Head of Sales Specialties

LANXESS Corporation•North Fayette Township, PA

12d•Onsite

About The Position

This role is responsible for leading, coaching, and developing a regional sales team to foster high performance, collaboration, and accountability. The Head of Sales Specialties will define and implement regional sales strategies aligned with global business unit (BU) objectives, ensuring growth and profitability targets are met. Key responsibilities include overseeing pricing strategies, contract negotiations, and margin optimization, as well as driving new business development to expand the product portfolio and strengthen market position. The role also involves ensuring robust execution of sales processes such as forecasting (IBP), Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP), budgeting, and pipeline management, along with enforcing discipline in CRM usage. Continuous monitoring of market dynamics, customer needs, and competitive activity is crucial for translating insights into actionable strategies. This position requires close collaboration with Marketing and Global Key Account Managers to align regional priorities with global initiatives, and representation of the BU at industry events. Partnership with internal functions like Marketing, Planning, Customer Service, and Credit is essential for a seamless customer experience and efficient order-to-cash processes. Collaboration with peers in other BUs managing the same customer groups and coordination with Global Key Account Managers within the BU are also key aspects of this role.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or related field
Minimum 8 years of experience in B2B sales, preferably in the specialty chemicals or food ingredient industries.
Proven leadership experience managing sales teams and distributors
Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
Strong commercial acumen, negotiation skills, and strategic thinking
Experience with S&OP, IBP, and CRM systems
Fluency in English

Nice To Haves

MBA preferred
Spanish or Portuguese a plus

Responsibilities

Lead, coach, and develop a regional sales team, fostering high performance, collaboration, and accountability
Define and implement regional sales strategies aligned with global BU objectives, ensuring growth and profitability targets are met
Oversee pricing strategies, contract negotiations, and margin optimization, ensuring alignment with corporate guidelines
Drive new business development, identifying opportunities to expand the product portfolio and strengthen the BU’s market position
Ensure robust execution of sales processes, including forecasting (IBP), S&OP, budgeting, and pipeline management
Enforce discipline in CRM usage and ensure that call plans, visit reports, and account plans are consistently maintained and leveraged for decision-making
Continuously monitor market dynamics, customer needs, and competitive activity, translating insights into actionable strategies
Work closely with Marketing and Global Key Account Managers to align regional priorities with global initiatives
Represent the BU at industry events, trade shows, and professional associations, strengthening market presence and networking with key stakeholders
Partner with internal functions including Marketing, Planning, Customer Service, and Credit to ensure seamless customer experience and efficient order-to-cash processes
Collaborate with peers in other BUs who manage the same customer groups to ensure unified company representation and synergy in account management
Coordinate with Global Key Account Managers within the BU to align pricing, service, and growth strategies across regions