Vantage Specialty Chemicals

Drive sales growth and account development for specialty agricultural chemical products through strategic planning, customer engagement, and cross-functional collaboration. | 7-10 years in agricultural or specialty chemical sales with strong technical knowledge of agricultural formulations and proven new business development skills. | Position Summary & Scope Reporting to the Vice President of Performance Solutions, the Agricultural Sales Development Manager will drive Vantage’s growth strategy for specialty inert chemical ingredients, adjuvants and performance solutions across the Agriculture markets. This role will focus on strategic account development, new business generation, and execution of long-term commercial plans to expand Vantage’s presence in crop protection. The role is remote within North America and requires frequent travel to customers, distributors, trade events, and Vantage sites. This role will not have direct reports but will have high cross-functional visibility and impact. Essential Duties & Responsibilities Independently and jointly engage prospective and existing agricultural customers to drive customer-needs-based conversations, uncover technical and commercial opportunities, and steer development of new projects. Create, manage, and deliver annual sales and gross margin targets across assigned agricultural segments (e.g., crop protection, adjuvants, bio-based formulations, seed coatings, foliar nutrition, macro/micro solutions). Identify, qualify, and develop new leads for agricultural markets including adjuvants, surfactants, emulsifiers, dispersants, polymer additives, and other specialty agricultural applications. Manage key accounts with strong relationship-building, long-term planning, and proactive opportunity creation. Develop comprehensive account plans aligned with the Business Unit’s annual and long-term strategy. Bring the voice of the customer to internal stakeholders (R&D, Product Management, Supply Chain, Project Management) to influence pipeline prioritization and solution development. Coordinate and own relationships across Vantage teams in Sales, Marketing, Technical Service, and Product Management to drive shared objectives. Develop market research, market sizing, segmentation analysis, customer value requirements, and competitive benchmarking to guide Vantage’s agricultural growth strategy. Utilize CRM to create call reports, track opportunities, maintain accurate customer information, manage funnel activity, and prioritize accounts within a disciplined sales process. Prepare sales forecasts, pipeline reviews, quarterly business updates, and competitive intelligence analysis including pricing trends. Provide actionable feedback on product performance, customer needs, new product opportunities, and competitive movement. Support and refine the distributor network as applicable, including training, performance evaluation, and recommending adjustments to coverage models. Resolve customer issues, support supply chain coordination, and ensure a Customer First experience. Represent Vantage at industry conferences, agricultural trade shows, association meetings, and technical forums. Establish Vantage’s presence and relationships with key agricultural opinion leaders, associations, research institutions, and ecosystem partners. Education & Experience Requirements Education: Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Agronomy, Agricultural Engineering, Biotechnology, Business, or related scientific discipline is preferred. Experience: 7-10 years of experience in sales, business development, or technical commercial roles within agriculture, agrochemicals, crop protection, adjuvants, surfactants, or specialty chemicals. Strong experience with non-ionics, esters, polysorbates, alkoxylates, EO/PO derivatives, or other chemistries used in agricultural formulations. Demonstrated ability to generate new business, penetrate new markets, and convert opportunities to long-term growth. Proven experience managing multiple accounts and delivering results through strategic account planning. Experience in contract/pricing negotiation, presentations to customers and leadership, and KPI-driven management. Proficiency with CRM systems and Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook). Knowledge, Skills & Talents Strong understanding of specialty chemicals, adjuvants, surfactants, emulsions, and agricultural formulation technologies. Proven track record of driving sales growth through new market development, pipeline creation, and expansion of share-of-wallet. Strong technical-commercial acumen with the ability to understand formulation challenges and communicate value-added solutions. Energetic self-starter with a results-driven mindset and the ability to work independently in a fast-paced, dynamic environment. Excellent communication (written, verbal), presentation, and negotiation skills. Highly competent in CRM usage for planning, tracking, and analyzing sales activity. Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build trust, influence decisions, and collaborate cross-functionally. Sound analytical and strategic thinking skills to evaluate trends, data, and competitive landscapes. Demonstrates the highest level of personal and professional ethics and serves as a strong ambassador for Vantage. Working Conditions Remote role; Willing and able to travel 30% - 50% of the time. Travel is a mix of day and overnight trips. Pay and Benefits The estimated base pay range for this position is: $120.000 - $180.000 annually. Actual pay will be determined based on education, certifications, experience, qualifications, skills and geographic location. This position is eligible to participate in a short-term incentive program. Vantage offers a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees, including: Medical, HSA, dental, vision FSA (limited purpose, dependent care, and commuter/parking) Life and AD&D insurance Accident, hospital indemnity and critical illness insurance Short- and long-term disability EAP, identity theft protection Paid time off, Parental Leave 401(k) with company match Equal Employment Opportunity Vantage is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or any other protected category. About Vantage Vantage provides natural solutions to our customers’ technical performance and marketing needs through a unique combination of chemistry, application expertise and service. Underpinned by our broad portfolio of formulations, ingredients and actives that are built on a backbone of sustainable oils, fats and their derivatives, Vantage targets selected markets and applications including personal care, food, surface treatment, agriculture, pharma, and consumer and industrial performance. Vantage is headquartered in Deerfield, IL., operates in 11 countries worldwide and employs more than 1,000 talented professionals focused on delivering exceptional customer experiences with every interaction. We are a dynamic people-centered organization where you’ll be part of a collaborative global team. Embracing our cultural diversity, we learn from each other to constantly improve, adapt and iterate. We value the voices and talents of our colleagues, empowering them to drive their unique ideas to completion. We’re convinced that exceptionally motivated employees produce outstanding results and we celebrate them by fostering a culture of recognition, development, learning, excellence and shared achievement. Most importantly, we know you’re going to like it here. For more information visit: vantagegrp.com or LinkedIn/vantage. Vantage is a leading supplier of naturally derived specialty ingredients and formulations that cater to the evolving needs of industrial and consumer markets. Through our chemistries, our customer focus and our global footprint, we are Enabling Tomorrow's Solutions Today. As a company on the move, you’ll be working as part of a collaborative team and getting to know the cultural diversity of our world. We learn from each other to constantly improve, adapt and iterate. We value the voice and talent of our colleagues by empowering them to drive their unique ideas to completion. We’re convinced that exceptionally motivated employees produce outstanding results. Most importantly, we know you’re going to like it here.

Develop and execute sales strategies for industrial chemical markets, manage key accounts, generate new business, and collaborate with internal teams to drive revenue growth. | Bachelor’s degree in chemistry or related field, 5-10 years of sales experience in chemical industries with technical knowledge of surfactants and related chemistries, strong sales and prospecting skills, and willingness to travel extensively. | Position Summary & Scope Reporting to the Vice President of Performance Solutions, the Industrial Sales Manager is responsible for sales and gross margin growth of assigned segments, customers, and territories. You will have the opportunity to develop account strategies, manage key accounts and contribute to business strategy and financial success. This includes developing and executing key strategic account plans for the Performance Solutions’ Industrial business while also developing new business growth that aligns with the long-term vision and strategy of the organization. This role will not have direct reports. The role will be based out of a remote office supporting North America. It is essential to be near a major airport since travel is required to ensure presence with customers. To be successful in this role, we are seeking an individual with proven commercial excellence, value capture and the flexibility to travel extensively. Essential Duties and Responsibilities Create, manage, and attain sales and gross margin targets for the assigned accounts, specifically in Industrial markets such as, water treatment, CASE, Emulsion polymerization, Lubricants, polymer additives, rubber processing and other specialty applications. Build and develop new and existing accounts and manage sales opportunities that align with business and account strategies. Heavy focus on generating new business opportunities with relentless determination and self-starter mentality. Find and develop new leads for Industrial markets such as water treatment, CASE, Emulsion polymerization, Lubricants, polymer additives, rubber processing and other specialty applications. Actively engage with the Vantage Commercial team to develop account strategies, create pre-call plans, follow-up with post-call reports and actively manage the opportunity funnel with the support of CRM. Prepare call reports, forecasts and quarterly presentations for current or new business activity, new products, and other relevant marketing or competitive information Develop, manage, and train distribution network where applicable and recommend changes to distribution network when necessary. Provide feedback to the appropriate business functions regarding product performance, new customer or product opportunities and competitive intelligence including pricing data. Assist accounting and customer service in collection activities. Bring the voice of customers to other stakeholders within the business, i.e., R&D, Project Management, Supply Chain; and stay on top of trends to drive the business. Attend Industry events & trade-show attendance / leadership within industry. Possess a conversant understanding of relevant technical knowledge while staying informed about industry trends. Resolve any issues and problems faced by customers and manage issues to drive Customer First strategy. Utilize CRM to write customer call reports, document and foster opportunities, and maintain key customer information as part of a process focused sales development. Note: The duties listed above are not all inclusive and may be subject to periodic updating or revision. Education & Experience Education: Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, chemical engineering, business or related sciences is preferred. Experience: At least 5 years of demonstrated relationship-building skills with key decision-makers in the non-ionics surfactants, alkoxylates or esters market. 