About AkzoNobel

Since 1792, we’ve been supplying the innovative paints and coatings that help to color people’s lives and protect what matters most. Our world class portfolio of brands – including Dulux, International, Sikkens and Interpon – is trusted by customers around the globe. We’re active in more than 150 countries and use our expertise to sustain and enhance the fabric of everyday life. Because we believe every surface is an opportunity. It’s what you’d expect from a pioneering and long-established paints company that’s dedicated to providing sustainable solutions and preserving the best of what we have today – while creating an even better tomorrow. Let’s paint the future together.

For more information please visit www.akzonobel.com

© 2026 Akzo Nobel N.V. All rights reserved.

Job Purpose

Location: Minnesota (Minneapolis preferred; candidates located anywhere within Minnesota will be considered)

At AkzoNobel, we supply the sustainable and innovative paints and coatings that customers trust worldwide. We're seeking a highly motivated Sales Representative to grow our Industrial Wood Coatings business throughout Minnesota and surrounding territories.

About the Role

This is a field-based sales position responsible for driving sales growth, supporting distributor partners, developing new business opportunities, and providing technical coatings support within the Industrial Wood Coatings market. The territory primarily covers Minnesota, portions of South Dakota and Iowa, with occasional support for key distributors in neighboring markets.

This role combines both commercial sales and technical customer support. The ideal candidate will be comfortable building relationships, solving customer challenges, and serving as a trusted coatings advisor.

Key Accountabilities

• Manage and grow an established distributor network and customer portfolio
• Develop new business opportunities and identify additional distribution channels
• Build strong relationships with key distributor partners and end users
• Provide technical support, troubleshooting, and product recommendations for wood coating applications
• Generate leads, maintain a healthy sales pipeline, and convert opportunities into revenue growth
• Conduct customer visits and product demonstrations
• Monitor sales performance against territory targets and implement growth strategies
• Gather market intelligence and customer feedback to support business development initiatives
• Represent AkzoNobel professionally while promoting long-term customer partnerships

Key Activities

Territory Highlights

• Primary focus on Minnesota
• Coverage includes portions of South Dakota and Iowa
• Support for key distributor accounts including Hirschfield's and other regional partners
• Approximately 70-75% travel within the assigned territory

Level of Autonomy

Independently prepare sales presentations, contracts and proposals to ensure successful outcome of transactions. Manage claims negotiation to minimize liability.

Job requirements

• Bachelor’s degree preferred
• Knowledge & Work Experience – Paints and coatings industry, any B2B industry environment.
• 3-5 years of work experience in Industrial wood coatings, commercial roles, sales and key account management or sales to strategic accounts required
• Fluent in English
• Skills – Stakeholder management, project management, decision making, creating value propositions, drive, results orientation, customer service orientation, problem solving, communication and presentation, commercial and business acumen, basic understanding of cross functional processes and financial concepts related to sales and cost to serve
• Must be able to participate and complete a qualitative and quantitative respirator fit test, and use respirator as required.

We're looking for someone who is:

• Outgoing, energetic, and customer-focused
• Self-motivated and comfortable working independently
• Skilled at building long-term customer relationships
• Capable of balancing technical problem-solving with sales growth objectives
• Comfortable spending significant time in the field visiting distributors and customers

Benefits/Rewards

The salary range for these skills is: $106,000 to $118,000 based on evaluated experience level. This is the range that we in good faith anticipate relying on when setting wages for this position. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range. This salary range may also be modified in the future.

This role eligible for an annual bonus target of 35%, based on individual and company performance.”

• Medical insurance with HSA
• Dental, Vision, Life, AD&D benefits
• Annual bonus
• 401K retirement savings with 6% company match
• Generous vacation, personal and holiday pay
• Paid Parental leave
• Hybrid work for most exempt roles
• Active Diversity & Inclusion Networks
• Career growth opportunities on a regional and global scale
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Employee referral bonus

Why Join AkzoNobel?

In your first year, you'll have the opportunity to learn the product portfolio, partner with experienced team members, build relationships across the territory, and play a key role in expanding our presence within the wood coatings market.

At AkzoNobel we are highly committed to ensuring an inclusive and respectful workplace where all employees can be their best self. We strive to embrace diversity in a context of tolerance. Our talent acquisition process plays an integral part in this journey, as setting the foundations for a diverse environment. For this reason we train and educate on the implications of our Unconscious Bias in order for our TA and hiring managers to be mindful of them and take corrective actions when applicable. In our organization, all qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age or disability.