North American Sales Manager - Superhard Materials & Advanced Components

Element Six•Santa Clara, CA

18h•Onsite

About The Position

Element Six, part of the De Beers Group of Companies, is seeking an experienced, technically adept commercial leader to lead North American sales of advanced diamond materials and high-tech solutions. Based at the Customer and Application Technology Centre (CATEC) in Santa Clara, California, the role is responsible for delivering significant revenue in 2027 by driving commercial adoption of synthetic diamond solutions produced through Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD). The position commercializes precision-engineered synthetic diamond materials, substrates, and components for high-value technology applications where diamond’s physical, thermal, optical, and electrochemical properties can outperform conventional materials. A key strategic objective is to work with Business Development and Operations to move breakthrough designs into sustained, high-volume production and increase capacity utilization of the CVD reactor fleet at the Gresham, Oregon synthesis facility. The role owns the North American commercial growth strategy and sales execution, including forecasting, pipeline conversion, pricing, and contract negotiations with technology OEMs, defense contractors, research institutions, and emerging technology companies. The role leads customer acquisition and design-in efforts across thermal management, optical systems, quantum technologies, water treatment and electrochemistry, and mechanical and precision applications. It directly manages a five-person technical sales and applications team comprising three Field Sales Account Managers, a Diamond Applications Engineer, and an Inside Sales Engineer. It also coordinates customer forecasts and commercial priorities with production, engineering, Business Development, and R&D teams to support quality, fulfillment, and scalable commercial production.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science in Materials Science, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemistry, or a closely related STEM discipline.
8–10+ years of progressive commercial sales and business development experience selling high-performance materials, advanced engineered components, or substrates into the semiconductor, optoelectronics, defense, or advanced hardware sectors.
At least 3–5 years of direct commercial or technical experience involving synthetic diamond, carbon materials, wide bandgap semiconductors, or CVD thin-film or bulk material processes.
Proven track record of managing a team delivering an annual revenue budget in OEM/design-in component environments.
Deep understanding of high-tech OEM qualification lifecycles, intellectual property frameworks, and custom material integration.
Demonstrated ability to coach technical application engineers and commercial sales representatives.
Willingness to travel approximately 30–40% across North America.
Adaptability and ability to work in a fast-moving environment and lead change.
Ability to make clear, timely decisions, provide explicit guidance, and take ownership of decisions.
Ability and willingness to develop team behavior and performance.
Ability to simplify solutions and consider the implications of local decisions across the organization.
Accountability, including holding oneself and others accountable and valuing perspectives from across the business.
Self-motivation, readiness to take responsibility, and demonstrable mentoring and coaching experience.
Ability to communicate effectively and collaborate.

Nice To Haves

Master of Science in a technical discipline.
Master of Business Administration.

Responsibilities

Own and execute the North American commercial growth strategy to meet and exceed the 2027 revenue target.
Manage sales forecasting, pipeline conversion, pricing strategies, and contract negotiations across tier-1 technology OEMs, defense contractors, research institutions, and emerging technology innovators.
Identify application opportunities where synthetic diamond’s material properties can improve system performance and reduce total cost of ownership as CVD synthesis volumes scale.
Lead customer acquisition and design-in cycles in thermal management, optical systems, quantum technologies, water treatment and electrochemistry, and mechanical and precision applications.
Directly lead, mentor, and hold accountable a five-person technical sales and applications team: three Field Sales Account Managers, a Diamond Applications Engineer, and an Inside Sales Engineer.
Foster technical rigor, active pipeline management, customer empathy, and value selling within the team.
Collaborate with the Gresham CVD production and engineering teams to align customer demand forecasts with synthesis reactor schedules and support quality and on-time fulfillment.
Align commercial strategy with plant economics and prioritize product lines and large-scale supply agreements to maximize CVD reactor run-time and asset utilization.
Work with global Business Development and R&D organizations to transition new material formulations and product developments into scalable commercial revenue streams.
Travel to client facilities across North America and to the Gresham, Oregon production plant.