Vantage is a fast-growing, leading global supplier of naturally derived specialty ingredients and formulations that cater to the evolving needs of consumer and industrial markets. Through our chemistries, our customer focus and our vertically integrated farming, manufacturing, and formulation facilities around the world, we are Enabling Tomorrow’s Solutions Today.

With more than 1,000 employees, $1+ billion in sales and a footprint in 13 countries around the world, Vantage is driven by an intense focus on our customers, providing a broad portfolio of customized solutions, formulations and ingredients that are tailored to meet their specific needs.

Vantage is structured in two divisions: Consumer Solutions is focused on market segments where we have the right product portfolio and technical capabilities to win. Our Beauty & Personal Care and Food business units aim to be the customer’s partner of choice in delivering solutions, formulations and ingredients that best meet their needs. Performance Solutions encapsulates our Performance Materials and Oleo business units and is focused on select industrial applications where we offer differentiated solutions built on our foundational oleo chemistry.

Under the leadership of Steve Doktycz, a 27-year chemical industry and strategic development veteran, its tenured leadership team represents decades of industry experience coupled with entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for natural chemistries. Vantage is headquartered in the United States (Deerfield, IL, a Chicago suburb).

Since its inception in 2008, Vantage’s continued growth has been realized through a combination of focused commercial efforts, significant capital investment into our manufacturing assets, strategic entry into geographic markets and niche acquisitions to develop our leading portfolio of natural-based specialty ingredients.

Vantage™ is backed by H.I.G., a leading global alternative investment firm with $43 billion of equity capital under management with a focus on the small and midcap segments of the market, with a minority investment by The Jordan Company.

For more information: www.vantagegrp.com

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Vantage is looking for a motivated and results-driven English and German speaker to join our global sales team. The Inside Sales representative (IS Rep) will leverage a best-in-class sales process to develop new leads, grow and defend existing accounts, and reactivate dormant accounts across Germany and Spain. Our IS rep is required to complete a high volume of cold & warm outbound calls, quickly identifying, and communicating how Vantage can create value for the customer. The IS Rep is expected to confidently engage customers and colleagues in Germany, creating a seamless remote selling experience.

The ideal candidate must be an energetic, structured, and articulate problem solver, possessing a chemistry-related degree. Previous experience selling into the Germany or other markets in Europe and utilizing CRM software are considered assets.

Primary Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day transactional sales for a dynamic portfolio of accounts: adding, sustaining, and re-engaging accounts as needed to drive growth objectives

• Achieve a high number (20) of outbound sales calls (phone and video) with new and existing accounts based in Germany and Spain to drive new sales opportunities and minimize account churn; be the primary point of contact for inbound sales requests.

• Identify and investigate customer pain points – qualifying, then tailoring solutions to meet customer needs profitably; based on the type of account, growth potential, and cost to serve.

• Probe customer objections and proactively resolve/escalate issues that may be impacting the total Vantage customer experience.

• Quickly develop and share knowledge of company products/services/capabilities to customers, providing features, benefits, and competitive comparisons, while minimizing the need for internal technical resources.

• Drive and close price increases while maintaining excellent customer relationships.

• Plan & prioritize work management: leverage time management skills to maximize selling time and margin returns.

• Collaborate and/or support internal stakeholders in the region to develop markets/customers/opportunities, as required.

• Capture all customer interactions and competitive insights in Dynamics CRM in a timely manner.

• Present activity and sales results to manager on a weekly basis: highlighting successes, challenges, and action plans to drive sales growth

• Achieve individual and team targets.

DESIRED BACKGROUND/QUALIFICATIONS

• Proven selling skills with traceable results maintaining a large book of accounts.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills (English & German) as well as interpersonal skills to build rapport with clients by taking an adaptive communication approach.

• Strong phone/video presence and agility as a large portion of the day requires working directly with customers.

• Ability to demonstrate creativity and initiative in a sales environment. Must maintain a constructive attitude, be a self-starter, dependable and take pride in work.

• Ability to persuade, negotiate and sell while acting with flexibility and confidence.

• High perseverance: utilizes objection handling skills to stay positive, overcome customer concerns, and close sales opportunities.

• A meticulous eye for detail and accuracy, ensuring the right information is conveyed in a professional manner.

• Ability to anticipate, prioritize, and react to thrive in our fast-paced environment.

• Strong organizational and time management skills; ability to work with a high sense of urgency within established timelines, exercising consistent follow-through/follow-up when necessary.

• Adaptive learning skills to execute the corporate strategy and adjust as necessary to achieve growth targets in assigned markets. Makes a conscious effort for self-improvement and skill development.

• Strong team-player who can manage relationships with various internal departments.

• Effective technology skills, able to learn and navigate various systems and tools with ease.

• Bachelor’s degree (ideally in chemistry or related).

• Excellent verbal and written professional communication skills in English and German.

• Computer proficiency including MS Word, Excel, Outlook; experience using CRM would be an asset (esp. Microsoft Dynamics).

Vantage is a leading supplier of naturally derived specialty ingredients and formulations that cater to the evolving needs of industrial and consumer markets. Through our chemistries, our customer focus and our global footprint, we are Enabling Tomorrow's Solutions Today.

As a company on the move, you’ll be working as part of a collaborative team and getting to know the cultural diversity of our world. We learn from each other to constantly improve, adapt and iterate. We value the voice and talent of our colleagues by empowering them to drive their unique ideas to completion. We’re convinced that exceptionally motivated employees produce outstanding results. Most importantly, we know you’re going to like it here.