Materials Solutions Lead

The Role 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 Essential
• 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. Desirable
• 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.