Technical Sales Manager

About the Opportunity

We are recruiting on behalf of a well-established international organisation specialising in innovative polymer technologies, performance additives, and sustainable material solutions.

The organisation is expanding its presence across Africa with a patented, multifunctional polymer additive technology designed to enhance plastic material performance, improve processing efficiency, and support sustainable manufacturing.

The technology offers significant opportunities within polymer recycling by improving recycled material performance, enabling higher recycled content utilisation, and supporting cost-effective alternatives to virgin polymers.

We are seeking an experienced and commercially driven Technical Sales Manager – Africa to lead market development, establish strategic customer relationships, and accelerate business growth across the region.

Position Overview

The successful candidate will be responsible for identifying new business opportunities, developing customer relationships, conducting technical trials, and converting opportunities into sustainable commercial sales.

This is a highly entrepreneurial, business development-focused position requiring a proactive hunter mentality , an established network within the South African plastics industry, and the ability to independently manage the complete technical sales cycle.

The ideal candidate will have direct experience selling performance additives, elastomers, compatibilizers, impact modifiers, or additive masterbatches to plastic converters, recyclers, and compounders.

Key Responsibilities

1. Business Development & Market Expansion

• Lead the commercial introduction and market development of an innovative polymer additive technology across South Africa and other African markets.
• Identify, develop, and secure new business opportunities within the plastics, polymer processing, compounding, and recycling industries.
• Build relationships with plastic converters, recyclers, compounders, masterbatch manufacturers, and industrial end users.
• Leverage existing industry networks to generate immediate sales opportunities and establish a strong customer pipeline.
• Identify opportunities to replace conventional polymer additives with innovative alternatives where commercially and technically suitable.
• Develop and execute market-entry strategies, customer acquisition plans, and sales growth initiatives.
• Manage the complete sales cycle, including prospecting, technical presentations, customer trials, commercial negotiations, and deal closure.

2. Technical Sales & Application Development

• Provide technical consultation on polymer formulations, processing technologies, material selection, and performance optimisation.
• Independently plan, conduct, monitor, and evaluate customer trials without relying on external technical support personnel.
• Demonstrate the technical and commercial benefits of advanced polymer additive solutions across relevant applications.
• Support customers in optimising formulations, improving processing efficiency, and reducing production costs.
• Identify technical challenges and recommend appropriate additive solutions.
• Work closely with customers to achieve product qualification, commercial approvals, and successful implementation.
• Translate technical trial results into commercially viable opportunities and confirmed sales.

3. Polymer Recycling & Sustainability Solutions

• Identify commercial opportunities within post-consumer recycled (PCR) and post-industrial recycled (PIR) polymer applications.
• Promote innovative solutions for improving recycled polymer performance and increasing recycled content utilisation.
• Support customers in addressing challenges related to material compatibility, impact strength, elongation, melt flow, and processing efficiency.
• Identify opportunities to optimise mixed-polymer recycling and reduce material segregation requirements where technically feasible.
• Develop cost-effective solutions that help manufacturers substitute virgin polymers with higher proportions of recycled materials.
• Work with recyclers and converters to develop new applications and sustainable polymer formulations.

4. Customer Relationship Management & Commercial Execution

• Establish and maintain long-term relationships with key customers, technical decision-makers, plant managers, and procurement teams.
• Conduct regular customer visits, technical discussions, plant trials, and commercial presentations.
• Prepare technical proposals, quotations, commercial offers, and customer development plans.
• Negotiate commercial agreements and convert qualified opportunities into recurring business.
• Maintain accurate sales forecasts, opportunity pipelines, customer activity reports, and market intelligence.
• Monitor competitor products, pricing, market developments, and emerging application opportunities.
• Collaborate with internal sales, product development, and R&D teams to support market expansion.

Product & Technical Application Areas

The successful candidate should have strong technical and commercial exposure to the following polymer additive categories:

• Elastomers: Improving flexibility, durability, toughness, and material performance.
• Impact Modifiers: Enhancing impact resistance and mechanical properties.
• Compatibilizers: Improving compatibility between different polymers and polymer blends.
• Processing Lubricants: Improving material flow, surface finish, processing efficiency, and mould release.
• Coupling Agents: Improving interaction between polymers and fillers or reinforcement materials.
• Degassing Agents: Addressing moisture, volatile content, and processing-related defects.
• Performance Additives & Masterbatches: Enhancing polymer properties, processing characteristics, and end-product quality.

Relevant Polymer Processing Applications:

• Blown film extrusion and flexible packaging
• Injection moulding and blow moulding
• Polymer compounding and masterbatch manufacturing
• Plastic recycling and recycled polymer processing
• PP raffia, non-woven fabrics, sheets, and filaments
• Engineering plastics, including ABS, nylon, and PET
• Wire and cable compounds, including XLPE
• Filled and reinforced polymer compounds
• Geomembranes and other extrusion applications

Essential Qualifications & Experience

• Minimum 12 years of proven technical B2B sales experience within the plastics, polymer, or specialty chemical industry.
• Demonstrated success selling elastomers, performance polymers, compatibilizers, impact modifiers, or additive masterbatches .
• Strong existing professional network within the South African plastics converting, recycling, and compounding industries .
• Proven experience selling to plastic converters across multiple sectors and processing applications, rather than a narrowly focused customer base.
• Strong technical understanding of polymer processing technologies, including extrusion, injection moulding, blow moulding, and compounding.
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage technical customer trials, evaluate results, troubleshoot processing challenges, and convert successful trials into commercial sales.
• Proven track record of new customer acquisition, market development, revenue generation, and successful deal closure.
• Strong commercial negotiation, technical presentation, and relationship management skills.
• Ability to operate independently in a new product launch or market-entry environment.
• Willingness and ability to travel regularly throughout South Africa and other African markets.

Preferred Qualifications & Experience

• Previous sales experience with Vistamaxx or comparable performance elastomer technologies .
• Established customer relationships with polymer recyclers, compounders, masterbatch producers, and plastic converters.
• Strong knowledge of PCR/PIR materials, polymer recycling challenges, and sustainable plastic formulations.
• Experience developing commercial applications for new polymer additives or specialty materials.
• Exposure to multiple polymer families, including PE, PP, PET, ABS, nylon, and engineering plastics.
• Experience working with specialty chemical manufacturers, polymer additive suppliers, or international material technology companies.
• A relevant degree in Polymer Science, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Chemistry, or a related technical discipline would be advantageous.

Key Competencies

• Hunter Mentality: Proactive and results-driven, with a proven ability to identify opportunities, open new accounts, and win business.
• Technical Credibility: Strong practical knowledge of polymer materials, additives, formulations, and manufacturing processes.
• Commercial Acumen: Ability to translate technical product benefits into measurable customer value and profitable sales.
• Independent Execution: Capable of managing customer trials, technical discussions, troubleshooting, and commercial closure independently.
• Entrepreneurial Approach: Comfortable launching new technologies and developing markets with limited existing infrastructure.
• Relationship Building: Established industry connections and the ability to influence technical and commercial decision-makers.
• Results Orientation: Strong focus on sales conversion, revenue growth, and long-term customer development.