Inside Sales Representative

Description

DeWys Metal Solutions is a people-first, family-owned contract manufacturer where real people are doing big things. The company reinvests a significant percentage of its profits into leadership development, innovation, capital equipment, and its workforce. Serving blue-chip customers across uniquely diverse industries, none of it automotive, DeWys has built a reputation that consistently impresses customers, employees, and industry partners alike. The business is financially strong, growth-oriented, and grounded by a strategic planning process that is both active and collaborative, built from the top down and the bottom up. Lean manufacturing, innovation, workforce development, and strong community partnerships are not buzzwords here, they are the foundation of how the company operates. Located just 20 minutes from downtown Grand Rapids, this is an opportunity to join a manufacturing organization that is investing aggressively in its future while remaining deeply committed to its people and culture.

The Inside Sales Representative is a key member of the Sales team responsible for delivering an exceptional customer experience while serving as a critical connection between our customers and internal teams. This role operates in a high-energy, fast-paced manufacturing environment where priorities can shift quickly. Success requires someone who can confidently assess situations, establish priorities, make sound decisions, and communicate with clarity and conciseness while adapting quickly to changing customer and business needs.
 

The successful candidate must move quickly without sacrificing accuracy or attention to detail. This individual will manage multiple customers, priorities, and deadlines simultaneously and must know when immediate action is required and when slowing down to verify details is necessary. Team collaboration is critical to success, as this role works cross-functionally to solve problems, establish clear expectations, drive accountability, and ensure customers and internal teams receive timely and accurate information.

Requirements

Duties & Responsibilities

CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP & COMMUNICATION
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with new and existing customers, serving as a primary point of contact and trusted partner.
• Provide clear, concise, timely, and transparent communication to customers and internal teams.
• Proactively communicate changes, risks, priorities, and expectations rather than waiting for customers to request updates.
• Communicate regularly through phone, email, virtual meetings, and onsite visits to understand customer needs, applications, priorities, and future demand.
• Respond quickly and professionally to customer concerns while coordinating internal resources to drive resolution.
 

PRIORITIZATION, DECISION-MAKING & EXECUTION
• Effectively manage a high volume of competing priorities, customer requests, deadlines, and changing business needs.
• Quickly identify what is most important and prioritize based on customer impact, business risk, urgency, and organizational priorities.
• Pivot quickly and decisively as customer requirements, production schedules, capacity, or business priorities change.
• Balance speed with accuracy, taking the appropriate time to verify critical information and prevent mistakes even when workloads and stakes are high.
• Maintain strong organization and follow-through so commitments and action items are completed.
• Remain composed, constructive, and solution-focused during escalations and high-pressure situations.
 

CROSS-FUNCTIONAL COLLABORATION
• Serve as a critical communication link between customers and Operations, Engineering, Quality, Estimating, Purchasing, Finance, Shipping, and other functions.
• Translate customer needs into clear, actionable information for internal teams and communicate internal commitments effectively back to customers.
• Collaborate across departments to solve problems, establish priorities, remove roadblocks, and drive commitments through completion.
• Build productive working relationships and promote shared accountability for the customer experience.
 

ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT & BUSINESS GROWTH
• Partner with Sales leadership to develop and grow new and existing customer relationships in a profitable and sustainable manner.
• Understand customer portfolios, products, forecasts, and business needs to identify opportunities and risks.
• Review customer and part profitability and support initiatives that improve margins and long-term account health.
• Identify and support cost-reduction and continuous-improvement opportunities with customers and internal stakeholders.
• Participate in short- and long-term customer forecasting and communicate changing demand throughout the organization.
 

ORDER & PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
• Proactively monitor open sales orders, work orders, inventory, forecasts, and order progression to identify potential issues before they impact the customer.
• Maintain accurate customer information, including profiles, contacts, product information, pricing, quotations, forecasts, and other critical account data.
• Coordinate new customer and product programs from initial request through successful production launch.
• Drive accountability, communication, documentation, and follow-through among stakeholders throughout new program implementation.
• Support Quality and Manufacturing in timely resolution of nonconforming products, including rework, replacement, credits, and customer communication.

Key Performance Metrics

· Customer Retention & Relationship Health – Maintain strong relationships and identify concerns early.

· Customer Responsiveness – Provide timely communication, follow-through, and escalation.

· Order & Data Accuracy – Maintain accurate orders, pricing, dates, and customer requirements.

· Proactive Account Management – Monitor open orders, forecasts, inventory, and risks before they become issues.

· Forecast Management – Maintain and communicate customer demand and forecast changes.

· Customer Performance / OTD Support – Support delivery performance through proactive communication, prioritization, and recovery planning.

· Cross-Functional Collaboration – Provide clear, actionable information and work effectively across teams to resolve issues.

Disclaimer

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. All personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed.

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Knowledge & Skills

• Thrives in a high-energy, fast-paced environment and maintains effectiveness while managing significant workloads and frequent changes.
• Strong prioritization skills with the ability to distinguish what is urgent, important, and actionable.
• Decisive and adaptable; makes timely decisions and pivots quickly as priorities change.
• Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to accuracy, even under pressure.
• Clear and concise verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong ownership, organization, and follow-through.
• Collaborative, team-oriented approach with the ability to build strong cross-functional relationships.
• Sound judgment and ability to recognize when to act independently and when to escalate.
• Composed, professional, and solution-oriented during high-pressure situations.
• Customer-focused business mindset that balances service, profitability, capacity, and operational realities.
• Continuous-improvement mindset with a willingness to challenge processes constructively.

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Qualifications

Required
• Demonstrated ability to succeed in a fast-paced, customer-focused environment with competing priorities.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Proven organizational, prioritization, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across departments and build productive working relationships.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and ability to learn ERP/CRM and other business systems.
 

Preferred
• Previous inside sales, account management, customer service, or related experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience working within an ERP system and managing sales orders, forecasts, inventory, or production-related customer information.
• Experience supporting contract manufacturing or business-to-business customers.
• Associate or bachelor’s degree in business, sales, supply chain, manufacturing, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.

Physical Requirements

While performing the duties of this job, the team members regularly communicate with team members, shop floor team members, and occasionally with customers. This position requires frequent standing and walking on the shop floor. The team member is required to work on a computer terminal daily. Occasionally may lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and the ability to adjust focus.

The work environment includes both office and manufacturing floor settings. While on the manufacturing floor, the team member may be exposed to fumes, airborne particles, and loud noise levels. Appropriate PPE is required in designated areas.

Benefits

· Competitive comprehensive compensation and benefits package with base salary and performance bonus

· 401K with matching contributions

· Vacation

· Insurance (Health, Dental, Vision)