Sales Representative

The Opportunity:

At Avantor, people are the most important part of our success because they drive our global performance. That’s why our Operations, Lab Services, Sales, and many other Avantor teams rely on our talent acquisition initiatives to attract, engage and hire the right talent. Avantor’s Sales vertical is a crucial part of this mix, enabling all our internal teams worldwide to grow beyond their limits.

The University of Kentucky Account Sales Representative is responsible for managing and growing one of Avantor/VWR's largest academic accounts. This role is focused on developing strong customer relationships, identifying new business opportunities, increasing market share, and driving profitable sales growth across laboratory consumables, chemicals, equipment, instruments, and services. Due to the size and strategic importance of this account, the Sales Representative is expected to maintain a highly visible presence on campus by working a minimum of three days per week at the University of Kentucky.

Success in this role requires proactive customer engagement, collaboration with internal teams, and consistent execution of growth initiatives. This person MUST reside in close proximity to Lexington, KY.

• Education:
  
  Bachelor's degree preferred or equivalent sales experience
• Experience:
  
  Proven success in B2B sales, laboratory sales, life sciences, healthcare, scientific distribution, or related industries preferred.

• Strong relationship-building, communication, and negotiation skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex customer organizations and multiple decision-makers.
• Experience working with academic, healthcare, or research institutions is preferred.
• Self-motivated with excellent organizational and time management skills.
• Ability to analyze sales data, identify growth opportunities, and execute strategic account plans.

Maintain an on-campus presence at the University of Kentucky a minimum of three days per week to support customer relationships and identify new opportunities. Manage and grow a multi-million-dollar territory by developing strategic account plans focused on revenue growth and profitability. Build relationships with principal investigators, laboratory managers, procurement, department administrators, researchers, and key decision-makers. Identify opportunities to increase share of wallet across chemicals, consumables, equipment, instruments, and services.

Conduct regular laboratory visits to uncover unmet customer needs and introduce value-added solutions. Drive new customer acquisition while protecting existing business from competitive threats. Develop and maintain a healthy sales pipeline through prospecting, opportunity management, and customer follow-up. Partner with supplier representatives and internal product specialists to execute joint sales calls and customer presentations. Collaborate with Customer Service, Operations, Marketing, Technical Specialists, and Sales Leadership to deliver an exceptional customer experience.

Lead contract compliance initiatives and promote preferred supplier programs. Forecast sales accurately and maintain opportunity updates within CRM. Execute quarterly business reviews and provide strategic recommendations to maximize account growth. Represent Avantor/VWR at campus events, supplier demonstrations, research symposiums, and departmental meetings.

• Maintain a minimum of three on-campus days each week to ensure consistent customer engagement.
• Achieve or exceed annual sales, gross profit, and margin objectives.
• Increase market share within assigned departments and research laboratories.
• Develop new revenue opportunities while protecting…