Technical Sales Representative

About Us

Elementis is a global specialty chemical company, with 1,300 employees operating 17 manufacturing sites across the globe. At Elementis, we bring a distinctive combination of expertise, innovation, and teamwork to every formulation challenge. We create high-value specialty additives that enhance the performance of our customers' products and make a positive change in the world. Combining our leading positions in the science of materials flow, surface modification, and formulation with access to unique natural materials, Elementis delivers unique chemistry, sustainable solutions to customers in a wide range of markets, including cosmetics, anti-perspirants, decorative and industrial coatings, automotive and ceramics.

Job Description Summary

The role is responsible for supporting the Sales team in implementing the LATAM Growth Strategy and strengthening the company’s position within Coatings, with the objective of improving market positioning and driving business growth across Brazil and Spanish-speaking LATAM countries (e.g., Mexico, Colombia, Argentina). It uncovers and quantifies opportunities and risks to drive profitable growth, builds strong relationships with key customers, and identifies new business opportunities. The position requires maintaining an extensive understanding of current and future market conditions. In addition, it manages regional activities in close collaboration with Marketing and R&D to generate new sales opportunities and ensure long-term success. The ideal candidate is self-motivated, a proactive self-starter, and demonstrates strong leadership capabilities in effectively managing the territory.

Job Description

1. Manage Regional Accounts and Distribution in the stated territory

• Provide technical training to customers and distributors.
• Provide after-sales support: visit customers, answer technical questions, help manage existing customers, and ensure satisfaction.
• Work closely with Distribution on customer visits, after-sales support, technical questions, and account management.
• Develop and manage strategies for Distribution and Regional Accounts.
• Upon request, deliver presentations/training on solutions, products, technologies, and services (customers, trade shows, other events).
• Facilitate complaints into the internal system to help manage, assess, and communicate resolution internally and corrective action externally.
• Proactively provide analyses and accurate product recommendations to increase sales.
• Apply knowledge, expertise, experience, and network to enable sales team success.
• Maintain deep technical knowledge of coatings formulations and key raw materials (including resins, pigments, and additives) to support the Sales team and provide value-added guidance to customers.
• Find gaps and opportunities to improve relationships and grow business.

2. Develop and enhance technical relationships with current and new customers

• Arrange meetings with customer Technical and R&D teams to understand goals and strategic direction; introduce the Elementis value proposition.
• Work with Technical and Marketing Teams to obtain new presentations, studies, and information, and share with the Latam Sales Team.
• Provide technical support to solve application-related product issues at customers.
• Use Marketing materials to promote features/benefits, value proposition, and how to sell in the marketplace.
• Keep a clear focus on defined platforms and strategic products.
• Initiate development and support conversion of prospects into customers.
• Collaborate with Technology, Marketing, Product Stewardship, and Sales to ensure timely fulfillment of requirements.
• Analyze and report regularly on plans, progress, and new business achieved.

3. Identify and line up New Business Opportunities

• Network and promote Elementis in the industry, emphasize differentiators, and address potential customer needs.
• Contribute to a long-term plan (target markets, channels, regions, prospects, technologies, products, applications), including success rate, timing, required resources, financial investment, and quantifiable gains.
• Establish trust and credibility with management and potential customers; present business trends to support development of services, products, and distribution channels.
• Research prospective accounts in targeted markets, identify decision makers, build multi-level relationships, and plan persuasive approaches/pitches.
• Connect internal technical resources to customer needs to facilitate new projects and support sales and marketing initiatives.

4. Co-lead new product launches and other projects

• Support product launches by partnering with the Technical Team.
• Ensure smooth and complete handover of new products to the regular sales organization.
• Work with Technology, Technical Service, and Marketing on new product ideas, pipelines, and commercialization.
• Lead and/or participate in multifunctional projects for Coatings; identify and resolve issues and take corrective actions.
• Drive, coordinate, and track deadlines, deliverables, resources, and timelines as per the project plan.
• Evaluate projects with customers, analyze lessons learned, ensure proper closeout and transition to daily operations (documentation, training, organizational readiness).
• Apply success learnings to other regions and clients.

5. Market research (products, customers, distributors, and segments)

• Conduct research, network, and understand trends, markets, customers, competitors, products, technologies, applications, contacts, value proposition, and company capabilities.
• Provide market/customer feedback on competition, product performance gaps, pricing issues, etc., to Marketing and Commercial leaders.
• Maintain awareness of market changes impacting strategic plans (technology changes, competitive activity).
• Analyze, report, and present market and customer insights; ensure information is properly recorded, on time and in full, and transferred/accessed by others.
• Actively share product ideas with Technical, Marketing, and Sales teams.
• Support formulation development aligned with the local strategy for product promotion.

Additional Job Description

Job Competencies

• Technical-commercial relationships with customers and distributors; presentations and trainings.

• Cross-functional collaboration (Sales, Marketing, R&D/Technology, Technical Service).
• Organization and reporting of plans, progress, and new business.
• Market vision, prospecting, and alignment with strategy.

Decision making

Operates with a high level of autonomy to prioritize accounts and opportunities, plan visits, allocate time/travel, and coordinate distributors and regional accounts in line with defined platforms and strategic products. Has delegated authority to conduct trainings, technical presentations, and market-development initiatives. High-impact decisions (pricing/discount approach, significant contractual commitments, major investments, or cross-regional resource allocation) require prior alignment with Commercial Leadership, Marketing, and Technology, as applicable.

Technical Knowledge and Skills

• Coatings formulations (water and solvent borne, powder coatings, UV systems, etc) and raw-material knowledge (resins, pigments, additives, coalescent, etc).
• Preparation and use of marketing/training materials (features/benefits, value proposition, sales approach).
• Market research, competitor analysis, and structured feedback to Marketing/Commercial.
• Ability to identify formulation improvements or cost optimization opportunities.
• Interface with laboratory processes and commercialization.

Position Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s, preferably in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or equivalent.
• Experience: Minimum of 6 years desirable in technical service, technical sales, or R&D, of which 4 years in the Coatings market and/or experience working in a laboratory environment supervising and/or executing customer-focused projects. Participation in project management with a record of success and development of broad relationships is desirable.
• Travel: Availability for domestic and international travel.
• Basic IT Skills: MS Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) desirable.
• Languages: English and Spanish desirable (additional languages are an advantage).