Sales Manager Eastern Europe

Colorants, Dispersions, Pigment Preparations & Tinting Systems

Location: Home-based – flexible across Central Europe (excluding DACH) or Eastern Europe; Poland preferred Territory: Eastern Europe Employment: Full-time Reporting to: Industry Manager / Sales Director Travel: Frequent customer travel – 65%+

The Opportunity

We are looking for a commercially driven Sales Representative with a strong hunter mindset to accelerate new customer acquisition across Eastern Europe.

This is a field-based role combining active business development with technical value selling across colorants, dispersions, pigment preparations and tinting systems used within the paints and coatings industry.

The successful candidate will take ownership of developing the territory, opening new accounts and building a sustainable and profitable customer base across the region.

Role Purpose

You will identify, win and develop new customers across decorative paints, industrial coatings and related applications.

Working closely with customers and internal technical teams, you will translate customer requirements into commercially attractive solutions and manage opportunities from initial contact through technical qualification, trials, approval and commercial launch.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop sales across the assigned Eastern European territory, with a strong focus on new customer acquisition.
• Create and execute a structured territory plan, target-account strategy and opportunity pipeline.
• Generate new business through direct outreach, customer visits, industry networks and distributor relationships.
• Engage with key decision-makers across purchasing, R&D, technical service, production and senior management.
• Position colorants, dispersions, pigment preparations and tinting systems through technically credible, value-based selling.
• Work closely with technical service teams throughout customer qualification, testing and approval processes.
• Prepare commercial proposals and negotiate pricing and terms within agreed guidelines.
• Convert qualified opportunities into profitable, sustainable business.
• Maintain accurate customer, activity, pipeline and forecast information within the CRM system.
• Monitor market developments, competitor activity and changing customer requirements across the region.
• Provide clear market feedback to portfolio, technical and wider business teams.
• Develop long-term customer relationships while maintaining urgency, accountability and a strong focus on commercial results.

Candidate Profile

• 7+ years of successful B2B field sales experience within paints, coatings, pigments, colorants, dispersions, pigment preparations, tinting systems or a closely related market.
• A genuine hunter mentality with the confidence and persistence to open doors, create opportunities and develop new accounts.
• Strong commercial awareness with experience working towards ambitious growth and profitability targets.
• Good technical understanding and the ability to discuss product performance, applications and requirements with customer laboratories, R&D and technical teams.
• Strong communication, presentation, negotiation and relationship-building skills.
• Comfortable operating across different countries, cultures and customer environments.
• Structured and disciplined approach to territory management, opportunity qualification, follow-up and forecasting.
• Fluent English is essential.
• Polish and/or other Central or Eastern European languages would be a strong advantage.
• Willingness to travel frequently throughout Eastern Europe and occasionally to European laboratories and manufacturing sites.
• Bachelor's degree in chemistry, coatings technology, chemical engineering, business or a related discipline is preferred; relevant industry experience may substitute for formal education.

What Success Looks Like

Market Development

• Building a strong pipeline of qualified target accounts.
• Increasing customer meetings and new opportunities.
• Expanding market coverage across Eastern Europe.

Commercial Delivery

• Winning new customers.
• Delivering profitable sales growth.
• Maintaining healthy margins.
• Converting qualified opportunities into long-term business.

Execution Quality

• Accurate forecasting and CRM management.
• Consistent and timely customer follow-up.
• Effective coordination of technical trials and customer projects.
• Strong ownership of opportunities from prospecting through to commercial launch.

Jenny Böhnlein Astrantia Talent Limited Specialist Recruitment | Plastics, Polymers & Chemicals Email: jenny@astrantiatalent.com Phone: +4917631196980 LinkedIn: Jenny Böhnlein