Materials Solutions Lead

The Materials Solutions Lead is central to the future growth of Goodfellow's specialist materials business. Combining genuine materials expertise with commercial drive, the Lead owns complex, high-value materials opportunities from first enquiry through to close, understanding a customer's technical requirements, shaping the right materials solution, coordinating technical and sourcing specialists, and driving the commercial deal to a successful conclusion. It is a role for someone who can act as the bridge between deep materials science and commercial delivery, and who wants to build the high-value, engineered side of a growing materials company.

Key Responsibilities

• Own complex opportunities end to end - take the most complex, high-value materials opportunities from qualification through to commercial close.
• Translate technical need into solution - understand and interpret customers' technical requirements and turn them into deliverable materials solutions.
• Coordinate the specialists - direct and bring together technical, sourcing and quality colleagues to build and deliver each solution.
• Drive the commercial deal - lead proposal, pricing, negotiation and close, keeping momentum through longer, technically-led sales cycles.
• Partner with account managers - who own the ongoing customer relationship, providing the technical and commercial expertise on their complex opportunities.
• Shape major opportunities - contribute to Goodfellow's largest and most strategic materials projects.
• Develop the team - support the growth and development of colleagues across Materials Solutions, including the Associate Lead and specialist roles.

Key Requirements

• A STEM degree in materials science, engineering, chemistry or a closely related discipline.
• Substantial experience in technical or solution sales, applications engineering or a commercial role within advanced materials, engineering or a comparable technical B2B environment.
• A track record of managing complex, technically-led sales cycles and closing high-value deals.
• Strong commercial judgement across pricing, margin and negotiation.
• The ability to lead and coordinate technical specialists to deliver customer solutions.
• Breadth across several materials families (metals, alloys, ceramics, glasses, polymers, composites).
• Exposure to microfabrication and/or materials testing and analysis.
• Experience of integrating new capabilities or teams.
• Experience using Salesforce or a comparable CRM.
• Experience of procurement or supplier sourcing.