Materials Solutions Lead

Goodfellow; Huntingdon; On-site; GBP 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Goodfellow is seeking a Materials Solutions Lead to drive the growth of its specialist materials business. This role combines deep materials science with commercial delivery, owning complex opportunities from first enquiry to close and coordinating a cross-functional team of technical, sourcing, and quality experts to deliver winning solutions.

You will translate customers' technical needs into actionable material solutions, shape major opportunities, and guide pricing, negotiation, and contract

Qualifications

• A STEM degree in materials science, engineering, chemistry or related discipline.
• Experience in technical or solution sales in advanced materials or a B2B environment.
• Proven track record closing high-value, technically-led sales cycles.
• Strong commercial judgement across pricing and negotiation.
• Ability to lead and coordinate technical specialists to deliver customer solutions.
• Breadth across metals, alloys, ceramics, glasses, polymers, composites.
• Exposure to microfabrication or materials testing.
• Experience integrating new capabilities or teams.
• Experience using Salesforce or other CRM tools.
• Experience in procurement or supplier sourcing.

Responsibilities

• Own complex opportunities end to end from qualification through to commercial close.
• Translate technical need into deliverable materials solutions.
• Coordinate the specialists to build and deliver each solution.
• Drive the commercial deal: proposal, pricing, negotiation and close.
• Partner with account managers who own the ongoing customer relationship.
• Shape major opportunities for the company’s largest projects.
• Develop the Materials Solutions team and specialist roles.

Skills

STEM degree

Technical sales

Commercial judgement

Team coordination

Materials expertise

Breadth across materials families

Microfabrication exposure

Procurement experience

CRM familiarity

Education

STEM degree in materials science/engineering/chemistry

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

The Materials Solutions Lead is central to the future growth of Goodfellow's specialist materials business. Combining genuine materials expertise with commercial drive, the Lead owns complex, high-value materials opportunities from first enquiry through to close, understanding a customer's technical requirements, shaping the right materials solution, coordinating technical and sourcing specialists, and driving the commercial deal to a successful conclusion. It is a role for someone who can act as the bridge between deep materials science and commercial delivery, and who wants to build the high-value, engineered side of a growing materials company.

Key Responsibilities

• Own complex opportunities end to end - take the most complex, high-value materials opportunities from qualification through to commercial close.
• Translate technical need into solution - understand and interpret customers' technical requirements and turn them into deliverable materials solutions.
• Coordinate the specialists - direct and bring together technical, sourcing and quality colleagues to build and deliver each solution.
• Drive the commercial deal - lead proposal, pricing, negotiation and close, keeping momentum through longer, technically-led sales cycles.
• Partner with account managers - who own the ongoing customer relationship, providing the technical and commercial expertise on their complex opportunities.
• Shape major opportunities - contribute to Goodfellow's largest and most strategic materials projects.
• Develop the team - support the growth and development of colleagues across Materials Solutions, including the Associate Lead and specialist roles.

Key Requirements

• A STEM degree in materials science, engineering, chemistry or a closely related discipline.
• Substantial experience in technical or solution sales, applications engineering or a commercial role within advanced materials, engineering or a comparable technical B2B environment.
• A track record of managing complex, technically-led sales cycles and closing high-value deals.
• Strong commercial judgement across pricing, margin and negotiation.
• The ability to lead and coordinate technical specialists to deliver customer solutions.
• Breadth across several materials families (metals, alloys, ceramics, glasses, polymers, composites).
• Exposure to microfabrication and/or materials testing and analysis.
• Experience of integrating new capabilities or teams.
• Experience using Salesforce or a comparable CRM.
• Experience of procurement or supplier sourcing.