Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Columbia Industries is hiring a Business Development Manager to develop new business and expand its presence in the Pulp, Paper & Biomass markets. The role focuses on prospecting and closing capital equipment sales, commercializing new equipment solutions, building customer relationships, and collaborating across departments to deliver engineered solutions.
Responsibilities
- Own new-business development and revenue growth within the Pulp, Paper & Biomass markets, including related industrial applications
- Proactively identify, prospect, qualify, develop, and close new customers and opportunities
- Lead the introduction and commercialization of Columbia's new equipment solutions, developing market awareness and generating customer demand
- Identify operational challenges, equipment limitations, and unmet customer needs that Columbia's engineered solutions can address
- Build relationships with decision-makers across operations, engineering, maintenance, procurement, and executive leadership
- Apply consultative, value-based selling techniques to understand customer needs and demonstrate measurable operational and financial benefits
- Develop strong product, application, and industry knowledge to become a credible technical resource and trusted customer advisor
- Manage complex capital equipment sales involving multiple stakeholders and extended purchasing cycles
- Collaborate with Engineering, Operations, Service, and other departments to develop technically sound and commercially competitive solutions
- Develop and execute market and account development strategies aligned with Columbia's growth objectives
- Build and maintain a healthy sales pipeline with clear opportunity values, timelines, probabilities, and next actions
- Maintain accurate customer information, sales activities, opportunities, and forecasts within Columbia's Epicor ERP/CRM system
- Conduct customer visits, facility assessments, product presentations, proposal reviews, and commercial negotiations
- Generate leads through direct prospecting, industry relationships, trade associations, conferences, and networking
- Monitor market trends, competitive products, customer investments, and emerging opportunities to support Columbia's product development strategy
- Identify opportunities for custom-engineered applications beyond Columbia's standard product offerings
- Achieve assigned revenue, margin, pipeline development, and new-customer acquisition goals
- Provide regular updates on sales activities, market intelligence, forecasts, and business development progress
- Support additional product lines and strategic growth initiatives as assigned
- Perform other duties as required
Skills
- Experience selling industrial capital equipment is required
- Proven success developing new markets, acquiring customers, and closing complex equipment sales
- Demonstrated ability to sell through consultative, value-based approaches rather than relying solely on product specifications or price
- Experience managing long sales cycles involving technical, operational, and financial decision-makers
- Ability to develop sufficient technical expertise to confidently discuss equipment capabilities, applications, and customer challenges
- Strong understanding of pricing, margins, return on investment, and capital equipment purchasing decisions
- Proven ability to independently develop a sales territory, generate leads, and maintain a disciplined pipeline
- Strong negotiation, presentation, communication, and relationship-building skills
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Teams, and CRM/ERP systems
- Self-motivated, organized, accountable, and comfortable working independently in a remote environment
- Empathy & Consultative Selling: Ability to understand customer perspectives, operational challenges, and business priorities before recommending solutions
- Humble Self-Confidence: Confident in presenting solutions and engaging decision-makers while remaining open to feedback, collaboration, and continuous learning
- Business & Financial Acumen: Understands pricing, profitability, ROI, and the financial considerations influencing industrial capital equipment purchases
- Communication & Relationship Building: Communicates effectively with technical, operational, commercial, and executive stakeholders while building credibility and long-term trust
- Accountability & Independence: Takes ownership of results, follows through on commitments, and effectively manages priorities without constant supervision
- Problem Solving: Identifies customer challenges, gathers relevant technical and commercial information, and works collaboratively to develop practical solutions
- 7+ years of successful B2B industrial sales or business development experience
- Experience introducing new products, developing new applications, or establishing demand for emerging solutions
- Experience within Pulp & Paper, Biomass, Forestry, Wood Products, or related bulk material handling industries
- Experience with engineered-to-order, customized, or application-specific equipment
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Sales, Marketing, or a related field
- Equivalent relevant experience in industrial capital equipment sales
Benefits
- Remote position; home-based, with Microsoft Teams serving as a primary communication platform for internal collaboration.
Company Overview