Sr. Sales Specialist

We are an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse team. Studies show women and people of color often hesitate to apply unless they meet every qualification—if you’re intrigued but don’t check every box, we encourage you to apply and help make our company even better.

About the role

This is a hybrid role based in Maple Plain, MN, requiring onsite presence Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The Sr. Sales Specialist is responsible for selling Protolabs’ products and services, acting as the primary point of contact for assigned accounts and opportunities. You’ll collaborate with internal teams to ensure customer satisfaction, retention, and revenue growth by aligning Protolabs’ solutions with customer needs. This role involves navigating complex business interactions, leveraging customer relationships, and executing strategic initiatives to drive growth.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain communications with internal partners to resolve customer pain points and execute strategic initiatives.
• Leverage existing customer relationships to generate referrals and gain insight into customer business priorities, strategies, and needs.
• Align Protolabs’ products with customer corporate strategies through deep questioning, industry insight, and customer knowledge.
• Navigate complex business interactions, sometimes jointly with the Strategic/Key Account Management (SAM/KAM) team or leadership.
• Retain and grow revenue through opportunity follow-ups, shipment tracking, and colleague referrals.
• Execute design reviews, product showcases, and sales presentations (virtually or in person).
• Determine customer needs, including timelines, budgets, and decision-making authorities/influencers.
• Uncover customer mapping and decision-making processes within large corporations.
• Collaborate with the pod team to understand customer products, roles, and buying patterns to anticipate needs and shape growth strategies.
• Report insights to the account manager and pod team to support account-based initiatives.
• Achieve or exceed key performance indicators and revenue targets.
• Maintain customer information by documenting interactions in CRM/Salesforce and other sales tools (e.g., DOMO, HubSpot, Highspot).
• Accurately forecast, manage, and advance opportunities through sales stages while understanding future pipeline projects.
• Demonstrate company values, comply with policies, and participate in training and company events.
• Conduct deep discovery to align customer needs with Protolabs’ products and services, solving complex issues with a unique problem-solving skillset.
• Work on projects of varying complexities across all Protolabs’ service lines, with a deep understanding of products and appropriate resources.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in business or a related field, or equivalent education/experience.
• 5+ years of sales experience, or 4+ years of Protolabs selling experience.
• Proven track record as a high performer in growing sustainable customer business partnerships.

Skills

• Deep knowledge of industry and Protolabs’ products, with the ability to match solutions to customer needs.
• Advanced understanding of business principles, theories, and concepts.
• Expert-level knowledge of Protolabs’ products, markets, and accounts.
• Ability to apply company policies and procedures to resolve problems creatively.
• Strong grasp of driving customer growth through projects, programs, and agreements.
• Ability to build and sustain internal relationships across Protolabs’ ecosystem.
• Experience building and maintaining relationships with customer coaches and champions.
• Proficiency with CRM tools for managing sales processes and forecasting.
• Thorough understanding of Protolabs’ service lines, manufacturing product lifecycle, and full-service capabilities.
• Strong culture promoter who embodies Protolabs’ values.
• Excellent presentation and communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Technical aptitude for engaging in high-level manufacturing and engineering conversations.
• Understanding of customer value propositions and ability to articulate how Protolabs’ solutions improve business objectives.
• Self-motivated, results-driven, and dedicated to achieving/exceeding sales goals.
• Proficient problem-solving and negotiation skills for project requirements, documentation, and financial conversations.
• Advanced knowledge of product/service offerings and developing proficiency in markets and accounts.

Benefits

• Competitive total compensation package, including base wage, incentives, and commissions.
• Health Insurance: Traditional or High Deductible plan options.
• Flexible Spending Accounts and Health Savings Account (with employer contributions).
• Dental and Vision coverage.
• Basic and Supplemental Life Insurance.
• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability coverage.
• Paid caregiver leave.
• PTO + Wellness Hours + Holiday Pay + Volunteer Hours.
• 401k with company match and immediate vesting.
• Employee Stock Purchase Program with a 15% discount.

Pay

$60,600 - $80,700 a year. Actual pay offered may vary based on job function, work experience, specialized skills, training, education, and certifications.

Schedule

Hybrid role requiring onsite presence in Maple Plain, MN on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Proto Labs maintains ITAR-compliant operations in all U.S.-based facilities. This role is open only to U.S. Citizens, lawful permanent residents (green card holders), or foreign nationals granted refugee or asylee status. Individuals with temporary visas (e.g., E, F-1, H-1, H-2, L, B, J, TN, or OPT) are not eligible.

Physical Demands

• Regularly required to sit; use a computer, keyboard, monitor, mouse, telephone, and printer.
• Occasionally required to stand, walk, stoop, kneel, and lift/move up to 25 pounds.
• Majority of work performed in an office setting with normal safety precautions, but occasional exposure to manufacturing areas with machinery, noise, and potential hazards (e.g., eye protection required).
• Occasional work in outside weather conditions, near moving mechanical parts, or in high/precarious places.
• Occasional exposure to wet/humid conditions, fumes, airborne particles, toxic/caustic chemicals, risk of electrical shock, and vibration.
• Noise level in the work environment is usually quiet to moderate.