Associate Materials Solutions Lead

Goodfellow; Huntingdon; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Goodfellow is seeking an Associate Materials Solutions Lead to partner with the Materials Solutions Lead in winning and delivering moderate-complexity materials opportunities on a development path toward the Lead role. You will combine materials expertise with commercial drive to shape solutions and drive deals end-to-end.

The role involves coordinating technical, sourcing and quality teams, translating customer requirements into deliverables, and growing toward independent ownership of

Qualifications

• A STEM degree in materials science, engineering, chemistry or related discipline.
• Experience in technical or solution sales or a commercial role in advanced materials.
• Commercial judgement across pricing, margin and negotiation.
• Ability to coordinate technical specialists to deliver solutions.
• Exposure to microfabrication and/or materials testing and analysis.
• Experience using Salesforce or a comparable CRM.
• Experience of procurement or supplier sourcing.
• Exposure to new capabilities, tools or ways of working.

Responsibilities

• Own opportunities end to end — take materials opportunities of moderate complexity from qualification through to commercial close.
• Translate technical need into solution — understand and interpret customers' technical requirements and turn them into deliverable materials solutions.
• Work with the specialists — bring together technical, sourcing and quality colleagues to build and deliver each solution.
• Drive the commercial deal — lead proposal, pricing, negotiation and close, with support from the Lead on the most complex calls.
• Develop and learn — work with the team on the largest and most complex opportunities to build toward independent ownership of them.
• Contribute to major opportunities — support Goodfellow's largest and most strategic materials projects.
• Partner with account managers — who own the ongoing customer relationship, providing technical and commercial expertise on their opportunities.

Skills

Technical sales

Solution selling

CRM (Salesforce)

Cross-functional coordination

Negotiation

B2B materials

Education

STEM degree

Materials science background

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

The Associate Materials Solutions Lead works alongside the Materials Solutions Lead to win and deliver complex, high-value materials opportunities, on a clear development path toward the full Lead role. Combining materials expertise with commercial drive, the Associate Lead owns opportunities of moderate complexity end to end — understanding a customer's technical requirements, shaping the right materials solution, working with technical and sourcing specialists, and driving the commercial deal to close. It suits a technically-qualified professional who wants to become the bridge between deep materials science and commercial delivery, and to grow into owning Goodfellow's most complex and valuable materials projects.

Key Responsibilities

• Own opportunities end to end — take materials opportunities of moderate complexity from qualification through to commercial close.
• Translate technical need into solution — understand and interpret customers' technical requirements and turn them into deliverable materials solutions.
• Work with the specialists — bring together technical, sourcing and quality colleagues to build and deliver each solution.
• Drive the commercial deal — lead proposal, pricing, negotiation and close, with support from the Lead on the most complex calls.
• Develop and learn — work with the team on the largest and most complex opportunities to build toward independent ownership of them.
• Contribute to major opportunities — support Goodfellow's largest and most strategic materials projects.
• Partner with account managers — who own the ongoing customer relationship, providing technical and commercial expertise on their opportunities.

Key Requirements

• A STEM degree in materials science, engineering, chemistry or a closely related discipline.
• Some experience in technical or solution sales, applications engineering or a commercial role within advanced materials, engineering or a comparable technical B2B environment, with the ambition and trajectory to grow into a full Lead role.
• Sound commercial judgement across pricing, margin and negotiation, and a genuine interest in the commercial-technical side of a materials business.
• The ability to coordinate technical specialists to deliver customer solutions.
• Exposure to technically-led sales cycles and the pace and persistence they require.
• Breadth across several materials families (metals, alloys, ceramics, glasses, polymers, composites).
• Exposure to microfabrication and/or materials testing and analysis.
• Experience using Salesforce or a comparable CRM.
• Experience of procurement or supplier sourcing.
• Exposure to new capabilities, tools or ways of working being introduced into a team.