Regional Sales Manager - Plastic Injection Molding

Summary:

The Regional Sales Manager for the Midwest region is responsible for driving profitable revenue growth through the acquisition of new customers and new programs within existing accounts. This is a highly visible, growth-oriented position focused primarily on identifying opportunities, developing customer relationships, and converting prospects into long-term business.

The Regional Sales Manager serves as an individual contributor while also leading and supporting a network of independent manufacturers' representatives throughout the territory. Success requires a disciplined approach to business development, technical sales, territory management, and collaboration with engineering, estimating, program management, operations, customer service, and marketing.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Identify, qualify, and secure new OEM customers and strategic target accounts.
• Generate new opportunities through proactive prospecting, referrals, marketing leads, industry contacts, trade events, and representative activity.
• Develop relationships with engineering, purchasing, supply chain, operations, and executive decision-makers.
• Conduct customer visits to uncover upcoming projects, resourcing initiatives, supplier consolidation, and transfer opportunities.
• Position company as a preferred supplier for custom injection molding, secondary operations, and value-added assemblies.
• Consistently achieve annual new-business booking objectives.
• Develop and execute an annual Midwest territory business plan, including target accounts, activity goals, representative coverage, pipeline objectives, and revenue forecasts.
• Prioritize markets and accounts that align with company’s capabilities and growth strategy.
• Maintain accurate opportunity, quote, activity, and forecast information in the company CRM system.
• Provide timely pipeline updates and communicate risks, competitive activity, and market intelligence to the Vice President of Sales.
• Recruit, develop, direct, and manage independent sales representatives throughout the territory.
• Engage customers to understand product requirements, manufacturing challenges, sourcing priorities, and business objectives.
• Identify opportunities for design assistance, cost reduction, supply-chain improvement, and new-program development.
• Coordinate customer visits to the company’s facilities and engage internal technical resources as appropriate.
• Lead commercial activity from initial opportunity identification through quotation, negotiation, award, and handoff to program management.
• Coordinate RFQs with estimating and engineering, develop pricing strategies, and negotiate pricing, commercial terms, and long-term agreements.
• Obtain customer feedback on quotations and document reasons for wins and losses.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in business, engineering, marketing, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Minimum of five years of successful B2B technical sales experience, including demonstrated success developing new OEM business.
• Experience selling engineered components, custom manufacturing services, or other technical solutions.
• Experience managing or working effectively with independent manufacturers' representatives.
• Strong prospecting, negotiation, presentation, and relationship-development skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Plastic injection molding experience.
• Experience selling custom injection molding, secondary finishing, assembly, or related value-added manufacturing services.
• Established relationships with OEMs in industrial, appliance, filtration, medical equipment, consumer, recreational, or other targeted Midwest markets.
• Experience with Salesforce or a comparable CRM and familiarity with manufacturing ERP systems.