Technical Sales & Product Development - Custo - Kent Elastomer Products

Be Part of Something Essential at Kent Elastomer Products!

Do you take pride in quality work and want to make a real difference? Kent Elastomer Products (KEP) is looking for dedicated team members to join our growing family in Kent, Ohio.

Why KEP is a Great Place to Work:

• Competitive Pay & Benefits: We offer a generous benefits package including Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, STD, LTD, 401k and more!
• Stability & Growth: This full-time position has opportunities to advance within our expanding company.
• Supportive Work Environment:We value our employees and provide a clean, safe, hybrid & engaging work environment. Our company values are important to us and shown in our policies, procedures and environment.
  1. Do the Right Thing
  2. Be Collaborative
  3. Raise the Bar
  4. Be Kind
  5. Do What You Say
  6. You Matter
• Make a Difference: You'll take pride in knowing your work supports the medical field, food service industry and several other diverse industries.

The Role:National Sales Manager

As the National Sales Manager – Western Region you are responsible for growing sales in your geographic area of responsibility through prospecting, pitching and closing new business among our priority market sectors, identifying and pursuing new growth opportunities, and growing our business among your collection of accounts.

Responsibilities:

• Leverage industry and territory knowledge to identify, prioritize and pursue prospective customers.
• Generate new leads via referrals, mining your existing contacts/connections to make new introductions.
• Generate new opportunities via trade shows, social media marketing and other means that place you in front of qualified prospects.
• Follow up on new opportunities with urgency to maximize close rates.
• Employ proven and optimal selling techniques (e.g., sharing total KEP value proposition, handling objections, etc.) to close new business.
• Prepare customized customer pitches, formal proposals, account check-in documentation and other communications as necessary to drive incremental sales.
• Optimize pricing by understanding customer price targets and competitor pricing and positioning KEP solutions appropriately.
• Travel to develop relationships at new business accounts while maintaining long standing relationships with customers, distributors, end users and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).
• Acquire and manage customer forecasts and report monthly to KEP leadership in preparation of total company forecast and annual budget.
• Work cross-functionally with KEP product development teams to bring customer opportunities to manufacturing stage.
• Help sustain a team environment of accountability, where results are expected and measured.
• Lead negotiation, execution and management of customer supply agreements in collaboration with KEP leadership and Meridian legal.
• Contribute to timely pipeline and sales activity reporting including using the sales scorecard, Zoho CRM and any other methods as required.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in sales or a business-related field
• Demonstrated success in sales within a business-to-business manufacturing organization, preferably in contract manufacturing
• Experience in one or more key market sectors that utilize KEP products including medical, biopharmaceutical, dental, leisure, food and beverage, veterinary and industrial distribution
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including high emotional intelligence, the ability to gain acceptance of ideas, and the ability to build trust
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to conceptualize and build compelling presentations and marketing collateral with the highest degree of grammatical integrity and professionalism
• Strong attention to detail
• Highly adaptable to change
• Ability to maintain stable performance under pressure or opposition
• Ability to analyze and interpret long-term market and customer information into actionable
• A high degree of independence with a propensity to take action while also being a collaborative, team player
• Exceptional communication and listening skills with the ability to effectively interact with a wide range of professionals, customers, clients and coworkers
• Intermediate proficiency with the Microsoft Office suite of products including Excel, Powerpoint and Word
• Exceptional customer service skills
• Humble, approachable and welcoming with an unaffected presence and a commitment to business and personal ethics
• Process focused and solutions oriented with the ability to connect the dots among complex, diverse businesses and opportunities to drive projects/initiatives forward
• Adept at dealing with ambiguity and fluctuating business priorities
• Flexible, adaptable and resourceful with the ability to wear a lot of hats
• Ability to use influence without direct authority
• Sense of urgency with an ability to think and advise strategically
• Hands-on attention to tactical responsibilities
• Strong work ethic and commitment to KEP culture
• Critical thinking and problem-solving abilities

You'll be a great fit if you:

• Thrive in a hands-on environment
• Have a strong eye for detail
• Adhere to a high level of safety and compliance
• Are a team player with a positive attitude

Ready to Launch Your Career at KEP?

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. Apply today and become part of a winning team!