Sales Director

Summary: In collaboration with product management, develop, maintain, and improve business relations at multiple levels with customer and supplier organizations.  This will include the development of strategic options relative to gaining new suppliers capable of supplying polypropylene and polyethylene.  This is a key leadership role responsible for managing Southern Polymer’s sales operations.  This role will develop and execute strategic sales plans to achieve revenue targets, enhance customer relationships and lead a high-performing sales team.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develop both short and long term strategic commercial strategy. Monitor implementation of these plans and adjust to ensure achievement of plan revenue.
• Identify current and future market segment needs for material purchases & sales. Using this information, identify and evaluate new markets and customer targets.
• Develop, organize, and manage the current sales team, and develop specific strategies and action plans in order to increase this group of sales personnel in support of company growth plans over the next five years.
• Maintain sales performance goals for the sales team and report performance on a monthly basis.
• Through analysis and forecasting, prioritize opportunities while recognizing capability and resource availability. These efforts will be coordinated through annual strategic planning.
• Develop sales resource hiring plans, keep abreast of industry trends, competitive activities, and price/volume information, through customer and supplier visits.
• Collaborate with purchasing to forecast sales and inventory needs to support expansion
• Assist with developing pricing strategy to meet sales and margin objectives
• Work in the field with Account Managers to identify opportunities and potential problems. Visit current and new accounts with Account Managers to coordinate and support their efforts.
• Collaborate with the President on development, communication and implementation of effective growth strategies and processes.
• Using knowledge of the market and competitors, identify and develop the company’s unique selling propositions and differentiators.
• Collaborate with the President to define and implement marketing programs and new product launch plans to support organic growth goals
• Maintain and continually expand working knowledge of suppliers’ product line as well as competitive materials. Must have a solid understanding of customer operations and economics and will develop working relationships with major customers and prospects in conjunction with sales.
• Provide input on company literature, presentations and sales aids.
• Comply with company policy regarding sales forecasts, expense controls, corporate ethics, quality, and safety policies.
• Promote, support and adhere to all safety, environmental and quality related policies and procedures.

Preferred Experience, Training, and Skills:

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Management, Engineering, or equivalent
• 7-10 years in Sales or Technical Marketing in the plastics industry.
• Outside sales experience is preferred at: Resin Producer, Plastics Converter, Plastics Distribution / Resale, or Prior Purchasing responsibility.
• Excellent communication skills, self-motivated, self-starter, sense of urgency, personable, extroverted personality, and organized.
• Demonstrated ability to develop new business and achieve profitable sales in highly competitive markets.

Preferred Experience, Training, and Skill continued:

• Skilled in the use of basic computer software, including word-processing and spreadsheets.
• Strong leadership skills.
• Excellent negotiation skills.
• Results driven.
• Financial management knowledge.
• Strong communication skills.
• Strong sense of direction and visioning.
• Strong decision making skills.
• Multi-lingual a plus.

Preferred Education: Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Management, Engineering, or equivalent.

Working Conditions, Travel, and Physical Requirements:

• Office environment
• Must be able to travel to Customer and Suppliers locations; estimated 30% - 50%, both domestic and international.