Technical Paint Sales Representative

rag-talent; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 420,000 - 640,000; Full time

Job summary

rag-talent is seeking a Technical Paint Sales Representative to drive sales growth across retail, industrial, construction, and contractor sectors while delivering technical consultation at customer sites.

The role requires a Diploma/Degree in Applied/Analytical Chemistry or equivalent coatings experience, with travel to client sites as needed. Standard full-time hours apply, with a focus on expanding the commercial footprint and supporting product optimisation.

Qualifications

• Proven sales or account management experience in paints or coatings.
• Strong presentation and communication skills for senior stakeholders.
• Technical coatings knowledge and problem-solving ability.

Responsibilities

• Identify and convert commercial prospects across retail, industrial, construction, and contractor channels.
• Retain and grow client relationships to meet monthly and annual sales targets.
• Visit sites to assess challenges and deliver technical product solutions.
• Monitor stock levels at client sites and perform counts.
• Support quotations, price negotiations, sample prep and opportunity tracking.
• Coordinate product transfers from development to field trials and supervise application at sites.
• Investigate complaints, perform root-cause analyses, and implement resolutions.
• Collaborate with labs to prioritise projects and advance R&D initiatives.
• Assist marketing campaigns, launches, events and digital content for engagement.
• Monitor market trends and competition to produce sales and market intelligence reports.

Education

Applied/Analytical Chemistry degree or diploma

Job description

An established chemical manufacturing organisation is seeking an experienced Technical Paint Sales Representative to manage, expand, and technically support their commercial client footprint. This role focuses on driving sales growth within the retail, industrial, construction, and contractor sectors while offering technical consultation and problem-solving at customer sites. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in commercial expansion, supporting the continuous development and optimisation of coatings products across various markets.

Working Hours: Standard full-time operational hours, Monday to Friday, with travel to customer sites required as necessary.

Key Responsibilities:

• Identify, target, and convert commercial prospects across retail, industrial, construction, and contractor channels.
• Retain and grow existing client relationships, ensuring monthly and annual sales targets are consistently met.
• Conduct site visits to assess customer application challenges, provide technical recommendations, and deliver effective product solutions.
• Oversee stock levels (minimum/maximum thresholds) at client retail and industrial sites, including physical counts.
• Support quotation generation, price negotiations, sample preparation, and proactive opportunity tracking to close sales.
• Manage product transfers from development to field trials, directly supervising application procedures at customer locations.
• Investigate customer complaints, conduct root-cause non-conformance (NC) analyses on trial or new products, and implement resolutions.
• Collaborate with the laboratory team to prioritise projects, update product statuses, and advance research and development initiatives.
• Assist in marketing campaigns, product launches, trade events, and the maintenance of digital content and customer engagement.
• Monitor market trends, competitor activity, and customer feedback to compile analytical sales, project, and market intelligence reports.

Requirements Qualifications:

• Diploma or Degree in Applied Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, or a closely related field (or a minimum of 5 years of equivalent practical coatings industry experience).
• Proven sales or account management experience within the paint and coatings industry.
• Demonstrated technical experience in coatings application, product optimisation, and customer-facing problem-solving.
• Strong commercial acumen with a track record of meeting targets and managing sales pipelines.
• Excellent interpersonal, presentation, and communication skills, with confidence presenting technical data to senior stakeholders.
• Physical ability to travel unassisted, remain active on-site, and perform practical demonstrations safely.
• Strong visual acuity, including accurate colour distinction and depth perception essential for coatings evaluation.
• Possession of a valid driver's licence and a reliable personal vehicle for customer site visits.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Tertiary qualification in Applied or Analytical Chemistry.
• Strong background in project management and structured research and development methodologies.

Required Software Skills:

• Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint)

Benefits:

• Opportunity to work with an industry-leading range of specialized coatings products.
• Dynamic role blending field-based account management, marketing, and technical R&D collaboration.
• Autonomy to manage a diverse territory across industrial, construction, and retail sectors.