January 2027 Sales Leadership Development Program (Nashville, TN)

The Sherwin-Williams Company; Cleveland (OH); On-site; USD 48,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

The Sherwin-Williams Company is launching a Sales Leadership Development Program in Nashville as part of the Performance Coatings Group. The 10-12 month program provides structured training, mentorship, and real-world experience in sales, customer service, and business operations, with a view to a Sales Representative role across divisions.

Participants will be assigned to one division and location, relocate for the program, and may travel up to 50% overnight.

Qualifications

• Must be at least eighteen (18) years of age.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship for employment now or in the future.
• Must have a bachelor's degree or higher by the start of this development program.
• Must have a minimum overall GPA of 2.8.
• Must have at least one (1) year of experience in customer service, retail, or sales.
• Must be able to lift up to 50 lbs frequently and up to 100 lbs occasionally.
• Must have at least one (1) year of experience using Microsoft Office products.
• Must be willing to relocate for the program, if required.

Responsibilities

• Develop expertise in Sherwin-Williams' products, customers, and sales strategies
• Support sales initiatives within assigned technical division and territory
• Build and maintain strong customer relationships through consultative selling
• Utilize CRM tools to document sales activities and manage customer accounts
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver customer solutions
• Participate in training sessions, field visits, and performance reviews
• Travel overnight up to 50% of the time as required
• Maintain compliance with all company policies and safety standards

Skills

Customer service

Sales experience

Teamwork

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

Tools

CRM system

Microsoft Office

Job description

The Leadership Development Program (LDP) is a 10-12-month program that will expose participants to the various aspects of the Performance Coatings Group. Participants will complete the program in one assignment, gaining practical, in-depth experience in sales and customer service.

The Sales Leadership Development Program (LDP) combines structured training, mentorship, and real-world experience to build foundational skills in sales, customer service, and business operations, preparing participants for a Sales Representative role within one of our technical divisions: Coil, Industrial Wood, General Industrial, Packaging, or Protective & Marine.

Participants will be assigned to one business group and location for the duration of the program, gaining deep exposure to the sales process and technical product knowledge.

Relocation is required for the program and may be required again upon completion for post-program roles.

The identified candidate(s) for this role will begin in January 2027 and will be placed in the Coil Division in the following location:

• Nashville, Tennessee

Participants must also be willing to travel overnight up to 50% of the time.

Upon successful completion, participants will be eligible to apply for a full-time Sales Representative role, with opportunities for advancement across Sherwin-Williams' global business units.

Responsibilities

• Develop expertise in Sherwin-Williams' products, customers, and sales strategies
• Support sales initiatives within assigned technical division and territory
• Build and maintain strong customer relationships through consultative selling
• Utilize CRM tools to document sales activities and manage customer accounts
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver customer solutions
• Participate in training sessions, field visits, and performance reviews
• Travel overnight up to 50% of the time as required
• Maintain compliance with all company policies and safety standards

Job duties involve contact with customers, which may include minors; and access to cash and other payment methods, electronic equipment, personal information, store merchandise and other items of value, and such access may be supervised or unsupervised. The Company therefore has determined that a review of criminal history is necessary to protect the business and its operations and reputation and is necessary to protect the safety of the Company's customers, staff, employees, vendors, contractors, and the general public.

Minimum Requirements

• Must be at least eighteen (18) years of age
• Must be legally authorized to work in the country of employment without needing sponsorship for employment work visa status now or in the future
• Must have a valid and unrestricted driver's license
• Must have a bachelor's degree or higher by the start of this development program
• Must have a minimum overall GPA of 2.8
• Must have at least one (1) year of experience in customer service, retail, or sales
• Must be able, with or without a reasonable accommodation, to retrieve material from shelves and floor stacks and lift and/or carry up to 50 lbs. frequently and up to 100 lbs. occasionally
• Must have at least one (1) year of experience using Microsoft Office products (e.g. Word, Excel, Power Point, Teams, and/or Outlook)
• Must be willing to relocate for the program, if required

Preferred Qualifications

• Willingness to relocate, as required, upon completion of the development program
• Have experience working in a team-oriented setting including work experience, extracurricular activities, military experience, etc.
• Have prior work experience utilizing a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system