Technical Marketing Manager

The Technical Marketing Manager (TMM) is a high visibility position and works closely with customers and colleagues in sales and marketing within Orion to bring new products to market and to promote the use of existing products in novel and creative ways. TMMs are the product experts who answer technical questions and engage with customers to solve problems, resolve concerns, and identify business development opportunities.  Additional responsibilities for the TMM position include initiating and directing application technical work, product development, and leading customer-focused projects. As a TMM at Orion, you will directly interact with international teams and customers while serving the North American markets. The successful candidate in this role must have technical understanding of chemistry and/or chemical properties as it relates to customer’s needs and current business portfolio. Ideally, this candidate will have a strong background in the paints and coatings industry and some experience with traditional and digital printing technologies.   

This is a remote position, with regular domestic travel to customer locations as well as domestic Orion sites. Midwest / East Coast candidates are preferred.

Essential Duties:  

• Serve as the main point of contact for customer technical organizational structures.
• Act as the subject matter expert regarding the applicability of the assigned product line; provide training and technical advice to distributors, end users, colleagues, and other stakeholders. 
• Promote adjacent applications of existing products and support the development of new products and technologies, including the launch of new products and sustainability initiatives.
• Optimize the formulation of Orion products to meet customer requirements.
• Enter and track customer projects into internal software programs including Salesforce.com.
• Work closely with the staff of the Technical Services Laboratory to determine the content, composition and quality of materials used in product development.
• Actively participate in trade shows, conferences, association meetings, and seminars that promote and advance the company’s interests and ability to grow our business.
• Implement technical plans and procedures to proactively support the customer base as well as new business development efforts.     
• Take ownership of customer driven development projects, manage product sampling and customer follow-up, and maintain regional technical data / sales literature.

Qualifications: 

• A bachelor’s degree in chemistry, chemical engineering, or the physical sciences is required; an advanced degree in a relevant technical discipline is a plus.
• A strong business acumen and understanding of basic financial metrics is also desired. Priority given to candidates with experience in the paint and coatings or printing industries.
• Ten years of experience manufacturing or developing coatings, pigments, dispersions, additives for coatings, and resins.  Some of this experience may have been gained in positions such as process engineer, production engineer, chemist, R&D chemist, technical services manager, or a similar role. 
• Research and development experience in paints or coatings is a plus.
• Proven leadership skills and the ability to manage multiple projects is required.
• Excelent troubleshooting, analytical, and problem-solving skills are essential for success in this role.
• Technical understanding of chemistry and/or chemical properties as it relates to customer needs and the current product portfolio.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate externally with respect to casual as well as formal technical meetings and presentations.
• Proven skills at identifying customer needs/concerns, the ability to quickly focus on the solution(s), and effective communication.

EOE AA M/F/VET/Disability:

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, protected veteran status, disability, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local laws.