Value Plus Outside Sales Representative - St Paul, MN

SSAB is one of the largest North American producers of steel plate and coil, serving many industrial markets including energy, construction, agriculture and transportation.  SSAB operates five state of the art facilities strategically located in key regions across the U.S. 
SSAB has nearly 1,200 highly skilled employees in the U.S.  Jobs at SSAB range from machine operators and sales people to advanced engineers and corporate professionals in HR, finance and more.  SSAB offers challenging careers and comprehensive benefit program designed to keep employees and their families healthy and secure.

POSITION PURPOSE

Key member of the Value+ Commercial Team who has a drive for excellence and is a self-starter, possess strong cross-functional influencing skills and is adaptable to new systems and processes.  The Outside Sales Representative will function as the main interface with customers while marketing and selling SSAB steel products in support of company goals.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Planning and Forecasting

• Develop territory sales forecasts and plans for long-term growth
• Conduct pricing analyses and cost-benefit comparisons with regard to market competitors
• Identify opportunities for development of new customers
• Develop sales and growth plans for existing accounts

Sales

• Build and maintain meaningful customer relationships
• Develop and maintain a clear understanding of customer needs
• Identify and present products to address customer needs
• Utilize full scope of company resources to facilitate sales and presentations
• Gather market information
• Field sales inquiries from, and prepare and submit price quotations to, customers
• Order entry via electronic order entry system
• Expedite orders and report order status to customers
• Investigate and resolve claims issues
• Gather information and process claims via electronic entry system
• Enter pricing exceptions and contractual business items into system for approval
• Investigate and request approval for price discrepancies
• Notify customers of any and all price changes and surcharges

Communication

• Employ a team-focused approach with internal customers and support staff
• Anticipate customer needs and resolve customer issues
• Obtain customer feedback and distribute to appropriate customer personnel
• Create and submit required reports in a timely manner
• Maintain ongoing dialogue with SSAB shipping, credit, purchasing, scheduling, and quality departments in order to ensure quality customer service and product

QUALIFICATIONS

Competencies and Experience

Required:

• Five (5) years of outside sales experience in a related product field
• Advanced and highly effective written and verbal communication skills
• Advanced computer skills
• Excellent organizational, administrative, and time-management skills
• Ability to work independently and with minimal supervision
• Proven market development, sales, negotiation, and closing ability
• Self-motivated and self-directed, with strong personal integrity and interpersonal skills

Preferred:

• Knowledge of SSAB products, services, processes, and capabilities
• Broad industry-specific product knowledge

Education

Required:

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent business experience

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES / DIRECT REPORTS

• This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

The employee is constantly required to:

• Sit and work at a desk
• Work alone for extended periods of time
• Conduct business at temporary workstations as necessary

The employee is frequently required to:

• Stand and walk, and may alternate sitting and standing as needed

• Balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, climb

• Twist at waist level

• Reach above shoulder level, at waist/desk level, and below waist/desk level

• Finger with right hand, left hand, and both hands (fine motor)

• Feel with right hand, left hand, and both hands (sensing temperatures and textures)

The employee is occasionally required to:

• Push, pull, lift and/or carry up to 50 pounds

The employee is required to:

• Talk person to person, on the phone, and in group settings as needed

• Hear in person, on the phone, and in group settings as needed
• Possess near, midrange, far, peripheral, and depth perception vision

POSITION TYPE/EXPECTED HOURS OF WORK/TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

• Position is full time, exempt

•  Travel via automobile (good driving record required)

• Travel via airplane (proper ID for air travel required)

OTHER DUTIES

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that may be required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

SSAB's vision is a stronger, lighter and more sustainable world.
SSAB's values form the guiding principals of our company. 
They shape our culture and characteristics.  They serve as a compass for our actions and behavior, and describe what we stand for.  Values guide us daily in making the right choices and doing the right things.

SSAB's values are:

• Driven - Together we create value
• True - Do what is right
• Ahead - Future in mind