Director of Commercial Sales - Kanto

Job Description

Job Description

Nagle and Associates has been retained by Kanto Corporation to execute the Director of Quality, executive search.

Overview

The Director of Commercial Sales leads the commercial strategy for a manufacturer of ultra‐pure chemicals serving semiconductors, biotech, and other high‐precision industries. This role is responsible for driving revenue growth, expanding strategic accounts, and ensuring the sales organization deeply understands the technical, regulatory, and quality requirements of ultra‐high‐purity chemical customers. The ideal candidate blends commercial leadership with strong technical acumen and experience selling into highly regulated, specification‐driven markets.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership

· Develop and execute a commercial sales strategy aligned with growth goals in semiconductor, advanced manufacturing, and other purity‐critical sectors

· Identify emerging market trends such as next‐generation semiconductor nodes, and high‐purity reagent needs

· Partner with executive leadership to shape long‐term commercial planning, pricing strategy, and product portfolio direction

· Technical & Market Expertise

· Maintain deep understanding of ultra‐pure chemical specifications, purity grades, contamination control, and customer qualification processes

· Collaborate with R&D, Quality, and Operations to align customer needs with production capabilities

· Support customer audits, technical discussions, and product qualification cycles

· Team Leadership & Development

· Lead and mentor a team of technical sales managers, account executives, and customer success professionals

· Build a culture of technical excellence, customer focus, and disciplined sales execution

· Establish performance metrics, training programs, and coaching frameworks tailored to complex, long‐cycle sales environments

· Revenue Growth & Pipeline Management

· Own the commercial pipeline across key verticals, ensuring accurate forecasting and disciplined opportunity management

· Implement scalable sales processes that support long qualification cycles, multi‐stakeholder decision paths, and stringent regulatory requirements

· Drive expansion within strategic accounts through cross‐selling, new product introductions, and long‐term supply agreements

· Customer & Partner Engagement

· Build and maintain strong relationships with engineering, procurement, quality, and operations teams at customer sites

· Represent the company at industry events, technical conferences, and customer audits

· Partner with distributors, channel partners, and supply chain stakeholders to expand market reach

· Operational Excellence

· Oversee sales operations including territory planning, pricing governance, and contract negotiation

· Ensure CRM accuracy and data integrity for forecasting, compliance, and operational planning

· Collaborate with Supply Chain and Manufacturing to align capacity planning with customer demand

Qualifications

· 8–12+ years of sales experience in ultra‐pure chemicals, specialty chemicals, semiconductor materials, or related high‐purity manufacturing sectors

· 3–5+ years of leadership experience managing technical or commercial sales teams

· Strong understanding of purity specifications, contamination control, and regulated manufacturing environments

· Proven success selling into semiconductor fabs, pharmaceutical manufacturers, biotech labs, or advanced manufacturing customers

· Excellent communication, negotiation, and executive‐level presentation skills

· Ability to travel domestically and internationally as needed

Preferred Experience

· Background in chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science, or related technical field

· Experience supporting customer audits, product qualifications, and regulatory compliance processes

· Familiarity with ISO, GMP, or semiconductor quality standards

· Experience with long‐term supply agreements and strategic account management

Success Looks Like

· Consistent achievement of revenue and margin targets across key verticals

· Strong, trust‐based relationships with technical and procurement stakeholders at major accounts

· A high‐performing sales team capable of navigating complex, specification‐driven sales cycles

· Increased market share in semiconductor, life sciences, and other purity‐critical industries

· Predictable, data‐driven forecasting and commercial operations

For more information, please submit your resume to:

Richard Ballard

Vice President, Executive Search

Nagle & Associates

rballard at nagleandassociates.net

OUR MISSION
Nagle & Associates’ overall objective is to help outstanding professionals align their career goals with an organization’s culture and strategic goals, which creates highly successful, long-term matches. This ensures leadership at all levels, which ultimately maximizes an organization’s strategic potential

Company Description

OUR MISSION\r\nNagle & Associates’ overall objective is to help outstanding professionals align their career goals with an organization’s culture and strategic goals, which creates highly successful, long-term matches. This ensures leadership at all levels, which ultimately maximizes an organization’s strategic potential