Yesterday afternoon, I had the opportunity to meet with Earl Meininger, PHR, of Vancouver, WA-based Columbia Machine, Inc., a global leading manufacturer of concrete products equipment, serving customers in over 100 countries. We discussed their current workforce demands and the need to have the right technical bilingual/bicultural team members who can enable and help the company sustain and grow into the Latin American market. My takeaways from the meeting & tour:
1. The Manufacturing Industry
Columbia Machine engineers and builds multi-million dollar customized equipment in Vancouver, WA and sells them to clients around the world. Upon entering the facilities, we had to wear safety eyeglasses and protective hearing plugs, and observe safety precautions such as watching out for moving forklifts and cranes. The equipment varies based on the customers demands. For instance, one machine can mix concrete and produce concrete cylinder blocks (all types), another machine replaces pallets with equipment on it and automatically places that product merchandise on a more sturdy, well built pallet. The facilities fabricates, machines, paints, and assembles their equipment, and designs and builds their own custom design PLC electrical panels. Browse the video demonstrations.
2. The Position
Preferably, individuals who enjoy working in a manufacturing environment, can read blueprints and can troubleshoot equipment with a laptop and a PLC. The bilingual and bicultural skill set is to be able to deploy to Latin America client locations to sell, troubleshoot, repair and communicate those issues in detailed-English to the engineering and sales team in Vancouver. Preferably individuals who can get around Latin America seamlessly, who have cultural connections, meet with the local client teams to help them better think about their needs, and can help strengthen the company in Latin America. Browse the regions being served (requires Flash plugin).
3. The Opportunity
The main focus right now is interviewing and hiring a bilingual sales administrative assistant with excellent organizational, interpersonal communication, and problem-solving skills with AutoCAD experience preferred. A candidate with experience in Customer Relations Management (CRM) or Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software who can collaborate with sales representatives and engineers to prepare quotations for sales orders; maintain provides project management support for sales team, drafts letters, internal memos, and other documents and edits for correct spelling, grammar, and content; and, provide overall project management support for sales team. The key position requires innovative team members who can find, communicate, and implement ways to continuously improve processes and work under pressure.
If you are interested or know someone for this challenging and rewarding career opportunity please email us at BilingualHire with contact information and how you meet the position requirements, today.
PS: If you live outside the Vancouver, WA and Portland, OR area, Portland Monthly Magazine has a great article on exploring Oregon and the surrounding areas. Or you can always give us a call and we can direct you to the nearest favorite hot spot.
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