7 to 10 years preferred. Proven success and experience in sales and prospecting, specifically new business development within specific oxide (ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, alkoxylates and derivatives produced from these chemistries) or the ester (polyethylene glycol) markets. Demonstrated ability to drive new business and overcome challenges. Technical proficiency and knowledge in relevant industry. Understanding of industry trends and the company's product portfolio. Track record of successfully leading and executing high-impact sales initiatives. Financial acumen with responsibility for EBITDA/OR CM. Effective time management, prioritization, and decision-making skills. Knowledge, Skills & Talents Detail the specific competencies, attributes, and skills needed for success in this role. Provide a bullet-point list of desired qualities, such as technical skills, interpersonal abilities, and any unique talents relevant to the position. Excels in achieving sales outcomes through principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration and sales techniques. Capability to research, understand, and develop both current and prospective customers. Strong planning, interpersonal, organizational, and time management skills. Computer proficient and diligent in the use of common software / CRM to support sales/marketing and business activities including MS Office Suite; ability to conduct research via internet. Showcases strong presentation skills, effectively communicating and selling ideas across all levels, while actively seeking and valuing input from others. Aptitude to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to a wide range of intellectual and practical problems and to deal with a variety of abstract and concrete variables. Commands a credible and trusted presence, inspiring confidence and forging strong relationships with stakeholders, including customers and within the Vantage organization. Embodies the highest ethical standards both personally and professionally, serving as a sterling ambassador for Vantage in the marketplace. Working Conditions Remote role; Willing and able to travel 30% - 50% of the time. Travel is a mix of day and overnight trips. Pay and Benefits The estimated base pay range for this position is: $120,000 - $180,000 annually. Actual pay will be determined based on education, certifications, experience, qualifications, skills, and geographic location. This position is eligible to participate in a short-term incentive program. Vantage offers a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees, including: Medical, HSA, dental, vision FSA (limited purpose, dependent care, and commuter/parking) Life and AD&D insurance Accident, hospital indemnity and critical illness insurance Short- and long-term disability EAP, identity theft protection Paid time off, Parental Leave 401(k) with company match Equal Employment Opportunity Vantage is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or any other protected category. About Vantage Vantage provides natural solutions to our customers’ technical performance and marketing needs through a unique combination of chemistry, application expertise and service. Underpinned by our broad portfolio of formulations, ingredients and actives that are built on a backbone of sustainable oils, fats and their derivatives, Vantage targets selected markets and applications including personal care, food, surface treatment, agriculture, pharma, and consumer and industrial performance. Vantage is headquartered in Deerfield, IL., operates in 11 countries worldwide and employs more than 1,000 talented professionals focused on delivering exceptional customer experiences with every interaction. We are a dynamic people-centered organization where you’ll be part of a collaborative global team. Embracing our cultural diversity, we learn from each other to constantly improve, adapt and iterate. We value the voices and talents of our colleagues, empowering them to drive their unique ideas to completion. We’re convinced that exceptionally motivated employees produce outstanding results and we celebrate them by fostering a culture of recognition, development, learning, excellence and shared achievement. Most importantly, we know you’re going to like it here. For more information visit: vantagegrp.com or LinkedIn/vantage. Vantage is a leading supplier of naturally derived specialty ingredients and formulations that cater to the evolving needs of industrial and consumer markets. Through our chemistries, our customer focus and our global footprint, we are Enabling Tomorrow's Solutions Today. As a company on the move, you’ll be working as part of a collaborative team and getting to know the cultural diversity of our world. We learn from each other to constantly improve, adapt and iterate. We value the voice and talent of our colleagues by empowering them to drive their unique ideas to completion. We’re convinced that exceptionally motivated employees produce outstanding results. Most importantly, we know you’re going to like it here.