Business Development Specialist

Primient is a century old company with an entrepreneurial spirit. We are a leading producer of food and industrial ingredients made from plant-based, renewable sources. We deliver value through deep technical, commercial, and operational excellence that is backed by our long-standing corn wet milling heritage. Wherever we are in the process, from field to customer, our priorities are focused on ensuring we produce the safest, highest quality products through practices that uphold both our responsibility and commitments to the challenge and drive for excellence, our people and our planet. We are a privately held company with locations across the US, Mexico, Poland, and Brazil. We're investing in our plants and people to unlock our potential in the industrial and food sectors. Guided by our values of Safety, Excellence, Integrity, and Growth, we're focused on growing our business, our reputation, and the career of every teammate.

Who we are:

Primient is a century old company with an entrepreneurial spirit. We are a leading producer of food and industrial ingredients made from plant-based, renewable sources. We deliver value through deep technical, commercial, and operational excellence that is backed by our long-standing corn wet milling heritage. Wherever we are in the process, from field to customer, our priorities are focused on ensuring we produce the safest, highest quality products through practices that uphold both our responsibility and commitments to the challenge and drive for excellence, our people and our planet. We are a privately held company with locations across the US, Mexico, Poland, and Brazil. We are investing in our plants and people to unlock our potential in the industrial and food sectors. Guided by our values of Safety, Excellence, Integrity, and Growth, we are focused on growing our business, our reputation, and the career of every teammate.

Role Purpose:

Primient seeks to expand and diversify its business by playing a leading, enabler role in next stage development of the Bioeconomy. The Business Development Specialist Role offers the opportunity to explore and develop strategic relationships which are critical to delivering Primient's strategic business initiatives.

The successful candidate will be responsible for developing a portfolio of business development opportunities that offer outlets for corn-sugar based substrates utilized in fermentation or bioconversion processes. Critical to this role is the ability to screen and interact with a wide range of projects and partnerships, while tracking and assessing the potential for prospects to deliver commercially viable projects. The Business Development Specialist will work closely with the Director of Business Development, local sites, and external stakeholders on all aspects of relationship and prospect development across our stage gate process.

A successful candidate in the role will be a self-starter who is able to lean into a business development role while also actively learning our business from the ground up. Training will be a mix of informal on-the-job skill building provided through our in-house team as well as external training, as needed. Critical to the role will be prospect and market analysis, building opportunity funnel, reporting, presentations, and site visit coordination. Note: significant travel between Primient offices and production facilities is required during for training, site visits, and conferences.

Details about what you will be doing:

Prospect Management

• Serve as the primary point of contact for new leads coming in from internal and external sources including our website / digital channels, external marketplace, phone inquiries, tradeshows, and other lead generation opportunities
• Build and manage an active pipeline of emerging / active prospects, assessing growth potential
• Address customer inquiries, concerns, and needs in a timely and professional manner

Funnel Growth

• Identify new opportunities and prospects within identified strategic sectors
• Research and call on new prospects
• Assist in preparing and delivering presentations and proposals to prospective clients
• Create and implement effective business strategies to attract new clients and expand the prospect base

Market Research

• Market analysis which supports compelling data of industry trends, market conditions, and competitors' activities
• Collaborate with the marketing, product line managers, and product development teams to understand potential, customer needs and barriers, and changing market demand
• Focused efforts on targeting specific markets and working cross-functionally with product line category and insights to highlight new
• Proactively identify potential bioeconomy opportunities through networking, trade shows, and organizations

Reporting

• Maintain accurate records of prospecting activities and interactions in the CRM software and OTF Funnel Pipeline
• Provide regular updates on sales performance, market developments, and customer feedback to management

Coordinate with Site Teams

• Work closely with Primient site teams on Requests for Information (RFI) and prospect information requests.
• Coordinate site visits and liaise with Project Management Office

• Develop site specific information packages for prospects

What you will need to have:

• Bachelor's (four year) technical degree (Engineering or Agriculture Sciences preferred) or business (Finance or Supply Chain focus)
• 3+ years of experience and interest in business development
• Outstanding communication and people skills
• Dedication to safety and commitment to making safety a number one priority
• Highly motivated with a desire to learn and grow in a rapidly evolving / growing environment
• Organized with the ability to work independently and manage multiple accounts and tasks simultaneously
• History of success in both entrepreneurial and large, complex company environments
• Fermentation / bio-based industry experience, preferred
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint); experience with CRM software is a plus.
• Willingness to travel up to 25-30% (combination road and air)

Primary Location

This position will be based in Schaumburg, IL or Decatur, IL.

• Competitive Pay

• Multiple Healthcare plan choices

• Dental and vision insurance

• A 401(k) plan with company and matching contributions

• Short- and Long-Term Disability

• Life, AD&D, and Voluntary Insurance plans

• Paid holidays & vacation

• Floating days off

• Parental leave for new parents

• Employee resource groups

• Learning & development programs

• Fun culture where you have an opportunity in shaping our future

We are believers in the power of difference. We strive to represent the communities in which we operate and to provide an inclusive, welcoming environment for all. We want Primient to be a place where every employee feels they belong and knows they are seen, heard, valued and safe to speak up. Our aspiration is to unlock the full potential in diverse perspectives, while offering everyone an equal chance to grow,

Primient is an equal opportunity employer, committed to the strength of an inclusive workforce.

California Consumer Privacy Act ("CCPA")

The Company is committed to complying with the California Consumer Privacy Act ("CCPA") and all data privacy and laws in the jurisdictions in which it recruits and hires employees. We collect the following categories of personal information for the purpose of hiring the best qualified applicants and to comply with applicable employment laws: Name and contact information; Job preference and work availability; Social Security Number and/or other identification information; Education and qualifications; Employment history and experience; Military service; Reference and background check information, including relevant criminal history and credit history; Social media information; Pre-employment test results; Post-offer medical examination information and results, including drug test results; Voluntary self-disclosure information regarding minority, veteran, and disability status; and Information provided by you during the hiring process.