Commercial Applications Manager

Kids for the Future; Wadsworth (OH); Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid position

Job summary

Kids for the Future is seeking a Commercial Applications Manager to drive the development of new customer opportunities for our Custom Engineered business. You will coordinate across operations, supply chain, finance, costing, and other teams to translate customer needs into viable quotations.

The role blends customer engagement, commercial coordination, and project management with hybrid work and travel as required.

Qualifications

• Experience in commercial coordination or sales support.
• Strong organizational skills for managing multiple opportunities and deadlines.
• Excellent customer communication and relationship-building skills.
• Genuine curiosity about manufacturing processes and capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Support identification, qualification, and development of new opportunities.
• Participate in customer outreach, discovery conversations, and qualification activities.
• Gather, organize, and document customer requirements, specifications, volumes, timelines, and commercial expectations.
• Develop working knowledge of manufacturing processes, equipment, materials, capabilities and constraints.
• Help customers understand how our capabilities may meet their needs.
• Coordinate with Operations, Supply Chain, Finance, Costing, Quality, and other internal partners to evaluate opportunities.
• Collect and track information needed to develop timely, accurate quotes.
• Follow up on open items, manage deadlines, and keep stakeholders informed of progress.
• Maintain CRM records, opportunity trackers, and quote status updates.
• Prepare customer presentations, capability materials, meeting notes, and supporting documentation.
• Support pricing discussions, proposal development, purchase orders, and commercial agreements.
• Facilitate communication between customers and internal teams through the opportunity process.
• Support transition of new customers into launch and ongoing account management.

Skills

Commercial coordination

Project coordination

Customer service

CRM proficiency

Pricing & quoting

Tools

MS Office

CRM system

Job description

Contact information

• Employee Type Exempt

• Phone [phone]

Description

If you enjoy keeping complex opportunities moving, learning how things are made, and bringing the right people and information together, keep reading.

Are you organized enough to keep details, deadlines, and people from falling through the cracks?

Are you curious enough to learn our manufacturing capabilities and understand what is possible?

Can you communicate confidently with customers while coordinating Operations, Supply Chain, Finance, Costing, and other internal teams?

The Role

We are looking for a Commercial Applications Manager to support the development of new customer opportunities for our Custom Engineered business.

This role blends customer engagement, commercial coordination, manufacturing learning, and project management. You will serve as the primary coordinator for new business opportunities, helping translate customer requirements into manufacturing solutions and commercially viable quotations.

You will gather and organize information, coordinate internal inputs, maintain opportunity documentation, support customer communication, and help keep opportunities moving from the initial request through quotation and commercial agreement.

What Sets This Role Apart

• Opportunity to help grow and shape a custom manufacturing business
• Combination of customer interaction, technical learning, and hands‑on coordination
• Broad exposure to manufacturing, operations, supply chain, costing, and finance
• Ownership of the details and follow‑through required to move opportunities forward
• Direct impact on quote speed, accuracy, customer experience, and profitable growth

What You’ll Do

• Support the identification, qualification, and development of new business opportunities.
• Participate in customer outreach, discovery conversations, and opportunity qualification activities.
• Gather, clarify, organize, and document customer requirements, specifications, volumes, timelines, and commercial expectations.
• Develop strong working knowledge of our manufacturing processes, equipment, materials, capabilities, and constraints.
• Help customers understand how our capabilities may meet their needs.
• Coordinate with Operations, Supply Chain, Finance, Costing, Quality, and other internal partners to evaluate opportunities.
• Collect and track the information needed to develop timely, accurate, and commercially sound quotes.
• Follow up on open items, manage deadlines, and keep internal and external stakeholders informed of progress.
• Maintain CRM records, opportunity trackers, quote status updates, and commercial documentation.
• Prepare customer presentations, capability materials, meeting notes, and supporting documentation.
• Support pricing discussions, proposal development, purchase orders, and commercial agreements.
• Facilitate communication between customers and internal teams throughout the opportunity development process.
• Support the transition of new customers and awarded business into launch and ongoing account management.

What Success Looks Like

• Customer requirements and opportunity information are complete, accurate, and organized.
• Quotes move through the process faster with fewer delays and less rework.
• Internal teams understand what is needed, by when, and why.
• Customers receive timely, clear, and professional communication.
• Opportunity and quote records are current and reliable.
• The role develops increasing knowledge of manufacturing capabilities and independence in coordinating opportunities.
• New opportunities transition smoothly into launch and ongoing account management.

Other Items of Interest

• Hybrid position
• Customer and facility travel required based on business needs
• Competitive compensation structure, including base salary and bonus opportunity

Requirements

What We’re Looking For

• Experience in commercial coordination, project coordination, sales support, customer service, manufacturing, business development, or a related field.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple opportunities, details, and deadlines.
• Strong customer communication and relationship-building skills.
• Genuine curiosity about manufacturing and how products are made.
• Ability to learn technical information and explain it clearly to customer and internal partners.
• Strong follow‑through and comfort holding others accountable for needed inputs.
• Analytical and problem‑solving skills, including comfort working with cost, pricing, margin, and business information.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and experience maintaining information in a CRM or similar business system.
• Experience in custom manufacturing, contract manufacturing, engineered products, or a similar environment preferred.