Lighting Distributor Jobs in Chicago, IL (NOW HIRING)

Regional Sales Manager – Central U.S.



COMPANY INFORMATION

JDRF Electromag Engineering Inc. is an engineering company and the creator of Autonomy Lighting — AI-powered luminaire-level lighting control (LLLC) for commercial buildings.

Unlike conventional lighting control, Autonomy Lighting requires no human programming and no supervisory control hardware. The AI discovers the lighting arrangement, analyzes daylight and motion patterns, and forms functional control areas automatically — delivering energy savings, integrated power metering, and code-compliant emergency lighting through a system that is scalable, repeatable, and low-touch across a single site or an entire fleet.

OVERVIEW

This is not a traditional sales role. The Regional Sales Manager operates across the full project lifecycle — from specification and quotation through installation, verification, and deployment — and the work demands genuine variety: one day presenting to a lighting consultant, the next walking an inspector through a functional performance test.

Credibility with contractors and specifiers is earned through technical depth. We expect every sales manager to understand how the system works at a fundamental level, to operate it confidently, and to carry full depth of product knowledge into every customer interaction. Candidates who want to sell from a brochure will not thrive here; candidates who want to master a technical product and be the expert in the room will.

This role reports directly to the Director, Sales and Customer Support.

CORE SALES RESPONSIBILITIES (new opportunity)

1. Sales agent network — Work with independent sales agents and manufacturer's representatives across the region: training, joint sales calls, and ensuring agents are equipped to represent the technology accurately.
2. Specification development — Visit lighting designers and electrical consultants to secure specification of the system on new projects, positioning JDRF Electromag as the basis of design.
3. Fixture company enablement — Support fixture manufacturers (OEMs) in onboarding the technology, including product integration guidance, sales training, and coordination during early adoption.
4. Pipeline management — Maintain accurate opportunity records, forecasts, and pipeline reviews (including agent pipelines) in the company work management system.
5. Territory development — Build and execute a regional plan to grow specification share, agent performance, and OEM adoption across key stakeholders, including electrical contractors, distributors, engineers, manufacturer's representatives, property managers, and end users.
6. Revenue delivery — Actively manage sales opportunities and deliver against assigned revenue targets.
7. Training and demonstrations — Conduct in-person and remote customer training sessions and product demonstrations.
8. Industry presence — Represent JDRF Electromag at industry events, trade shows, and networking opportunities.

ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT (projects underway)

1. Deployment point of contact — Serve as the customer's primary contact from project award through commissioning and handover.
2. Project timelines and delivery — Clarify project timelines and delivery schedules with customers, coordinating internally to ensure commitments are accurate and met.
3. Issue escalation and resolution — Act as the customer's advocate internally, escalating delivery, quality, or technical issues to the appropriate teams and driving them to resolution.
4. Customer feedback — Capture customer feedback and communicate insights internally to support continuous product improvement.

TECHNICAL EXPERTISE

As an engineering company, every member of the sales team is expected to have the technical depth to explain the system to new customers, guide contractors through installation and verification, and ensure design submittals align with the consultant's design intent.

In addition to core sales responsibilities, the Regional Sales Manager will play an active role in the following:

1. Pre-wire meetings with electrical contractors — Explain system wiring, startup behavior, emergency lighting behavior, and how to verify correct installation.
2. System modification — Demonstrate proficiency with the mobile app to implement changes during product demonstrations or when consultants are evaluating alternative system configurations.
3. Final verification with inspectors — Walk inspectors through final verification, including placing the system in functional performance test mode.
4. Design submittal review — Review design submittals to ensure all parties are aligned on project objectives.
5. Customer technical liaison — Liaise with customers to facilitate troubleshooting and collect technical requirements for systems integration.
6. System quotation — Independently produce a system quotation from project drawings: perform the takeoff in AutoCAD, specify product types and quantities, and generate the quote. This function is typically supported by the customer support team, but every Regional Sales Manager is expected to be self-sufficient in producing quotes.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

• Undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university. Higher education, technical certifications, or industry certifications are assets.
• Minimum of 5 years of sales experience within the lighting industry, with direct experience in lighting controls.
• Proven experience managing a sales territory and developing customer relationships within the commercial construction or electrical industry.
• Strong understanding of the electrical distribution channel, including contractors, distributors, engineers, and end users.
• Familiarity with AutoCAD and the ability to work from electrical drawings and project specifications.
• Excellent communication, presentation, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
• Flexible, goal-oriented, proactive, and entrepreneurial mindset.
• Passionate about delivering exceptional customer service and creating long-term partnerships.
• Ability to communicate technical concepts and product requirements to a broad range of stakeholders.
• Willingness to travel extensively within the assigned territory and occasionally support broader U.S. market activities (approximately 30-50% travel).
• Ability to attend and present at industry exhibitions, conferences, and customer events.
• Competency in Microsoft applications including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams.
• Valid U.S. driver's license and ability to travel within assigned territory.
• Authorized to work in the United States.

Required tools and platforms

• Familiarity with AutoCAD
• Proficiency working within the company work management system and document control platforms