Inside Sales Representative - Inks & Coatings

Job Description

As an Inside Sales Representative for our Coatings & Inks business, you will be responsible for driving revenue growth by selling pigment dispersions and colorant technologies to customers in the paints, coatings, and printing inks markets. This role combines consultative selling with technical understanding to support customers in selecting high-performance color solutions for industrial and commercial applications.

Key Responsibilities

• Identify, develop, and qualify sales opportunities within coatings and inks manufacturers, formulators, and converters
• Conduct outbound prospecting and manage inbound inquiries
• Provide technical product recommendations based on customer formulation needs (e.g., opacity, dispersion, lightfastness, durability, viscosity)
• Support customers with technical requests, sample coordination, and product trials
• Collaborate closely with lab, technical service, and R&D teams to deliver customized solutions
• Build and maintain strong relationships with purchasing, R&D, and operations stakeholders
• Prepare pricing, quotes, and proposals aligned with margin targets
• Manage pipeline and customer interactions using CRM tools
• Drive cross-selling and upselling of complementary products (e.g., additives, resins, dispersions)
• Stay informed on industry trends such as sustainability (low VOC, waterborne systems), regulatory compliance, and raw material changes
• Support product launches, promotions, and marketing campaigns within coatings and inks segments

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Business, or related field (or equivalent experience)
• 2+ years of inside sales or technical sales experience (coatings, inks, or specialty chemicals experience preferred)
• Strong communication skills with ability to engage both technical and commercial stakeholders
• Understanding of B2B sales processes and customer relationship management
• Ability to quickly learn technical product portfolios and application requirements
• Proficiency with CRM platforms (e.g., Salesforce, Dynamics, HubSpot)

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with pigments, dispersions, resins, or additives used in coatings and inks
• Familiarity with formulation parameters such as gloss, opacity, rheology, and curing systems
• Knowledge of coating types (industrial, architectural, automotive, packaging) and printing processes (flexo, gravure, digital, offset)
• Understanding of regulatory requirements (e.g., VOC regulations, REACH, FDA for packaging inks)
• Proven success achieving or exceeding sales targets in a technical environment

Key Competencies

• Consultative Selling: Ability to translate technical needs into value-driven solutions
• Technical Aptitude: Comfortable discussing formulation challenges and performance attributes
• Customer Focus: Builds trust with R&D, procurement, and production teams
• Problem-Solving: Identifies and resolves performance or application issues
• Attention to Detail: Critical when handling specifications, color standards, and test results
• Resilience & Drive: Thrives in a target-driven, competitive environment

Work Environment

• Primarily office-based or remote role with frequent virtual customer interaction
• Cross-functional collaboration with technical, lab, supply chain, and marketing teams
• Supports industrial B2B customers across coatings and inks markets
• Performance measured by revenue growth, pipeline development, and customer retention

Penn Color offers many tangible and intangible benefits to our full-time employees:

Tangible benefits include:

• Highly competitive compensation
• A choice between outstanding medical plans
• 401K with a strong company match
• PTO to balance your life
• Additional company perks
• And More!

Our intangible benefits really set us apart:

• Unmatched company stability
• Long-term career opportunity
• True open door, friendly environment
• Ability to "own" your role
• Company events that bring us all together

Penn Color, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We adhere to a policy of making employment decisions without regards to race, color, religion, sex, age, disability or any other protected categories. It is our intention that all qualified applicants be given an equal opportunity and that selection decisions be based on job-related factors.