Sales Manager PU - Footwear, Sports & Leisure

Objectives of the Position         

• To implement PU systems for Footwear,Sports & Leisure, Performance Materials India sales.
• To implement marketing strategy in new business development
• Initiate, develop & grow customer relationships with existing and potential customers.
• Execute PU system sales in Footwear,Sports & Leisure & develop business according to the country & regional strategy and objectives.
• Provide input for account plans, and update them periodically
• Implement pricing strategy according to regional & local strategic guidelines.
• Provide inputs for market intelligence.
• Strong collaboration with GKAMs.

Main Areas of Responsibilities and Key Activities

Sales Development:

• Understand customer needs, industry drivers, unique selling points deeply to recommend the best solutions, leading to the achievement of value creation for the customers and BASF.
• Formulate strategy to develop and implement segment, application, product and customer strategies to achieve sales targets.
• Conclude business contracts and maintain business growth at existing/potential customers.
• Explore, identify, and develop new businesses. Implement pricing strategy and support launch of new products at key customers.
• Provide accurate sales forecasting and regular feedback from time to time.
• Support new product development activities for customers, follow up and collaborate with lab team to ensure timely development/Customization of the products meeting customer requirement.
• Collaborate with respective team (local and regional technical Service, Supply Chain, Customer Service, Marketing, etc.) to provide prompt response related to quality, technical and application’s inquiries and other customer related queries.
• Responsible for managing margins at product and customer level, Identifying and managing channel partners, implement pricing policy, trading terms, rebates regularly to meet sales targets.
• Responsible to effectively manage distribution channel/partners.
• Coordinate with Global / Regional Key Account Management team to manage local activities with OEM’S and Tiers wherever required.

Strategic Tasks and Implementation:

• Conduct studies and analysis on market trend, competitors, product applications and technology and provide appropriate market strategies.
• Develop key account management profiles wherever applicable.
• Monitors product, customer and segment profitability and initiate improvement opportunities.
• Lead product/application launches within regional marketing strategy.
• Adopt and utilize digital tools and technologies in rolling out dashboards to allow for real-time business and operations excellence analysis

Customer Management:

• Supports in providing the response related to quality, technical applications, inquiries, and other related issues; conducts customers’ assessments and analysis.
• Coordinate with BASF experts to conduct field visits, seminars, presentations and attend to customers’ inquiries.
• Conduct customers’ assessments and analyses to align and ensure the strategic focus in the right place.
• Ensure all supporting functions involved in the delivery of agreed customer’s needs; resolve problems/ expedite matters where appropriate
• Share Market Intelligence, strategy & communicate internally via visit reports

Credit Management:

• Monitor the growth of the customers’ business, review and coordinate with credit controlling team to make appropriate credit recommendations.
• Follow-up on payment collections and ensure on-time payment from the customers.

Innovation, Sustainability, Embrace Digitalization:

• Accelerates Innovation to achieve innovation sales target. Hunt/explore customer specific projects.
• Live Sustainability: supports the Implementation of A-PMA/E Sustainability roadmap in country with projects acquired which includes chemcycling, mechanical recycling, BMB solutions, Bio based Materials.
• Embrace Digitalization: Enhances aligned use of salesforce Implementation and enhances the use of social media available to PM (Wechat, LinkedIn etc.) for promoting more new applications, technical webinar, and customer interaction. Support e portal sales.

Job Requirements

Education: Bachelor’s / Engineering / Polymer Science / Chemical degree; MBA degree is preferred.

Working Experience: Over 8-12 years technical sales working experience preferably with Polyurethane industry.

Technical & Professional Knowledge:

• Experience in Customer management, Negotiations and in handling Sales Operations, Business Development, in PU Products in footwear/polyurethanes Industry
• Working knowledge of polyurethanes chemistry, applications and processing.
• Good English and computer skills (MS. Office).