Technical Sales Manager, Refractories Industry Italy

The Company

The world leader in mineral-based specialty solutions for industry, with over 16,000 employees and over 200 sites worldwide, Imerys delivers high value-added, functional solutions to diversified set of industrial sectors, from processing industries to consumer goods. The Group draws on its knowledge of applications, technological expertise and its material science know-how to deliver solutions based on beneficiation of its mineral resources, synthetic minerals and formulations. These contribute essential properties to customers’ products and performance, including refractoriness, hardness, conductivity, opacity, durability, purity, lightness, filtration, absorption and repellency. Imerys is determined to develop responsibly, in particular by fostering the emergence of environmentally-friendly products and processes.

If you want to grow your skills and develop your career, find out more at www.imerys.com

The Position

Job Summary

Function: Account Management/Technical Sales

Experience: min. 5 years

Job type: Permanent

Division: HTS (Calderys)

Hierarchical attachment: Foundry Sales Director, Italy

Country: Italy

City: Fiorano Modenese (MO) - Italy

Context

Calderys/High Temperature Solutions (HTS) is an Imerys Business Area which serves three core markets – Iron & Steel, Foundry, and Thermal.

We combine unique business expertise to provide customized and innovative solutions from our 36 plants along with end-to-end value-added services to all our customers.

Being an international business, we offer to our more than 2500 employees a world of opportunities in our various locations in 33 countries.

We put to work over 100 years of expertise to foster a positive impact for all our stakeholders. Every day we build a sustainable future through teamwork, customer orientation, and proactive mindset.

We are a company where performance is recognized and learning is promoted; an environment where you can grow and fulfill your potential; a workplace where every day is a new day and it is NEVER BORING!

For more information on what we are made of? Go to www.calderys.com and www.imerys.com.

Calderys/HTS is a member of the Imerys Group

Mission

The Sales Engineer Foundry supports the Foundry Sales Director Italy in maintaining and expanding our local market share. He/she takes charge of the management of customers and prospects of the customer portfolio, contributes to the development of the commercial strategy and is responsible for the commercial development, profitability and quality of the Foundry activities within the market. In addition, the position will also function as a technical expert internally and provide some sales support in terms of cost analysis and the definition of products and projects prices to the customers.

Responsibilities

1. Technical Sales

Participate in client discussions for technical sales on identified opportunities
Ensuring the connection of experiences and technical proposals between Centers of Excellence and customers
Support the development process of the customer along the stage gate process until final formulation (incl. leading trial management at the customer site and supervising trials at Imerys plant/ lab, managing qualification process at customers for technical changes on existing products)
Lift customers' technical objections along the stage gate process
Identify technical opportunities on existing products to optimize value proposition

2. Customer innovation

Identify unmet technical needs of customers and develop potential new products/ solutions
Introduce and track KPIs to validate the effectiveness of new products
Estimate time, cost of projects and product demand
Act as link between customers and R&D/S&T/ Operations on new product development
Lead trial management at the customer site and supervise trials at Imerys plant on new products
Manage qualification process at customers for new products

3. Management of significant customer quality issues

Respond to customers on significant quality issues and analyze causes and possible solutions
Liaise with operations/ quality managers on solution identification and implementation

4. Internal and external expert role

Manage technical training of sales/ marketing staff on his/her area of expertise
Act as technical ambassador for his/her area of expertise in external communication (customer technical training, participation in external knowledge sharing, fairs & conferences, etc.)

5. Sales support / Reporting

Provide sales support by conducting cost analyses and defining products and projects prices to customers
Participate in budget & sales planning, ensure forecast accuracy, set sales performance goals accordingly

Profile/Competencies

Education, background, level of experience

Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering or Material Sciences, or equivalent education in related fields
Knowledge of refractory materials
Minimum 5 years experience in a technical sales role
Knowledge of the relevant industry and market
Business acumen and Technical appetite
Strong analytical, interpersonal and communication (including negotiation) skills; value-added solution selling
Ability to use common IT tools (Excel, Word, Gsuite, Web tools)
Salesforce skills would be an advantage
Mandatory use of English (technical and commercial)
Readiness to do regular business trips, mainly within Italy (up to 50%)

Position Type

Full time

and

Permanent

Only technical issues will be monitored through the below inbox:

recruiting.support@ imerys.com

PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT RESUMES OR APPLICATIONS TO THIS EMAIL, AS THEY WILL NOT BE REVIEWED.

To ensure fairness and legal compliance in our recruitment processes, only applications received through the online application process will be considered.

IMERYS is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer and it is our policy to not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by federal, state or local laws.