PLZ is committed to product stewardship and innovation, strong ethical standards, sustainable operations and most importantly, the development of our people. Whether at our manufacturing facilities or corporate headquarters, PLZ prioritizes health and safety, and offers you the support you need to create the career you want, through engagement, equity and inclusion, and opportunity.

From household cleaning solutions to personal care products, and food to automotive lubricants, PLZ produces more than 2,500 different aerosol and liquid products in our facilities across the continent. We know that being the partner of choice for our clients starts with being the partner of choice for our employees. Learn more at www.plzcorp.com/careers or visit https://youtu.be/XYNIFpLQIJY

As the Director of Sales for our Personal Care Business Unit, you will lead the commercial activities for your assigned customers.  You will be responsible for developing and executing key account sales and pricing plans, developing new customer pipeline, resolving issues throughout the order-to-cash cycle, and developing a high performing cross functional team.

You will have demonstrated the ability to “sell the plan” to the customer and also “plan the sale” with the cross-functional PLZ teams, notably R&D, Manufacturing, and Procurement teams.  You are accomplished at working within an integrated, multi-site environment with varying levels of integration.  

Most importantly, you will need to embody and lead with a “One PLZ First” approach to deliver upon customer needs while achieving margin requirements.  A business manager more than a sales manager, with a demonstrated understanding of product costing, pricing strategy, and item profitability, is critical for success.

Our ideal candidate will be accomplished in business-to-business sales with a demonstrated knowledge of a sophisticated customer’s buying process, systems, negotiation tactics and an accomplished leader, with a proven style of being likeable while achieving results.  A leader that is willing to roll up their sleeves with internal and customer presence. 

 You should be highly results-oriented, possess demonstrated customer management, leadership, and analytical skills, and be a strong communicator who is able to maintain long-lasting relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute key accounts and division plans to achieve annual operating budgets and establish remedial actions when necessary to deliver gross margin commitments
• Establish current and new customer growth and margin opportunity pipeline, continually adding, culling, and re-prioritizing initiatives
• Collaborate with R&D to establish plans for outbound innovation development for selected customers and present innovation plans with strategic selling materials
• Partner with Procurement and Manufacturing teams to plan capacity, provide monthly input to the Supply Inventory Operations & Planning process, and develop ad hoc plans to address supply/demand gaps
• Collaborate with the Product Strategy Director to leverage the PLZ personal care knowledge in order to develop customer sales presentations
• Team up with the Project Leadership team to inform internal stakeholders of customer requirements and inform customers of PLZ’s capabilities/timelines
• Periodic reporting to leadership of progress against plans
• Other responsibilities as directed based on business need
• Ability to travel 20%

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree with 10+ years of sales management and leadership in large ($500m) business plus smaller/faster growth companies (Big + Small)
• Consumer packaged goods and make-to-order selling experience required
• Personal Care, contract manufacturing industry knowledge preferred
• Superior customer management skills, adept at negotiation strategies and managing continual change to produce year after year growth and margin improvement 
• Strategic thinker with problem-solving skills
• Results-oriented and data-driven mind-set with strong business acumen
• Strong presentation skills with the ability to synthesize, summarize, and communicate to cross-functional teams and senior leadership
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a diverse team environment, across remote and multiple locations, and operate independently to achieve objectives
• Ability to engage, influence and collaborate cross functionally
• Excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to build strong relationships with peers and colleagues.
• Exceptional organization skills with the ability to manage and prioritize tasks
• Upholds the highest ethical standards and leads by example
• Impeccable attention to detail and accuracy

PLZ Corp offers a robust suite of benefits including:

• Medical, Dental & Vision benefits
• Company paid Life and Short-Term disability
• Voluntary benefits including additional life, disability, and hospital/accident insurance
• 401k & company provided match
• Paid Time Off
• Bonus incentive programs (Note, bonuses are subject to the rules governing the program, whereby an award, if any, depends on various factors, including, without limitation, individual and organizational performance.)

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status or other protected status. EEOE/M/F/Vet/Disabled. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.