About the position
A well-established international Coatings / Construction Chemicals, Adhesives, Sealants and Elastomer Raw Material Supplier to the manufacturing industries requires the above to drive the growth of their business in South Africa, being responsible for developing customer relationships, identifying and converting new business opportunities, managing strategic product portfolios, and driving the commercial success of their Principal partnerships.
Minimum requirements for the role:
- A qualification in Chemistry or Engineering Plastics or Materials Science or Polymer Technology, or a related technical discipline is preferred for this role.
- Previous experience having worked in a Laboratory or R&D environment in the development and formulation of paints and coatings is preferred.
- The successful candidate must have a good knowledge of common additive classes and raw materials used in the paint and coatings formulations.
- Previous sales experience having sold technically demanding raw materials into the Paint, Coatings and related formulation markets is essential.
- The company is also happy to consider a technical person who is currently working in a coatings laboratory who would like to move into a Technical Sales role handling existing customers and managing international principals.
- Good knowledge of the South African coatings market, ideally within the decorative and industrial coatings applications markets, is preferred.
- The successful candidate should have established relationships with technical and commercial decision-makers within the coatings industry.
- Must have strong commercial acumen, with proven communication, negotiation, and business development skills.
- Must be able to bridge technical expertise, customer needs, and commercial opportunities.
- A self-driven and entrepreneurial mindset, with the ability to independently identify opportunities and drive them through to commercial success.
- A Matric or Tertiary qualification is preferred for this role.
- Previous colourants or coatings raw material sales experience, having sold into the retail, surface coatings, decorative and industrial paint manufacturing industries, is preferred but not essential as product training will be provided.
- The successful candidate must have a strong commercial drive, analytical mindset and good interpersonal skills.
- The successful candidate should have a proven track record of managing strategic accounts and achieving sales targets as well as having a strong understanding of coatings formulations, pigment technologies, and colour systems.
The successful candidate will be responsible for:
- Driving the growth of their business in South Africa,within the Coatings (Paints) / Construction Chemicals, Adhesives, Sealants & Elastomers business being responsible for developing customer relationships, identifying and converting new business opportunities, managing strategic product portfolios, and driving the commercial success of their Principal partnerships
- Building and maintaining strong relationships with R&D, procurement, and senior management teams.
- Identifying customer needs and technical opportunities and converting them into sustainable commercial business.
- Promoting and providing technical support for a variety of additives used in coating, paint, and ink applications.
- Developing existing customer relationships while actively identifying and acquiring new customers and applications.
- Managing commercial activities, including pricing, margin development, negotiations, and supply agreements.
- Developing market intelligence, sales pipelines, and go-to-market strategies.
- Delivering agreed sales, margin, pipeline conversion, and Principal KPIs.
- Organising and delivering customer seminars, technical training sessions, and customer events.
- Representing the company at trade fairs, conferences, and product training sessions, while monitoring market and competitive developments.
- Independently planning and executing commercially viable customer visits and market activities.
- Working closely with Product and Market Management to ensure successful business development.
- Strategically managing and growing Key Accounts supplying colourant and coatings raw materials into the retail, decorative, industrial, construction, ink, and automotive manufacturing industries. The successful candidate will grow strategic customer accounts, building strong relationships and delivering tailored raw material solutions to strengthen the company’s market position.
- Growing the company’s revenue by ensuring that all customers are satisfied with the services provided, identifying new business opportunities and ensuring our product forecasting is accurate.
- Driving sales growth by introducing new raw materials, technologies, and innovative solutions.
- Collaborating with suppliers and internal teams to align technical and commercial strategies.
- Preparing and executing account development plans and sales forecasts.
- Visiting customer sites regularly to maintain visibility and gain insights into operational and technical needs.
- Providing technical advice and product recommendations for coating and related formulations.
- Preparing detailed sales reports, forecasts, and market updates for management.
- Managing stock forecasts and ensuring that customers' products are delivered on time.
- Developing and executing comprehensive account strategies aligned with customer and company growth objectives.
- Collaborating closely with technical service, R&D, and application laboratories to support customer formulations and performance requirements.
- Supporting customer trials, testing, and new product introductions.
- Providing technical insights into pigment performance, colour consistency, dispersion, durability, and regulatory compliance.
- Advising customers on product optimisation, reformulation, and cost efficiency.
Salary package, including benefits, is highly negotiable depending on experience gained.
Desired Skills:
- Raw Materials
- Sales
- Technical Sales
- Technical Sales Manager
- CASE
