Business Development Manager

Your Role 

The External Account Manager is a field-based role responsible for driving growth with frequent face-to-face customer visits. This role builds technical credibility in specialty products, uncovers needs at the application level, and executes opportunity plans to deliver revenue and margin growth.

Responsibilities:

Account Ownership, Field Coverage, and Pipeline Execution (60%)

• Own a portfolio of accounts with clear growth and margin targets; prioritize the top accounts and prospect for new business.

• Plan and execute regular customer visits, joint calls, trials, and value demonstrations; document outcomes and next actions in CRM.

• Develop account plans with specific opportunity hypotheses, stakeholders, competitive position, and closing plans; progress opportunities through stages.

• Coordinate with Internal Account Managers for quoting, sampling, and order follow-up to ensure a seamless customer experience.

Technical/Application Expertise and Market Activation (25%)

• Build and maintain strong technical knowledge across priority product baskets and applications; conduct product trials with customers and technical teams.

• Support new product introductions and campaigns; deliver technical storytelling linked to customer pain points and economics.

• Capture market and competitor intelligence and feed back to Sales Management and IMM/Product Management.

Pricing and Commercial Excellence (15%)

• Execute pricing guidance and discount discipline; prepare quotes and negotiate within delegated authority.

• Maintain pricing and opportunity data in CRM; ensure forecast accuracy and timely updates.

Additional Required Skills/Abilities

• Strong consultative selling and negotiation skills; comfortable engaging technical and commercial stakeholders.

• Technical aptitude in Material Science applications (e.g., polymers, coatings, adhesives, elastomers) and the ability to translate features into value.

• Proactive prospecting, time management, and territory planning skills.

• CRM proficiency and disciplined documentation.

• Valid driver’s license and ability to work independently in the field.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical discipline (Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science) or Business with strong technical affinity.

• Extensive field sales experience in specialty chemicals or related technical sales roles.

Up to 60% travel/field time for customer visits, trials, supplier ride-alongs, and industry events (varies by territory density).

Brenntag provides equal employment opportunities to qualified applicants and employees of all backgrounds and identities to create a workplace where difference is valued because it forms a resilient and more innovative organization. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, race, religion or belief, parental and family status, or any other protected characteristic. We welcome applications from women, men and non-binary candidates of all ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds.

Brenntag TA Team