Strategic Market Development Specialist

IBC Coatings Technologies•Lebanon, IN

16h

About The Position

As we scale toward our next growth milestone, we are seeking a data-driven Strategic Market Development Specialist to help map our future. The Strategic Market Development Specialist is responsible for identifying and prioritizing the industries and applications where IBC’s coatings technologies deliver the greatest strategic and financial value, using market research, internal data, and customer insight. The role translates these insights into focused go-to-market actions by guiding marketing efforts, supporting targeted business development, and partnering closely with Applications Engineering on early-stage customer engagement. Reporting to the COO, this position ensures the organization stays aligned on where to play and how to win without diluting technical or sales resources. While not a traditional quota-carrying position, the Strategic Market Development Specialist is expected to actively engage customers, develop opportunities, and contribute directly to pipeline growth in priority markets. This position requires a highly self-directed person with the ability to operate effectively in an ambiguous, build-from-scratch environment. Key attributes for success are: Balancing strategic thinking with hands-on execution, curiosity, evidence-based decision making, and excellent communication skills.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship or permanent resident required (sponsorship will not be provided for this position).
Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business, engineering, economics, analytics, or a related field. MBA is strongly recommended.
2+ years of experience in B2B (business to business) industrial environments in roles such as market development, product marketing, market intelligence, commercial strategy, or industrial sales support.
Demonstrated experience conducting market research, industry segmentation, and go-to-market planning for technical or engineered products or services.
Strong analytical capability with experience working directly with CRM (e.g., Salesforce) and ERP data to drive insights and decisions.
Proven ability to translate complex technical or operational information into clear, compelling market and customer narratives. Familiarity with application-led marketing, case-study development, and account-based or targeted go-to-market approaches.
Experience working cross-functionally with engineering, operations, and sales teams without direct authority.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present findings and recommendations to senior leadership.

Nice To Haves

Experience in surface coatings, metal finishing, heat treatment, specialty manufacturing, or industrial services preferred.
Experience managing or directing external marketing agencies/vendors preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead market and industry research to identify, size, and prioritize the industries and applications where the company’s surface coatings technologies deliver the greatest strategic and financial value.
Analyze internal ERP and Salesforce data to assess market attractiveness, profitability, win/loss trends, and operational fit by industry, application, and coating technology.
Define and maintain a clear set of priority industries, target applications, and ideal customer profiles, and recommend where the organization should focus — and where it should not.
Translate market insights into actionable go-to-market plans, including industry-specific positioning, value propositions, and messaging aligned to customer problems and use cases.
Serve as the primary internal owner of market focus and go-to-market execution, ensuring alignment across leadership, engineering, business development, and operations.
Partner closely with Applications Engineering to support early-stage customer discovery, qualification, and opportunity shaping in priority markets, while protecting technical resources from low-fit pursuits.
Actively engage with prospective and existing customers in priority industries to shape opportunities, support qualification, and advance early-stage commercial discussions in partnership with applications engineering and business development.
Act as the primary point of contact for external marketing vendors, providing clear direction, priorities, and performance expectations grounded in market insight.
Guide the creation of application-based case studies, technical success stories, and market-facing content that demonstrate real-world customer value.
Monitor market trends, competitive activity, regulatory or specification-driven shifts, and customer feedback to continuously refine market focus and recommendations.
Regularly present findings, recommendations, and progress updates to leadership, including data-driven insights to inform strategic planning, capital investment, and growth decisions.
Assist business development and applications engineers with targeted outreach.
Support and complete additional projects and tasks assigned by your direct supervisor.
Follow all AS9100, internal quality policies, OSHA safety regulations, and company safety policies.