Business Unit Manager - Substrates

Actively monitor and manage project goals for SACO AEI Polymers' Substrates and composite sheets product lines for automotive and other markets, ensuring timely progress and successful outcomes. Develop and execute Substrates Business Unit strategies aligned with Company objectives, analyze market trends within the automotive and composite sheet sectors, and identify growth opportunities to expand market share and profitability. Cultivate and maintain strong customer relationships with key stakeholders in these markets, address customer feedback, and stay informed on industry trends to drive innovation and competitive advantage. Implement best practices and continuous improvement initiatives, prepare and present regular reports on the performance of the Substrates Business Unit, and ensure effective communication with internal and external stakeholders. Specific responsibilities will include:

• Analyze customers technical specifications, application requirements, regulatory compliance requirements, cost and processing limitations, and other related factors and then provide expertise and guidance to SACO AEI Polymers' sales and business operations regarding recommendations that can be made to customers regarding the best SACO AEI Polymers product configuration and process(es) that will meet customers needs and desires; estimates regarding implementation effort, time, and resources that customers will have to expend to achieve the desired outcome from their use of SACO AEI Polymers products; as well as steps SACO AEI Polymers' sales and business operations should take regarding product development, bid development and proposal, technical customer relations and support, etc. to secure sales from customers and to remain competitive.
• Research, review, and analyze customer needs and desires for new or modified thermoset and thermoplastic polymer-reinforced sheets and composite substrates for automotive part, furniture, or building industry applications and/or for new or modified XLPE crosslinkable polyethylene compounds for the wire & cable manufacturing market, plastic pipe manufacturing market, or adjacent product markets in order to convert customer product desires and specifications into actionable engineering designs and specifications that will result in new or modified products that meet customer functional, operational, structural design and budgetary requirements, as well as customer production capabilities and standards.
• Help oversee testing of new product proposals to determine compliance with customer performance, quality, operational, structural and maintenance standards and requirements, and collaborate with Company sales and laboratory staff to ensure that all designs meet their intended functions, customer criteria and applicable regulatory criteria.
• Provide engineering guidance and recommendations for business development and market capture/maintenance.
• Provide technical expertise to SACO AEI Polymers sales staff in their efforts to develop sales strategies and open new markets for SACO AEI Polymers products.
• Provide technical expertise in demonstrating, explaining, and teaching the complex engineering, science, and manufacturing behind as well as the potential product and manufacturing applications/utilizations of both SACO AEI Polymers thermoset and thermoplastic polymer-reinforced sheets and composite substrates and XLPE crosslinkable polyethylene compounds to customers, distributors, sales teams, and other key stakeholders.
• Function as a product expert/subject matter expert and single point of customer contact point regarding addressing customer and market feedback regarding the engineering, application, and customization of products within either the SACO AEI Polymer thermoset and thermoplastic polymer-reinforced sheet and composite substrate product lines or the XLPE crosslinkable polyethylene compounds product lines, including troubleshooting issues related to the physical and functional characteristics, manufacturing needs, capabilities, limitations, costs, as well as SACO AEI Polymers ability to engineer and meet custom/unique product line feature requests submitted by customers.
• Help develop engineering, application, and operation content and materials to support business development for SACO AEI Polymers thermoset and thermoplastic polymer-reinforced sheet and composite substrate product lines as well as for SACO AEI Polymers XLPE crosslinkable polyethylene compound product lines, including global branding and messaging, new product launch materials, sales collateral, sales training materials, written product information sheets, website content, technical manuals, technical publications, and other materials.
• Provide ongoing technical sales support through regular technical trade show attendance, product website content creation and updating, providing webinar and technical presentations, and performing customer visits.
• Train, develop, and mentor staff to ensure team improves commercial techniques, product knowledge and customer service skills.
• Develop and implement performance metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of commercial performance of product offerings within the Substrates and composite sheets product lines.

Will involve traveling up to 50% of the time domestically to customer, supplier, and partner site locations throughout Midwest.
Fully remote but must reside within 150 miles of SACO AEIs Sheboygan, WI, headquarters.

Bachelors degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Plastics Engineering, Polymer Science or Polymer Engineering.

One year of technical sales engineering experience in the thermoplastic or thermoset polymer compound automotive, furniture, or building industry part or component industry which included experience with converting customer product desires and specifications into actionable engineering designs and specifications that will result in new or modified products that meet customer functional, operational, structural design and budgetary requirements, as well as customer production capabilities and standards.