Southeast Sales Manager - Plastic Injection Molding
Summary: The Regional Sales Manager - Southeast is responsible for driving profitable revenue growth through the acquisition of new customers and new programs within existing accounts. This is a highly visible, growth-oriented position focused primarily on identifying opportunities, developing customer relationships, and converting prospects into long-term business. The Regional Sales Manager serves as an individual contributor while also leading and supporting a network of independent manufacturers' representatives throughout the territory. Success requires a disciplined approach to business development, technical sales, territory management, and collaboration with engineering, estimating, program management, operations, customer service, and marketing. Essential Responsibilities: Identify, qualify, and secure new OEM customers and strategic target accounts. Generate new opportunities through proactive prospecting, referrals, marketing leads, industry contacts, trade events, and representative activity. Develop relationships with engineering, purchasing, supply chain, operations, and executive decision-makers. Conduct customer visits to uncover upcoming projects, resourcing initiatives, supplier consolidation, and transfer opportunities. Position company as a preferred supplier for custom injection molding, secondary operations, and value-added assemblies. Consistently achieve annual new-business booking objectives. Develop and execute an annual Southeast territory business plan, including target accounts, activity goals, representative coverage, pipeline objectives, and revenue forecasts. Prioritize markets and accounts that align with company’s capabilities and growth strategy. Maintain accurate opportunity, quote, activity, and forecast information in the company CRM system. Provide timely pipeline updates and communicate risks, competitive activity, and market intelligence to the Vice President of Sales. Recruit, develop, direct, and manage independent sales representatives throughout the territory. Engage customers to understand product requirements, manufacturing challenges, sourcing priorities, and business objectives. Identify opportunities for design assistance, cost reduction, supply-chain improvement, and new-program development. Coordinate customer visits to the company’s facilities and engage internal technical resources as appropriate. Lead commercial activity from initial opportunity identification through quotation, negotiation, award, and handoff to program management. Coordinate RFQs with estimating and engineering, develop pricing strategies, and negotiate pricing, commercial terms, and long-term agreements. Obtain customer feedback on quotations and document reasons for wins and losses. Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in business, engineering, marketing, or a related field, or equivalent experience. Minimum of five years of successful B2B technical sales experience, including demonstrated success developing new OEM business. Experience selling engineered components, custom manufacturing services, or other technical solutions. Experience managing or working effectively with independent manufacturers' representatives. Strong prospecting, negotiation, presentation, and relationship-development skills. Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Plastic injection molding experience. Experience selling custom injection molding, secondary finishing, assembly, or related value-added manufacturing services. Established relationships with OEMs in industrial, appliance, filtration, medical equipment, consumer, recreational, or other targeted Midwest markets. Experience with Salesforce or a comparable CRM and familiarity with manufacturing ERP systems. Position offers an attractive base compensation plus variable compensation plan and full benefits.