Inside Sales Representative - Inks & Coatings

Job Description:

As an Inside Sales Representative for our Coatings & Inks business, you will be responsible for driving revenue growth by selling pigment dispersions and colorant technologies to customers in the paints, coatings, and printing inks markets. This role combines consultative selling with technical understanding to support customers in selecting high-performance color solutions for industrial and commercial applications.

Location:

• This position will require a period of hands-on technical training in our Hatfield, PA facility for up to 6 months, where you will work alongside our operations and R&D teams in learning our products and chemistries
• Upon completion of training, you will transition over to Inside Sales duties as outlined below, which will be conducted onsite 5 days per week
• Long-term opportunity in this role would be transitioning to an outside sales position, which would require relocation to an assigned territory in the Eastern half of the U.S. (to be determined at that juncture in time), working from a home office with up to 50% travel

This is an outstanding opportunity to join a stable, family-owned and industry-leading organization where you can grow long-term within a B2B sales environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Identify, develop, and qualify sales opportunities within coatings and inks manufacturers, formulators, and converters
• Conduct outbound prospecting and manage inbound inquiries
• Provide technical product recommendations based on customer formulation needs (e.g., opacity, dispersion, lightfastness, durability, viscosity)
• Support customers with technical requests, sample coordination, and product trials
• Collaborate closely with lab, technical service, and R&D teams to deliver customized solutions
• Build and maintain strong relationships with purchasing, R&D, and operations stakeholders
• Prepare pricing, quotes, and proposals aligned with margin targets
• Manage pipeline and customer interactions using CRM tools
• Drive cross-selling and upselling of complementary products (e.g., additives, resins, dispersions)
• Stay informed on industry trends such as sustainability (low VOC, waterborne systems), regulatory compliance, and raw material changes
• Support product launches, promotions, and marketing campaigns within coatings and inks segments

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Business, or related field (or equivalent experience)
• 0-2 years of inside sales or technical sales experience (coatings, inks, or specialty chemicals experience preferred)
• Strong communication skills with ability to engage both technical and commercial stakeholders
• Understanding of B2B sales processes and customer relationship management
• Ability to quickly learn technical product portfolios and application requirements
• Proficiency with CRM platforms (e.g., Salesforce, Dynamics, HubSpot)

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with pigments, dispersions, resins, or additives used in coatings and inks
• Familiarity with formulation parameters such as gloss, opacity, rheology, and curing systems
• Knowledge of coating types (industrial, architectural, automotive, packaging) and printing processes (flexo, gravure, digital, offset)
• Understanding of regulatory requirements (e.g., VOC regulations, REACH, FDA for packaging inks)
• Proven success achieving or exceeding sales targets in a technical environment

Key Competencies

• Consultative Selling: Ability to translate technical needs into value-driven solutions
• Technical Aptitude: Comfortable discussing formulation challenges and performance attributes
• Customer Focus: Builds trust with R&D, procurement, and production teams
• Problem-Solving: Identifies and resolves performance or application issues
• Attention to Detail: Critical when handling specifications, color standards, and test results
• Resilience & Drive: Thrives in a target-driven, competitive environment

Work Environment

• Office-based role with frequent virtual customer interaction
• Cross-functional collaboration with technical, lab, supply chain, and marketing teams
• Supports industrial B2B customers across coatings and inks markets
• Performance measured by revenue growth, pipeline development, and customer retention

Why Join Penn Color?

• Family-owned, People-First Workplace Culture
• Comprehensive Health & Wellness
• Retirement and Financial Security
• PTO & Work Life Balance
• Career Growth & Development
• Employee Perks & Community

Penn Color, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We adhere to a policy of making employment decisions without regards to race, color, religion, sex, age, disability or any other protected categories. It is our intention that all qualified applicants be given an equal opportunity and that selection decisions be based on job-related factors.