Technical Sales Manager - Performance Polymers

A global chemical and materials company is seeking a Technical Sales Manager – Performance Polymers to support the growth of its performance polymer business in North America.

This is a customer-facing technical and commercial role combining technical sales, application support, account development, and new business development. The successful candidate will work closely with customers to understand their technical requirements and applications, recommend appropriate product solutions, support product evaluations and commercialization, and identify opportunities for new business.

The position is well suited for an engineering or chemistry professional with experience in the plastics, polymers, or chemical industry who enjoys working directly with customers and combining technical knowledge with commercial responsibilities.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage and develop relationships with existing customers while identifying and pursuing new business opportunities.
• Serve as a key technical and commercial contact for customers throughout North America.
• Understand customer applications, technical specifications, processing requirements, and business needs and recommend appropriate product solutions.
• Provide technical product and application support in collaboration with R&D, technical teams, laboratories, and other internal resources.
• Support customer product trials, testing, technical evaluations, qualifications, and commercialization activities.
• Identify new customers, applications, markets, and growth opportunities for performance polymer products.
• Develop and maintain a pipeline of new business opportunities and track progress using CRM and other sales tools.
• Gather and analyze market intelligence, customer requirements, competitive activity, and industry trends.
• Prepare and deliver technical presentations, product information, proposals, and other customer-facing materials.
• Participate in customer meetings, industry conferences, trade shows, and other business development activities.
• Coordinate closely with internal technical, sales, marketing, supply chain, and global headquarters teams.
• Support sales planning, forecasting, pricing, and achievement of business objectives.
• Maintain a high level of customer service and develop long-term relationships with key customer stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Chemistry, Polymer Science, or a related technical discipline required. Master's degree or PhD preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of professional experience in the plastics, polymers, or chemical industry.
• Strong knowledge of thermoplastic materials, downstream processing, and end-use applications, including practical experience with customer processing requirements and technical evaluations.
• Experience in technical sales, technical service, application engineering, sales engineering, or business development within the thermoplastics industry, with demonstrated customer-facing responsibilities and involvement in account development, new business opportunities, or commercialization.
• Experience supporting customer product trials, application testing, technical qualifications, and commercialization activities.
• Ability to understand customer technical specifications, product performance, processing requirements, and business needs and translate them into appropriate material solutions.
• Strong customer relationship management, communication, presentation, and problem-solving skills.
• Self-motivated and proactive, with the ability to identify and pursue new business opportunities.
• Ability to work effectively with customers, R&D, manufacturing, commercial teams, and global headquarters.
• Proficiency with CRM systems and standard sales/business software.
• Willingness to travel approximately 1–2 weeks per month, primarily within North America.