America Sales Manager

Position is the role of key account development, growth and management. Designs, directs and executes sales strategies to achieve volume, revenue, cash margin and strategic objectives for DE, clay and perlite accounts in the USA. Focus on specialty and total delivered cost solutions creating value for both the customer and ISP; capable of building long term customer relationships based on trust and value. Works closely with customers’ operations, corporate purchasing, research and technology, supply chain functions to assure that US Silica is best positioned as the DE, clay and perlite supplier of choice. Establishes the US Silica brand in customer’s mind. Translates US Silica’s operations, technology, supply chain and service capabilities and policies to the customer and advocates customers’ needs within the US Silica organization.

• Accountable to profitably grow US Silica’s DE, clay and perlite business to the assigned accounts.
• Responsible for DE, clay and perlite accounts in territory.
• Geography: USA only.
• Personnel: 0 direct reports but a high degree of cross-functional interaction with market development, research and technology, technical service, supply chain and operations.
• May be responsible for managing and/or supporting any distributors/agents.
• Will work closely with multiple functions within each of our DE, clay and perlite accounts to assure that US Silica’s overall business strategy and profitability objectives are met.

• Execute comprehensive account strategies for key accounts integrating the capabilities and objectives of the ISP business resulting in profitable growth of this market.

• Create, negotiate and administer terms of all key account price and supply agreements.

• Meet/exceed annual cash margin budget via the implementation of price increases, the acquisition of new business and the commercialization of new products.

• Work closely with Operations and Supply Chain to minimize cost-to-serve and maximize account profitability.

• Builds multi-level customer relationships characterized by a high degree of trust and mutual respect.

• Work closely with Director, Sales - ISP in defining sales and profitability objectives and executing sales strategy consistent with ISP overall objectives.

• Fulfills administrative duties required including completion of accurate and timely call reports in SFDC, monthly sales forecasts, new sales opportunities in SFDC, special price requests in SFDC, customer complaint initiation and resolution via the NCAR process, travel expense reporting via Concur, etc.

• May have other responsibilities and accountabilities.

Major Challenges

• Protecting our existing base business at key accounts from competitive threats.

• Developing and executing strategic sales plans for key accounts in a highly competitive environment sometimes in the absence of complete information.

• Establishing multi-level relationships at customers and coordinating those relationships at appropriate levels within US Silica.

• Harnessing knowledge of products, markets, competitive activities, and economic conditions in order to help create intellectual property and properly position ISP.

• Internally building consensus within various functions and levels in US Silica to gain commitment, thereby driving the cross-functional projects to fruition.

• Working from a remote location or home office requires a self-starter who is very organized and can handle the majority of administrative responsibilities directly.

Decision Making Authority

• Recommends customer-specific pricing and terms of sale based upon value provided, competitive situation.

• Initiates customer complaints, technical service requests, new product idea generation and sample requests.

• Decides customer call schedule and call frequency.

• Minimum 5 years experience in sales and marketing of raw materials to several of the following industrial markets (filtration, CASE, others).
• The candidate must have experience in “value selling” and seek high value by using his/her ability to develop a value proposition of differentiation on
• product and service.
• Demonstrated ability to build and manage complex customer relationships and alliances.
• Verbally transmits ideas, instructions and information so that they are clearly understood by others. Writes clear, concise and grammatically correct
• documents that others can easily understand. Creates communications to match the needs of a particular audience.
• Possess business acumen, an understanding of the financial impact of sales tactics on both ISP and the customer.
• Organizes and plans work in advance, deciding on the most efficient or convenient manner in which to do tasks or projects.
• Demonstrated experience with contract negotiation and administration.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel and PowerPoint) and comfortable learning new business management software.