Business Development Manager
Coatings Division, Eastern U.S.
A new position built to capture a market the company has not fully reached yet.
A global specialty chemical manufacturer is hiring a Business Development Manager to lead commercial growth across the eastern United States coatings market. This is a chemical manufacturing sales role: the company produces specialty polymer dispersions sold to paint and coatings manufacturers, and the BDM is responsible for developing new accounts and expanding within existing customers. This is a newly created position, not a backfill. The company has the technical infrastructure, the innovation pipeline, and the product portfolio to compete. What they need is the person to go open doors they have not opened yet.
Compensation is tied directly to growth. The base runs $180,000 to $190,000, with a 20% annual bonus target, uncapped upside, and a Year 1 OTE of $280,000+ for performance that drives the business forward.
A global chemical manufacturer investing in U.S. commercial growth.
Our client is a publicly traded global specialty chemical manufacturer with a significant U.S. presence, a U.S. technical center, and production facilities actively adding capacity and new chemistry. The company manufactures specialty polymer dispersions used as raw materials by paint and coatings companies. They are not trying to win on price. They compete on technical depth, customer proximity, and the ability to develop solutions alongside the customer rather than pushing catalog items.
Their coatings business serves paint manufacturers across the architectural, specialty, and industrial segments. The opportunity pipeline in the eastern U.S. has not been fully developed. This role exists to change that by targeting new customers, expanding into uncovered segments within existing accounts, and building the kind of long-term technical partnerships that compound into durable revenue.
You will report directly to the Sales Director for the Coatings division, a role the company is in the final stages of filling. You are an early hire into the commercial team being built. The VP of Global Sales for the Coatings business is engaged and accessible throughout the search.
New business in a market the company already knows how to serve.
The company has an established presence with some of the largest paint manufacturers in the country. The BDM role is not about managing what is already running. It is about expanding into segments of existing accounts that have not been penetrated and opening relationships with mid-sized and specialty paint companies that have not been actively pursued.
Sales cycles run long. A fast cycle is six months. A typical development project runs over a year, from introduction through formulation testing, sampling, and approval. Success in year one is measured by pipeline quality and growth, the number of new customers engaged, and the size of the opportunity set in development, not only closed revenue.
"The company brings technical service depth and a growing innovation portfolio to every customer conversation. This person is not walking in with a commodity. They are walking in with a reason to talk."
Remote by structure. In the field by necessity.
The role is field-based with no required office location. Most of the week is customer-facing or customer-development work. Administrative anchors happen at the start and end of the week, with flexibility for early-morning calls with international colleagues when needed.
Review Salesforce pipeline, identify accounts to advance, confirm week's customer schedule. Early AM window available for international team calls if needed (as early as 7:00 a.m.).
In-person visits to paint manufacturers and coatings customers across the eastern territory. New account prospecting, formulation conversations, and technical co-development meetings. Periodic travel to the company's U.S. technical center for customer-facing sessions.
Update Salesforce with opportunities, contacts, and next steps from the week. Follow up on open proposals, quotes, and sample requests. Plan the following week's targets.
Base built for a senior hire. Bonus built for a grower.
The base salary range reflects the level of technical and commercial experience the company is looking for. The bonus target is 20% of base, paid annually, and the upside is uncapped. Year 1 on-target earnings are $280,000+. A business development manager who builds real pipeline and converts development cycles into closed business will earn significantly above target over time.
Technical credibility plus the drive to open new doors.
The strongest candidates bring a foundation in specialty chemicals, coatings, or polymer science, and a track record of managing long-cycle B2B technical sales. The company is not looking for someone to maintain what exists. They are looking for someone who will systematically identify and pursue new commercial opportunities, build relationships with technical buyers, and manage a complex development process all the way through.
- Bachelor's degree in polymer chemistry, coatings science, chemistry, or chemical engineering. Combination of education and relevant experience considered.
