TECHNICAL APPLICATION MANAGER - MRO & HYGIENE

Position Purpose

The Technical Application Manager provides technical and application support to the MRO and Hygiene sales teams.

This is a field-oriented technical position. The role does not manage a customer portfolio or have direct sales responsibility. Its main objective is to support business development by bringing strong technical and chemical expertise to customers and sales teams.

The Technical Application Manager works closely with Sales, Lab, Production and Quality teams to understand customer needs, recommend the right solutions, conduct trials and solve technical issues.

Key Responsibilities

1. Field Technical Support

• Accompany Sales teams during customer visits when technical expertise is required.
• Understand customer processes, applications and technical problems.
• Recommend suitable products, methods, dilution rates and application procedures.
• Conduct product demonstrations and trials at customer sites.
• Troubleshoot product or application issues and propose practical solutions.
• Follow up technical trials and provide clear conclusions and recommendations.
• Support key MRO and Hygiene projects requiring strong technical expertise.

2. Technical Support to Sales

• Act as the technical reference for the MRO and Hygiene sales teams.
• Help Sales identify the most suitable product and solution for each application.
• Provide technical input for customer proposals, tenders and new business opportunities.
• Support Sales during technical discussions with customers.
• Help the commercial team develop a more solution-based sales approach rather than only selling individual products.

3. Training

• Develop and conduct technical and product training for Sales teams.
• Train customers on product applications, dilution, usage, safety and best practices.
• Improve the technical knowledge of the commercial teams.
• Prepare simple technical training materials and application guides when required.

4. Product & Laboratory Interface

• Work closely with the Lab to communicate customer needs and field requirements.
• Identify gaps in the existing product range and propose technical solutions.
• Participate in product evaluation and application testing.
• Support the Lab in evaluating new or alternative products based on market needs.
• Provide structured feedback from customer trials and field experience.

5. Technical Documentation & Knowledge

• Maintain strong knowledge of the MRO and Hygiene product ranges.
• Understand product technical documentation, SDS, TDS and relevant industry requirements.
• Support the preparation or improvement of application procedures and technical documents.
• Ensure technical recommendations are consistent with product specifications and safety requirements.

Candidate Profile

Education

• Degree or Diploma in Chemistry, Applied Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Industrial Chemistry or a related technical field.

Experience

• Minimum 5 years of experience in a technical role related to industrial chemicals, MRO, industrial maintenance, professional cleaning or hygiene.
• Strong practical knowledge of chemical products and their industrial applications.
• Experience with cleaning chemicals, degreasers, descalers, surface treatment, disinfectants, aerosols or maintenance chemicals would be an advantage.
• Previous experience conducting customer trials, technical demonstrations or troubleshooting at customer sites is highly preferred.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong knowledge of chemistry and chemical applications.
• Practical and solution-oriented mindset.
• Comfortable working directly at customer sites and industrial environments.
• Able to understand a technical problem and translate it into a practical solution.
• Good communication and presentation skills.
• Able to explain technical topics in a simple and understandable way.
• Comfortable working alongside Sales teams without being a pure salesperson.
• Customer-oriented and business-minded.
• Good problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Able to work independently and manage several technical projects simultaneously.
• Willing to travel regularly for customer visits and field support.

Key Internal Relationships

• Sales Director
• MRO Sales Team
• Hygiene Sales Team
• Laboratory / R&D
• Quality / QSE
• Production

Key Success Indicators

Performance will mainly be assessed through:

• Quality and responsiveness of technical support provided to Sales.
• Number and quality of customer trials and technical field visits.
• Conversion of successful technical trials into business opportunities.
• Improvement of Sales teams' technical knowledge.
• Resolution of customer technical issues.
• Contribution to new product and application development.
• Quality of communication between Sales, customers and the Lab.

Position Summary

The Technical Application Manager is the technical bridge between the customer, the Sales team and the Laboratory.

The role requires someone with a strong chemistry background who enjoys being in the field, understanding customer problems and finding practical solutions.

The successful candidate should be more field-oriented than a laboratory chemist and more technically oriented than a salesperson.