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 hired 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 was a newly created position, not a backfill. The company has the technical infrastructure, the innovation pipeline, and the product portfolio to compete. What they needed was the person to go open doors they had 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. had 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.

The role reports directly to the Sales Director for the Coatings division and represents an early hire into the commercial team being built, with the VP of Global Sales for the Coatings business 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.

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 was 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 brought a foundation in specialty chemicals, coatings, or polymer science, and a track record of managing long-cycle B2B technical sales. The company was not looking for someone to maintain what exists. They were looking for someone who would systematically identify and pursue new commercial opportunities, build relationships with technical buyers, and manage a complex development process all the way through.

A newly created seat at a company actively investing in growth.

• New position with no predecessor territory to inherit. The hire builds the commercial foundation from scratch with full company support behind them.
• Strong internal technical service team means the BDM walks 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. This is 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 built and converted, the more directly 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.

Looking for a Similar Role?

This position has been filled, but Precision Sales Recruiting works on searches like it regularly. If you have a background in specialty chemical or coatings raw material sales, polymer dispersions or emulsions, or long-cycle technical business development into paint and coatings manufacturers, join our candidate network and we will reach out when a matching role opens.