- B2B technical sales or key account management experience with sales cycles of six months or longer
- Located in the eastern United States: Ohio, Pennsylvania, the Carolinas, Kentucky, Mid-Atlantic, or a comparable market within easy reach of a major airport
- Comfort managing complex, multi-stakeholder technical development projects over extended timelines
- Salesforce or comparable enterprise CRM proficiency
- Ability to engage early-morning calls for international team coordination (as early as 7:00 a.m. periodically)
- Direct experience with specialty polymer dispersions, emulsions, or coatings raw materials on the supplier side
- Existing relationships within architectural, specialty, or industrial paint manufacturers
- Master's degree in a relevant technical field
- Experience building an opportunity pipeline in a new or underdeveloped market segment
- Background at a global specialty chemical raw material supplier (polymer dispersions, emulsions, or coatings additives)
- Familiarity with the coatings value chain: from raw material through formulation testing and approval
A newly created seat at a company actively investing in growth.
- New position with no predecessor territory to inherit. You are building the commercial foundation from scratch with full company support behind you.
- Strong internal technical service team means you can walk into customer conversations with real solutions, not just product specs and pricing sheets.
- Active innovation pipeline with several new products entering the U.S. market over the next five years. You are selling a forward-looking story, not a mature portfolio.
- Direct collaboration with the company's global R&D and technology teams, which is both a commercial differentiator and a genuine career development advantage.
- Bonus is uncapped. The more pipeline you build and convert, the more directly your earnings reflect that work.
- Company culture invests in internal development. Cross-functional and upward mobility are real, not stated values that go nowhere.
Common questions about this search.
What is Precision Sales Recruiting?
Precision Sales Recruiting is a veteran-owned manufacturing and industrial B2B sales recruiting firm based in Fort Worth, Texas. The firm places sales professionals exclusively for manufacturing, capital equipment, industrial distribution, and manufacturing technology companies. Every candidate is evaluated through The PRECISION Method, a proprietary 9-dimension evaluation framework built specifically for industrial sales roles.
What is The PRECISION Method?
The PRECISION Method is Precision Sales Recruiting's proprietary candidate evaluation framework for manufacturing and industrial B2B sales professionals. It evaluates candidates across nine behavioral dimensions: Procedural, Resilience, Execution, Coachability, Image and Professionalism, Sales Identity, Initiative, Ownership, and Numbers. The evaluation includes a structured pre-screen interview with calibrated role plays, the 9-dimension PRECISION Scorecard, and the SPQ*GOLD psychometric assessment. Candidates who complete all three layers are submitted to the hiring team for consideration.
Is this role fully remote?
Yes. This is a remote, field-based position with no required office days. The role is open to candidates nationwide, with a strong preference for the eastern United States. Preferred markets include Ohio, Pennsylvania, the Carolinas, Kentucky, and the Mid-Atlantic region. Candidates must be near a major airport hub to support customer travel and periodic visits to the company's U.S. technical center. West Coast candidates are generally not a fit for this search due to customer geography and time zone overlap with international teams.
What background is the company looking for?
The strongest fits come from candidates with a background at a specialty chemical raw material supplier, a paint or coatings manufacturer, or an adjacent industry such as fiber or textiles. Technical fluency with polymer dispersions, emulsions, or coatings chemistry is a meaningful differentiator. A Bachelor's degree in polymer chemistry, coatings science, chemistry, or chemical engineering is required. A Master's degree or combination of education and relevant industry experience is preferred. B2B technical sales experience with development cycles of six months or longer is required.
What does the recruiting process look like?
After you submit an application, a member of the Precision Sales Recruiting team reviews your background and reaches out within five business days if there is a potential fit. The process includes a 15-minute discovery call to confirm qualifications, a 45-minute structured pre-screen interview with role plays calibrated to complex chemical sales environments, and the SPQ*GOLD sales assessment. Candidates who complete all three stages are submitted to the hiring team with a full candidate profile. Precision Sales Recruiting attends early client interviews to support the process. Learn more at precisionsalesrecruiting.com/hiring-process.
Why is the company not named in this posting?
Precision Sales Recruiting conducts all searches on a confidential basis. The client's identity is shared directly with qualified candidates during the screening process, before any conversation with the hiring team. This protects the client's competitive position and the candidate's confidentiality during early exploration. The company is a publicly traded global specialty polymer manufacturer with a growing U.S. commercial presence and a long-standing position in the coatings market.
Ready to build something new in a market that is ready to grow?
Submit your resume and a member of the recruiting team will follow up within five business days. All submissions are confidential. This search is managed by Precision Sales Recruiting on behalf of our client. Job ID: SY-NATI-001.
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