Trainee Automation Engineer Jobs in Tennessee (NOW HIRING)

Description

Senior Engineering students are encouraged to apply! (Summer 2026, Fall 2026, Spring 2027)

If you're a Summer Grad, we have openings available now!

*Possible training locations include but are not limited to: Knoxville, TN; Memphis, TN; Lakeland, FL; Greensboro, NC; Greenville, SC; Richmond, VA. Candidates must be able to relocate, as this is a fully onsite role.

About Tencarva

Tencarva Machinery is a distributor, engineering and design partner, and OEM-authorized repair network within the process equipment/flow control market. With 38 locations across 16 states, Tencarva provides end-to-end, whole-system solutions for over 18,000 active customers across many verticals, including industrial, municipal water/wastewater, power generation, oil/gas, mining/aggregates, and automotive. Our service offerings include system analysis and design, applications engineering, custom fabrication of equipment packages, automation & controls, equipment remanufacturing, and thermal hard coatings. tencarva.com

The Opportunity

Sales Engineering is one of the few engineering careers where technical problem solving, business consulting, and real-world industrial systems all intersect.

Our Sales Engineer Trainees are assigned to one of our branch locations and train under experienced Sales Engineers for approximately 9-18 months. During this time, trainees work alongside Sales Engineers supporting real customer projects and learning how equipment and systems are evaluated, specified, and applied in industrial and municipal environments. Trainees assist Sales Engineers with applications engineering and equipment quotations for a wide range of process pumping and fluid handling systems. They also accompany Sales Engineers on customer visits, observing how system failures and operational problems are investigated and how equipment or system modifications are recommended to improve reliability and performance.

Over time, trainees begin developing the ability to evaluate customer systems based on real operating conditions - considering factors such as flow rate, viscosity, pressure, temperature, pH, and system configuration - to help determine appropriate equipment and system solutions. Just as important, trainees learn how successful Sales Engineers build long-term customer relationships by being technically reliable, responsive, and genuinely helpful when problems arise. After a suitable training period (typically around one year), trainees are given the opportunity to take ownership of their own territory.

After a suitable training period (typically around one year), trainees are given the opportunity to take ownership of their own territory.

What Trainees Learn

During the training program, Sales Engineer Trainees gain experience with:

• the manufacturers and product lines represented by Tencarva
• the operating principles and applications of various pump technologies and fluid handling equipment
• how industrial and municipal pumping systems function in real-world operations
• diagnosing system failures and reliability issues
• equipment selection and applications engineering
• interpreting P&IDs, blueprints, and system drawings
• preparing equipment quotations and understanding pricing and purchasing dynamics
• troubleshooting and basic repair fundamentals through time with our service teams
• how experienced Sales Engineers develop trusted, long-term relationships with customers

The Sales Engineer Career

The Sales Engineer role is field-based, consultative, and highly technical. While this is a sales position, the sale happens naturally as a result of our providing the correct technical solution for a real operational problem. The scope of the Sale Engineer role is extensive, as it encompasses duties and expertise of many plant stakeholders, including reliability engineer, process engineer, maintenance engineer, project manager/engineer, and even technical trainer. Every day, every customer, and every problem is unique, which requires creativity, adaptability, and tenacity/grit.

Tencarva Sales Engineers are allowed almost unlimited latitude for personal initiative and engineering imagination - as well as uncapped earning potential. It is a very entrepreneurial role, as the Sales Engineer is essentially the General Manger of his/her territory. Although success in the Sales Engineer role is measured by sales growth, margins, and profitability in the assigned territory/defined customer base, this is not a high-pressure sales environment. On the contrary, our customers rely on us as trusted advisors and business partners to help solve their problems by providing equipment packages, application recommendations, and whole-system design solutions. For nearly 50 years, Tencarva has been committed to fostering long-term relationships and providing a high-integrity, "white glove" customer experience to industrial and municipal markets all across the eastern US.

What Sales Engineers Do

Sales Engineers spend much of their time working directly with customers and engineering firms to solve fluid handling challenges and improve system performance. Typical responsibilities include:

• Calling on personnel at all levels of industrial and municipal operations-from technicians and operators to engineers, managers, and plant leadership
• Working with engineering firms that support our customer base and providing technical guidance on equipment applications
• Reviewing blueprints, P&IDs, and system drawings to evaluate equipment needs and develop project proposals
• Recommending equipment or process changes that improve reliability, efficiency, or operating costs
• Providing technical support related to the operation and maintenance of equipment
• Conducting informational product training for customer personnel
• Planning and executing customer visits within an assigned territory
• Maintaining visibility into project pipelines and forecasting potential business opportunities
• Developing territory strategies to grow both existing accounts and new business

Compensation

Sales Engineer Trainees receive competitive pay during the training period. After transitioning into a full Sales Engineer role with an assigned territory, compensation opportunities can significantly exceed those of many traditional engineering roles with manufacturers or engineering firms.

Why Join Tencarva

• Annual Incentive
• Ownership Opportunities
• Profit Sharing via 401(k)
• Earn up to 120 hours (3 weeks) of PTO per year - plus 10 paid holidays
• Stable, growing company with long-term customer relationships and no history of layoffs
• Tencarva is one of the largest and most respected distributors and OEM-authorized service networks in the pump industry

Insurance benefits include medical, dental, vision, disability, and life.

Requirements

Education and/or Experience: Bachelor's Degree from a 4-year college or university; strong preference for Engineering, particularly classical core disciplines such as Mechanical, Industrial, Chemical, etc. Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering may also be relevant and useful, particularly on the Municipal side of our business. Please note: IT and Computer related Engineering degrees are not relevant for this role.

Required Qualifications

• Must enjoy people/social interaction and building relationships/rapport
• Genuine interest in technical sales and/or engineering consulting (helping customers solve problems)
• Coursework in Fluid Dynamics and Thermodynamics

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous sales and/or customer service experience (waiting tables, bartending, retail, hospitality, etc.)
• Sports background, ideally both team sports and individual sports
• Hands-on mechanical work experience and/or hobbies
• Co-op or internship experience in an industrial plant environment, preferably in a Reliability Engineer role or similar
• Practical familiarity with pumps and fluid handling systems (not just theoretical)
• Additional helpful coursework may include: Fluid Power, Hydraulic Engineering/Applied Hydraulics, Mechanical Design/Machine Elements, Systems Engineering & Controls, Blueprint/P&ID Reading, etc.

The duties, responsibilities, and activities described above are not exhaustive and may be subject to change. Additionally, please note that the job title for this posting is designed to be descriptive and may not reflect the official title used internally for job classification purposes.

Tencarva Machinery Company, LLC, is an equal opportunity employer. All aspects of employment including the decision to hire, promote, discipline, or discharge, will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.