Senior Manager, Business Development - Hot Dip Galvanizing (Contract Manufacturing)

Organization Summary

Lindsay Corporation (NYSE: LNN) is a leading global manufacturer and distributor of irrigation and infrastructure equipment and technology. Established in 1955, the company has been at the forefront of research and development of innovative solutions to meet the food, fuel, fiber and transportation needs of the world’s rapidly growing population. Lindsay’s irrigation segment includes solutions for agricultural irrigation systems, remote irrigation management and scheduling technology as well as irrigation consulting, design and industrial IoT solutions. Also, a global leader in the transportation industry, Lindsay’s infrastructure segment manufactures equipment to improve road safety and keep traffic moving on the world’s roads, bridges and tunnels. As a global company, Lindsay is committed to growing a healthy culture worldwide in which diversity is supported and employees are empowered. Lindsay’s values (leadership, integrity, collaboration, accountability and respect for others) help drive us to accomplish our mission by working together – because we know we can go farther and faster as a team than we can as individuals.

Lindsay Contract Manufacturing puts the same world-class manufacturing campus that supports Lindsay’s own products to work for outside OEMs, fabricators and industrial customers. The business operates three integrated service lines: high-frequency electric resistance welded (ERW) steel tubing; hot-dip galvanizing from one of the region’s highest-capacity operations; and full-service metal fabrication and assembly (cutting, forming, punching, machining, MIG/TIG/robotic welding, coating and finished assembly). Customers can buy a single service or a complete tube-to-finished-galvanized-part solution from one supplier, serving agriculture, construction, transportation, energy, utility and general industrial markets.

Position Summary

Lindsay is seeking a Senior Business Development Manager – Hot-Dip Galvanizing to own commercial growth of its galvanizing service line across North America. This is a hunter-oriented, market-development role: you will build a pipeline of new fabricator, OEM and project-driven customers, fill and level kettle capacity with profitable work, and turn single-service galvanizing accounts into multi-service Contract Manufacturing relationships that include tubing and fabrication.

The ideal candidate knows the galvanizing business from the inside – how work is quoted, racked, dipped, inspected and shipped – and can speak credibly with shop owners, purchasing managers, specifying engineers and plant operations alike.

• Full-time, salaried exempt position, hybrid.
• Based at Lindsay’s corporate office in Omaha, NE or its manufacturing campus in Lindsay, NE.
• Travel approximately 25–50%, including customer visits, plant tours, trade shows and industry events.

Key Responsibilities

Market Development & Strategy

• Develop and execute the galvanizing go-to-market strategy, including target segments, geographic reach within an economical freight radius, and account priorities.
• Map the regional galvanizing landscape – competing galvanizers, captive kettles, capacity, turnaround times and pricing behavior – and identify where Lindsay can win.
• Target growth markets where hot-dip galvanizing is specified or preferred, such as structural and miscellaneous steel fabrication, highway and bridge infrastructure, electric transmission and distribution, renewable energy and solar racking, data centers, telecom, agricultural equipment, trailers and material handling.
• Track demand drivers including public infrastructure funding, grid investment, Buy America/domestic-content requirements and zinc market trends, and translate them into pipeline opportunities.

Sales Execution & Account Growth

• Prospect, qualify and close new galvanizing accounts outside Lindsay’s core Irrigation and Infrastructure business units, serving as an individual contributor accountable for revenue, tonnage and margin targets.
• Build and manage a disciplined pipeline in Salesforce, with accurate forecasting of volume, timing and kettle loading.
• Expand existing accounts by understanding customer needs project by project and cross-selling ERW tubing and fabrication/assembly into integrated, single-source solutions.
• Develop and manage relationships at all levels of customer organizations, from shop-floor and quality contacts to purchasing, engineering and executive leadership.
• Lead customer plant tours and onboarding, setting clear expectations for material preparation, scheduling, turnaround and logistics.

Technical & Specification Selling

• Sell the value of hot-dip galvanizing versus paint and other coatings, using life-cycle cost, maintenance-free service life and corrosion-protection performance.
• Advise customers on design for galvanizing – venting and drainage, fabrication practices, material selection and steel chemistry, distortion risk and part size relative to kettle dimensions – to reduce rework and improve first-pass quality.
• Apply working knowledge of key industry standards (e.g., ASTM A123, A153, A767 and A385) and AGA guidance when supporting quotes, specifications and quality conversations.
• Engage engineers, architects, DOTs and utilities to get galvanizing, and Lindsay, specified on upcoming projects.

Pricing, Capacity & Commercial Discipline

• Develop and negotiate pricing (per pound/CWT, minimums and special handling) that reflects part complexity, racking density, zinc consumption and value-added services.
• Structure agreements with appropriate zinc surcharge or index mechanisms to protect margin through commodity swings.
• Partner with operations to align the order book with kettle capacity, shift schedules and turnaround commitments, favoring a mix that maximizes throughput and contribution margin.
• Use data analysis to evaluate account profitability, win/loss trends and market share, and present findings and recommendations to leadership.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Industry Presence

• Work closely with galvanizing operations, quality, supply chain, inside sales, customer service and marketing to deliver a consistent customer experience.
• Operate effectively in a matrix organization, leveraging One-Lindsay shared services and contributing to broader corporate growth initiatives.
• Represent Lindsay at industry events and associations such as the American Galvanizers Association (AGA), fabricator associations and end-market trade shows, building visibility and thought leadership.
• Provide market feedback that informs capital, capacity and service-offering decisions for the galvanizing operation.

What Success Looks Like

• A growing, well-qualified pipeline of new galvanizing customers across priority markets and geographies.
• Improved kettle utilization with a healthier, more profitable mix of work.
• A rising share of customers buying two or more Contract Manufacturing services.
• Lindsay recognized among regional fabricators and specifiers as a responsive, high-quality galvanizing partner.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 10+ years of business development or B2B industrial sales experience, including direct experience selling hot-dip galvanizing services, or in a galvanizing, coating or steel-processing environment.
• Working knowledge of the hot-dip galvanizing process, design-for-galvanizing principles and common quality issues, with the ability to discuss them credibly with customers.
• Proven record of opening new accounts and closing complex, multi-stakeholder opportunities using a structured, consultative sales methodology.
• Strong financial acumen, including pricing strategy, commodity (zinc) cost pass-through and margin management.
• Strong data analysis skills, with the ability to interpret results and present recommendations to leadership.
• Strong technical aptitude and the ability to solve complex customer and operational problems.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to influence diverse internal and external stakeholders.
• Proficiency in Salesforce or a comparable CRM, and in Excel, PowerPoint and Word.

Preferred

• Advanced degree (e.g., MBA).
• Established relationships with steel fabricators and OEMs in construction, infrastructure, transportation, energy/utilities, data centers, agriculture or general industrial markets.
• Experience selling bundled contract manufacturing services such as steel tubing, fabrication and coating.
• Experience managing inside sales support and distribution or independent sales representative channels.
• Active involvement with the American Galvanizers Association or related industry groups, or AGA training and certification.
• Familiarity with public-sector and DOT procurement, project bidding and specification processes.

Key Attributes for Success

• High-energy, self-motivated hunter with a strong drive to win.
• Builds long-term, trust-based partnerships and puts customer satisfaction first.
• Proactive and opportunity-driven, with a consistent focus on growing contract manufacturing sales.
• Comfortable on the shop floor and in the boardroom: equally credible with plant operators and executives.
• Strong negotiator and critical thinker with high personal accountability and a positive, professional attitude.