and delivery capabilities
  • Support handover to project and aftersales teams
• 5. Cross-Functional Coordination
  • Act as link between Sales, Engineering, and Operations
  • Coordinate with supply chain, after‑sales, and service teams
  • Ensure customer expectations are feasible, deliverable, and…