Sales Manager - Chemical Catalysts

Job Description

Grace is looking for a Sales Manager, Americas to join our team. The role will report directly to the Senior Sales Director, Americas and will be located in Houston, TX with approximately 40% travel. The primary function of this role is to manage and grow the commercial relationship (sales, contracts, forecasting supply/demand needs) of Grace with North and South American customers of Chemical Catalysts with account responsibility for >$30M of revenue and direct accountability for meeting sales targets, forecasting future sales plans and managing the relationships with the customer.   The scope is designed to focus on the chemical catalyst sales to the petrochemical industry including, but not limited, to RANEY® and DAVICAT® product lines as well as catalyst components for non-polyolefin applications.

Responsibilities

• Build strong commercial relationships across the functions and levels with the customer organization with the aim of optimizing both short term and long term profitability and performance.
• Responsible for monthly, quarterly and annual forecasting of customer orders in order to ensure order to cash processes work efficiently and all customer orders are fulfilled 
• Create, manage and maintain excellent relationships across all functions and levels with customers and within Grace in order to successfully sell solutions that require support & approval from multiple constituents in the respective organization. 
• Manage ongoing base business and growth programs at customers including negotiation of volume, pricing and supply commitments.  Coordinate activities with functional groups including Marketing, Product Management, Technical Service, Operations and Finance.
• Manage pipeline of existing and new sales opportunities to deliver upon growth targets. Identify new customers and opportunities outside of immediate accounts.
• Negotiate complex agreements with customers against a pre-agreed limits including but not limited to Confidentiality Agreements, Sales Contracts, Joint Development Agreements and R&D Agreements. 
• The key contact and focal point for all global activities with the customer and owner of customer communication and coordination plans. Ensure alignment of customer and Grace commercial activities.
• Job is based in Houston with approximately 40% travel. 

Required Qualifications

• Minimum Bachelor’s degree. Chemistry and Chemical Engineering are preferred.
• Minimum 5 years experience in sales/marketing or in the petrochemical industry.  Strong listening and interpersonal skills needed to negotiate, and determine customer needs and business opportunities.  
• Must clearly demonstrate superior communication, interpersonal, influencing and presentation skills, with the ability to interact with key decision makers at all levels at both customer and internal management including executive levels.
• Understanding of technical and basic applications of our products and the value that they offer to our technical customer base.
• Ability to work collectively and independently in a  /multinational team. Needs to be comfortable working in an independent environment and self-manage while also working as part of a team.  
• Ability to work in a matrix corporate environment with a multicultural/multinational team.

Preferred Qualifications

• MBA or equivalent is a plus
• Technical experience with chemical catalysts and petrochemical reactor processes is strongly encouraged.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance
• Life Insurance and Disability
• Grace Wellness Program
• Flexible Workplace
• Retirement Plans 
• 401(k) Company Match – Dollar to dollar up to the first 6%
• Paid Vacation and Holidays
• Parental Leave (salaried only)
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Company Donation Match Program