Sr Sales Specialist

The Opportunity

The purpose of the SM is to create sustainable and profitable relationships with customers by helping them to succeed. The SM is accountable for all sales activities, from lead generation through closing, in an assigned territory using a formal selling approach. The SM will be responsible for identifying priority accounts and agreeing on strategies and tactics for high growth opportunities. The SM will work closely with the distributors and support teams for the achievement of customer satisfaction, revenue generation, and long-term account goals in line with company business strategy. Together with the customer and other Avantor/VWR resources the SM will further develop the business by analyzing customer needs; identifying solutions and building an individual customer solution plans.

Major Job Duties and Responsibilities (List in order of importance)

Relationship Development: Increase competitive advantage and drive customer satisfaction by building trust and developing strong relationships. Add value in every interaction by working together with customers and internal teams to develop beneficial solutions for their business. Provide higher and differentiating value not by what you sell – but by 'How' you sell.

Targets: Meet/exceed IOP for sales and margin. Develop awareness / sales in the Avantor/VWR Private Label range to increase margin.

Strategy Implementation: Demonstrate strategic agility in approach to customers and projects (solutions must be tailored to meet individual customer needs). Implement agreed strategies across defined accounts while maintaining and developing existing business.

Business Development: Drive new and existing opportunities by managing territory appropriately to maximize number of customer visits. Call customers frequently to create opportunities for selling the Avantor/VWR portfolio of products. Understand customer profile, be able to identify trends and opportunities that will generate sales.

Planning/Forecasting: Plan, forecast and achieve objectives and Key Performance Indicators in territory/ accounts, using pre-call planning for increased effectiveness.

Utilize Avantor/VWR Resources: Utilize local and global internal (cross-functional) and external contacts to help achieve targets. Utilize Avanto/VWR database to manage customer information that will increase effectiveness and aid sales.

Performs other duties as assigned

Qualifications (Education/Training, Experience and Certifications)

• BA/BSc or equivalent in biological or pharmaceutical science or related fields (applicable experience)
• 2+ years of experience in a complex sales environment, where multiple clients are involved in the purchasing decision and there is a solution based selling approach
• A proven track record of verifiable sales success driving growth with a consultative, strategic selling approach
• Business-to-business sales experience, preference may be given to those with distribution experience and a pharmaceutical technique background and/or having worked in a pharmaceutical factory or research environment
• Demonstrated capability to effectively utilize best in class selling processes (e.g. SPIN, Consultative Selling)
• Mandatory attendance of appropriate Avantor/VWR Sales Trainings

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities & Competencies (Those necessary to achieve conformity of products and services)

Knowledge:

• Displays good understanding of company’s products, promotions, services- and solution offerings for customers
• Must have an in-depth understanding of relationship types and buyer behaviors
• Keeps up to date with relevant market trends
• In-depth understanding of the different Avanto/VWR functions and their role
• Is responsible for understanding the strategy of every customer
• Good in oral and written English

Skills:

• Ability to take content and structure it in a way that is most appropriate for the audience and objective
• Ability to develop mutually beneficial relationships and drive strategic conversations with Customers
• Collaborates (with) and orchestrates the broader internal network
• Builds and maintains clients trust through continuous and transparent engagements throughout projects
• A clear ability to manage customer interactions professionally by demonstrating excellent listening and organizational skills, and by using probing questions and reflective language to engage customers and build trust
• Engages in conversations regarding long term strategies and aligns effectively with buyers at every stage of their purchase decision process
• Outstanding interpersonal skills with the ability to manage various buyer types and personalities (e.g. technical-, user-, and economic buyers)
• Develops credibility by challenging the client’s thinking to co-create valuable solutions
• Uses specialists to offer valuable insights into addressing problems
• Drives meaningful conversations with the customer that help to develop a vision including solutions to problems
• Strong organizational skills that drive projects forward
• Focuses on outcomes that they can support and taps into the power of the broader Avantor/VWR network to support customer projects
• Helps to quantify the benefits of the solution to the customer
• Is able to synthesize and integrate sales data to support management decisions
• Commits to agreed actions on agreed timelines with customers
• Ability to work independently and successfully manage time and territory

Abilities and Competencies:

• Experienced in working in a fast paced and targeted environment, with high team interaction, routinely interacting with customers, distributors and colleagues
• Innately customer focused and motivated to deliver value in every interaction
• Ability to handle difficult situations effectively
• A natural desire to share knowledge and work with the wider Avantor/VWR Network and seeks to consistently develop internal and external relationships

Environmental Working Conditions & Physical Effort (Under Typical Positions)

Typically works in a home office environment with extensive regional travel to customer locations.

Work assignments are diversified. Examples of past precedent are used to resolve work problems. New alternatives may be developed to resolve problems.

A frequent volume of work and deadlines impose strain on routine basis.

Minimal physical effort is required. Work is mostly sedentary but does require walking, standing, bending, reaching, lifting or carrying objects that typically weigh less than 10 lbs.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, efforts or working conditions associated with a job.

Why Avantor?

Dare to go further in your career. Join our global team of 14,000+ associates whose passion for discovery and determination to overcome challenges relentlessly advances life-changing science. The work we do changes people’s lives for the better. It brings new patient treatments and therapies to market, giving a cancer survivor the chance to walk his daughter down the aisle. It enables medical devices that help a little boy hear his mom's voice for the first time. Outcomes such as these create unlimited opportunities for you to contribute your talents, learn new skills and grow your career at Avantor. We are committed to helping you on this journey through our diverse, equitable and inclusive culture which includes learning experiences to support your career growth and success. At Avantor, dare to go further and see how the impact of your contributions set science in motion to create a better world. Apply today!

EEO Statement: We are an Equal Employment/Affirmative Action employer and VEVRAA Federal Contractor. We do not discriminate in hiring on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state/province, or local law.