Aramid Sales Specialist

Job Description

Job Description

Position Overview

Kolon USA is seeking a commercially minded and highly proactive Sales Specialist / Sr. Specialist to join its Aramid business team in Atlanta, Georgia.

This position is designed for an individual who will develop into an independent account manager and business development professional through hands-on exposure to Kolon’s products, customers, markets, and end-to-end commercial processes.

Prior experience with para-aramid products or the aramid industry is preferred but not required. The successful candidate will be expected to develop a strong understanding of Kolon’s products, customer applications, market dynamics, and commercial processes through hands-on experience and continuous learning.

During the initial stage, the candidate will build this knowledge by supporting existing customer accounts and actively managing customer orders and related sales activities. As product knowledge, customer understanding, and commercial capabilities develop, the candidate will progressively assume direct ownership of customer accounts, expand relationships with existing customers, and ultimately identify and develop new business opportunities.

While order management and ERP responsibilities are an important part of the role, this is fundamentally a commercial and customer-facing position. The successful candidate is expected to approach every customer interaction with a sales mindset, proactively identify opportunities or potential issues, and take ownership of appropriate follow-up.

Key Responsibilities

1. Account Management & Customer Development

· Support the management of existing customer relationships and day-to-day commercial activities, with progressively increasing account ownership.

· Assume direct responsibility for selected customer accounts as product knowledge and commercial capabilities develop.

· Build strong customer relationships by understanding each customer’s business, applications, purchasing patterns, needs, and potential growth opportunities.

· Respond proactively to customer communications and recognize commercial opportunities that may arise from routine inquiries, orders, requests, or changes in customer activity.

· Follow through on customer needs and opportunities with a strong sense of urgency and ownership rather than simply processing requests.

· Coordinate quotations, pricing discussions, forecasts, order status, product inquiries, and other commercial requirements.

· Identify opportunities to expand business with existing customers and progressively participate in new customer and market development.

· Participate in customer meetings, trade shows, industry events, and other commercial activities.

2. Product & Market Development

· Develop a strong working knowledge of Kolon’s para-aramid products, including Heracron yarn, converted yarn, fabric, and related downstream applications.

· Learn key applications and end markets, including safety, defense and ballistics, automotive, aerospace, ICT, and other industrial markets.

· Develop an understanding of customer value chains, competitive products, pricing dynamics, and key market participants.

· Monitor customer activity, market developments, and competitive trends and communicate relevant observations to the sales team and management.

· Work closely with senior sales team members, technical resources, and Kolon headquarters to translate customer needs and market information into potential commercial opportunities.

· Continuously develop the technical and commercial knowledge required to independently manage accounts and pursue new business.

3. Sales Operations & Order Management

· Manage customer purchase orders and maintain accurate and timely information in the company’s ERP system.

· Monitor order status, customer demand, inventory availability, delivery schedules, and other relevant commercial information.

· Maintain a high level of attention to detail while recognizing that order management is not solely an administrative function but an important source of customer and business intelligence.

· Proactively identify unusual order patterns, changes in demand, timing issues, customer requests, or other signals that may require commercial follow-up.

· Coordinate with customers and internal stakeholders to resolve order-related issues quickly and minimize potential impact on customer relationships or sales.

· Develop an end-to-end understanding of the commercial process, from customer demand and order placement through production, inventory, delivery, and payment.

· Support sales forecasting and demand planning based on customer communication, historical orders, current activity, and anticipated business opportunities.

4. Cross-Functional & Global Coordination

· Coordinate closely with Kolon headquarters in Korea, supply chain teams, warehouses, logistics providers, technical teams, and other internal stakeholders to support customer requirements.

· Communicate customer demand, forecasts, delivery requirements, commercial priorities, and potential supply issues clearly and proactively.

· Help align customer requirements with inventory, production schedules, and delivery plans.

· Take ownership of issues requiring cross-functional coordination and ensure appropriate follow-up through resolution.

· Work effectively across time zones with Kolon headquarters in Korea. Occasional flexibility outside of normal U.S. business hours may be required to address time-sensitive customer or business matters; this role is not intended to require routinely extended working hours.

Career Development

This position is structured as a progressive commercial development role.

The successful candidate will initially build foundational knowledge of Kolon’s products, customers, markets, and commercial processes through hands-on involvement in sales operations, customer communication, and order management.

As capabilities develop, the candidate will:

· Assume ownership of selected customer accounts.

· Expand responsibility to a broader and increasingly strategic customer portfolio.

· Develop deeper customer relationships and identify opportunities to grow existing business.

· Reduce the relative portion of transactional order-management responsibilities as account-management responsibilities increase.

· Progress toward independently developing new customers, applications, and business opportunities.

The long-term objective of this position is to develop a commercially capable professional who can independently manage and grow customer accounts and contribute to the expansion of Kolon’s Aramid business in North America.

Qualifications

· Bachelor’s degree required; Business, Marketing, Engineering, Materials Science, Supply Chain, or a related field preferred.

· Approximately 1–5 years of professional experience, depending on level; prior experience in B2B sales, account management, customer-facing roles, or industrial businesses is preferred.

· Prior experience with para-aramid products or the aramid industry is preferred but not required.

· Experience in advanced materials, chemicals, fibers, composites, defense, automotive, aerospace, or related industries is a plus.

· Strong interest in developing a long-term career in sales, account management, and business development.

· Highly proactive and responsive, with a demonstrated tendency to take ownership and follow through without waiting for detailed instructions.

· Strong attention to detail, combined with the ability to recognize the broader commercial significance behind routine customer communications, orders, and requests.

· Strong commercial mindset and instinct to identify and pursue opportunities to support or expand customer business.

· Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills with the ability to communicate effectively with customers and internal stakeholders.

· High level of curiosity and willingness to learn technical products, customer applications, and industrial markets.

· Strong organizational and analytical capabilities, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and follow through reliably.

· Comfortable working in an international business environment and coordinating across different functions, cultures, and time zones.

· Willingness to provide reasonable flexibility when time-sensitive customer or headquarters matters require attention outside of normal business hours.

· Proficiency in Microsoft Office; experience with ERP systems is a plus.

Benefits

· Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance (including dependents)

· Life and Disability Insurance

· 401(k) Plan with Company Match

· Paid Time Off

· Paid Holidays

· Meal Allowance

· Additional employee benefits and support programs