Microbiology Specialist

The Regional Microbiology Specialist is responsible for the sale of bioMerieux’s Microbiology suite of products in a defined sales region. This involves coordinated activities with other Sales and commercial team colleagues in maintaining, protecting, and growing the existing base of Microbiology business and gaining new microbiology reagent and equipment business. The Microbiology Specialist works collaboratively with local sales teams as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) for the Microbiology suite of products.

Primary Responsibilities

1. Support Account Managers as subject matter expert and technical sales content owner for the Microbiology product suite in maintaining existing customer business and in building a robust reagent and equipment pipeline through account segmentation and qualification and leveraging technical knowledge to advance opportunities.
2. Create and execute business plans to achieve assigned Microbiology reagent and equipment goals to including collaboration with Account Managers, Microbiology Automation Specialist, Sales Director, Corporate Account Managers, Specialists teams, Marketing and others toward meeting or exceeding revenue targets and growth objectives within region.
3. Work cooperatively and cohesively in a matrixed environment with multiple commercial colleagues and functions to advance and close opportunities.
4. Identify high-value targets within assigned territory and develop strategies to close the identified opportunities for new business.
5. Manage opportunity pipeline to ensure that target close dates and expected revenue dates align with month-to-month forecasting as represented in the company CRM tool and associated dashboards.
6. Maintain the required internal network with Marketing, Sales Operations, Sales Contracts, Customer Service, Legal, Finance and other key functions to facilitate efficiency and quality outputs in doing business with the Customer.
7. Gather and share competitive knowledge and activity with sales teams, marketing and other colleagues in order to build strategies to respond to competition.
8. Provide coaching and objection handling guidance to Account Managers to elevate the level of knowledge and subject matter competency within assigned territory.
9. Identify and establish relationships with key customers and opinion leaders within assigned territory.
10. Support and participate in relevant conferences, trade shows and symposia in coordination with sales leadership and marketing.
11. Reasonable management of operational/travel expenses within a set annual budget and in accordance with the corporate travel policy
12. Deliver effective Sales Call Management, Opportunity Management, Pipeline Management and Forecast Accuracy.
13. Perform other duties as assigned.
14. Perform all work in compliance with company policy and within the guidelines of bioMerieux Quality System.

Training and Education

1. AAS required (Sales, Business, or Science preferred).
2. Clinical lab operations and molecular knowledge preferred.
3. Sales experience required; Capital sales experience preferred.
4. Formal sales competency training preferred (e.g., Miller Heiman, Strategic Selling, SPIN)

Experience

1. Associates degree and a minimum of 4 years of professional sales experience OR Bachelors degree and a  minimum of 2 years of professional sales experience required.
2. Bachelors degree with 4 years of customer facing experience within the IVD market in lieu of professional sales experience will receive consideration.
3. Infectious disease market experience preferred. 
4. Strong knowledge of clinical microbiology technologies, techniques, and disciplines preferred.
5. Proven and documented track record in exceeding territory Capital and Reagent goals preferred.
6. Proven and documented track record of consistent top finishes within sales team preferred.
7. Experience selling Capital equipment preferred.
8. Experience selling into Microbiology labs preferred.
9. Excellent verbal and written communication skills required.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

1. Proficient in operation of Microsoft Windows and Office Suite of products.
2. Proficient in Salesforce CRM.
3. Ability to maintain a structured and detailed sales opportunity funnel.
4. Ability to accurately forecast and project capital equipment sales in a large territory.
5. Ability to describe and explain highly detailed technical information to multiple buying influences including laboratorians, C-Suite, physicians, stewardship teams, IT, and other buyers.
6. Fundamental knowledge of the principles and practices of laboratory operations.
7. Ability to operate in an organized manner in an autonomous work environment without direct daily supervision.
8. Ability to effectively communicate with internal and external stakeholders.
9. Territory management over a large geographic area.
10. Ability to become a subject matter expert on a complex diagnostic automation and processes.
11. Ability to understand, communicate and train others on the products and services.
12. Ability to navigate complex sales processes with multiple buying influences.
13. Competency in Miller Heiman Strategic and Conceptual selling a plus.
14. Excellent written, oral, and presentation skills.

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements

1. Ability to remain in stationary position, often standing, for prolonged periods.
2. Ability to ascend/descend stairs, ladders, ramps, and the like.
3. Ability to adjust or move objects up to 50 pounds in all directions.
4. Domestic travel required 70% of time.
5. Location dependent the selected incumbent will be required to be masked while working in client locations for extended periods when on site in hospitals.
6. Ability to conduct client visits which entails the safe operation of motor vehicles, physically accessing customer facilities and frequent air travel in performance of assigned duties.