Business Development Manager Filtration Sales - John Crane - Houston

Smiths Group plc; United States; On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

A global leader in flow control solutions is seeking a Business Development Manager to drive market expansion in the North American polymer industry. This role involves developing and executing a sales strategy, deepening customer relationships, and supporting sales teams. The ideal candidate will have a bachelor's degree and at least 5 years in customer-facing roles, with strong relationship-building and technical sales skills. The position offers an opportunity to work in a diverse and inclusive environment.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in customer-facing roles.
• Network within the polymer industry preferred.
• Experience in technical sales is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute sales strategy for polymer filtration.
• Identify new revenue opportunities in the North American polymer industry.
• Serve as the primary contact for polymer filtration business development.

Skills

Building strong internal and external relationships

High-value tendering and negotiating

Commercial and technical acumen

Excellent communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, or related field

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Office

SAP

Job description

John Crane, a business of Smiths Group, is a global leader in mission-critical flow control solutions for energy and process industries that enable efficient and sustainable operations. Our products include mechanical seals and systems, couplings, bearings, filtration systems, and predictive digital monitoring technologies.

We have a global network of more than 200 sites in over 50 countries and employ more than 6,000 people worldwide. We partner with our customers to help them keep their operations safe, reduce downtime, improve efficiency, and meet the latest environmental standards.

Job Description

The Business Development Manager is responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive sales strategy to expand John Crane’s market share within the North American polymer industry. This role focuses on driving profitable growth in filtration solutions by identifying new revenue opportunities, deepening relationships with existing customers, and supporting the broader Sales & Aftermarket teams.

• Serve as the regional subject matter expert for polymer filtration within the defined market segment.
• Act as the first decision point for bid/no‑bid evaluations within the region and market segment.
• Develop a regional polymer filtration sales plan aligned with the regional budget and global filtration strategy.
• Execute the sales plan to exceed revenue targets across both existing and new customer accounts.
• Manage designated accounts or projects outside the region when assigned.
• Serve as the primary point of contact within the Sales & Aftermarket organization for polymer filtration business development activities.
• Conduct joint customer visits with sales representatives to support polymer and marine fuel filtration opportunities.
• Perform other responsibilities as required to support business needs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, or a related field preferred; High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Minimum of 5 years in customer‑facing roles, with a proven ability to build strong internal and external relationships.
• Experience with high‑value tendering and negotiating complex technical sales is an advantage.
• Well‑established network within the polymer industry, or the ability to quickly develop and maintain one.
• Knowledge of polymer filtration applications preferred; familiarity with the broader process fluid filtration market is a plus.
• Strong commercial and technical acumen, with an entrepreneurial mindset and demonstrated success in new customer development.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with strong influencing and collaboration capabilities.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office; experience with SAP is beneficial.
• Experience working within a diverse, global organization is an advantage.

Additional Information

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

We believe that different perspectives and backgrounds are what make a company flourish. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment regardless of color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, economic status, disability, age, or any other legally protected characteristics. We are proud to be an inclusive company with values grounded in equality and ethics, where we celebrate, support, and embrace diversity.

At no time during the hiring process will Smiths Group, nor any of our recruitment partners ever request payment to enable participation – including, but not limited to, interviews or testing. Avoid fraudulent requests by applying jobs directly through our career’s website (Careers - Smiths Group plc )