Sales Manager

Milliken & Company, an innovation company that has been exploring, discovering, and creating ways to enhance people’s lives since 1865.  With expertise across a breadth of disciplines including specialty chemicals, floor covering, and performance materials, we work around the world to add value to people’s lives, improve health and safety, and make the world more sustainable.  We have a global presence with 42 manufacturing facilities located in the U.S., U.K., Belgium, France and China.  In addition, sales and service operations are located throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. 

Headquartered in Spartanburg, South Carolina, our eight thousand associates across 46 locations are a diverse global team of scientists, engineers, manufacturers, designers, thinkers, and problem solvers. People who come to work every day with curious minds and an unwavering commitment to delivering sustainable solutions for our customers and communities. Named to the World’s Most Ethical Companies list by Ethisphere Institute for 15 consecutive years, we rally behind a common purpose: to positively impact the world for generations.

The EMEA business is a very important region for our plastic additives business representing a big part of our global revenue. The business consists out of additives sales to polypropylene and polyethylene producers as well as sales of additives, colorants and masterbatches to masterbatch and converter companies. The sales teams consist out of a team dedicated to support the resin producers and a team responsible for converters and brands.

The Sales Manager Upstream EMEA is responsible for managing a team of sales associates (Key Account Managers). Together with his/her team this person will be responsible for managing all Key Accounts Upstream (each several M USD) across EMEA. The Sales Manager Upstream will negotiate annual or multi-year contracts, develop a healthy pipeline of new projects and establish a strong network across the client’s organization with the support of the broader management team. This person will also be responsible for ensuring Milliken’s additives get specked-in at new start-ups as well as coordination with the global product line manager and regional peers for commercial strategy. The Sales Manager Upstream will have to coordinate activities to gather market intelligence information related to the use of the Milliken products at the converters and brands level and ensure a proactive approach to defend and increase the market share.

This role reports to the Sales Director EMEA.

Job responsibilities

• Manage the daily commercial operations of the EMEA Upstream team

• Ensure accurate budgeting and sales forecasting to support supply planning

• Lead and motivate a dedicated team of sales associates, ensuring alignment with company objectives

• Cultivate and maintain strong internal & external relationships

• Continuously improve sales processes and methodologies, ensuring profitability and sustainability in the sales cycle

• Ensure targets are met and exceeded by regular performance monitoring and reporting

• Develop and execute a strategic plan to meet targets and enhance market share in the region

• Identify new opportunities, markets, and customer segments, and create plans for expanding market share

Qualifications

• A high energy leader with a great sense of ownership
• Exhibit a sense of urgency and independent initiative toward accomplishing objectives
• Strong leadership skills and ability to inspire people to reach a common goal
• Display a high level of business acumen
• Effective communication and presentation skills
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with a demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships across various levels of the organization, especially in operations
• Understanding of cultural diversity and ability to adapt and be successful managing relationships with customers and industry associations in several countries
• Degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Business Administration or a related field,  MBA or advanced degree preferred
• > 10 years professional work experience, with expertise in sales is required
• Ability to travel 40-50% of the time across EMEA

Offer

The opportunity to be part of an international company and to have the responsibility to own important projects. Permanent education and training to stay up to date in your field of expertise. Career opportunities in an innovative and international environment. An attractive compensation package, including company car, health care and group insurance, bicycle lease program, ... An attractive bonus plan based on performance. 

Interested?

Are you enthusiastic to join our chemical division?

We would like to hear from you!