Customer Relationship Manager at Gray Solutions in St Louis, Missouri

Job Description:

At Gray Solutions our mission is to be trusted advisors delivering outcome based solutions through deep collaboration and lasting partnerships, while providing fulfilling team member experiences.

Formed in 2018, Gray Solutions, a Gray company, is a leader in automation and process integration for customers in the Food & Beverage market. Our creative approach to optimizing complex integrated processes allows us to deliver fast, transformative results for projects of all sizes.

Gray is a fully integrated service provider deeply rooted in engineering, design, and construction services. As a family and employee owned company, we focus on the manufacturing, food & beverage, automotive, distribution, mission critical, and commercial markets for domestic and international customers. The Gray family of brands provides specialized capabilities across key markets and customers. Together, we deliver highly customized solutions that meet customers’ most sophisticated needs.

Job Requirements

• Highly motivated self starter, high energy and EQ


• Excellent communication skills and team player


• Knowledgeable on current automation technologies, especially digital transformation, Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), Industry 4.0, automation and controls solutions provided by vendor partners


• Ability to work with little or minimal supervision, but willing to accept direction


• Ability to develop individual plans and strategies


• Ability to write and develop proposals and work with customer liaisons or proposal managers in sales pursuits.


• Ability to establish and maintain professional relationships with customers, vendors and partners


• Minimum 4 year bachelor degree or equivalent experience


• Experience in direct or support sales roles


• Hands on experience designing and implementing automation and control systems and/or digital transformation/MES solutions


• Hands on experience implementing solutions in food, beverage, life sciences, specialty chem or other relevant industry


• Relevant experience managing and/or working on a team to analyze, design, and implement a solution


• Relevant experience in preparing budgets for manufacturing control systems and/or Digital Transformation/MES projects and understanding the approval process


• Past history of establishing and maintaining relationships with customers, vendors, or other professionals in the industry


• Experience working with and navigating complex organizations

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Essential Functions

The primary purpose of this position is to be responsible for sales with assigned customers. The position will focus on both new opportunities and existing customers for all service offerings including Digital Transformation, Process Automation & Controls, Process Design, Networking, and Consulting. This will require working with others on the Business Development Team including customer liaisons and technical staff, other Gray Companies, and Vendor Partners. Other responsibilities will be preparing and implementing customer sales plans, providing input in the company marketing plans and coordinating and managing trade show activities. This position will require travel outside their home base an average of 30% of the time with peaks up to 60%.

1. Essential Duties shall include but not be limited to:

• Leading the sales activities for assigned customers and actively pursue new opportunities including coordination of other Gray resources.


• Ability to take an opportunity from the initial contact thru proposal with minimal support from the client liaisons or technical staff as required.


• Work with proposal managers, technical leads and any others to prepare proposals.


• Responding to new opportunities brought to us internally, through our public website or vendor partners.


• Initial qualification, preparation and participation in go/no-go decision.


• Engage directly with potential customers for pre and post sales activities.


• Working with the project managers to manage the hand-off from sales to the implementation team


• Pursue new sales with potential customers through other sources including their personal network, Gray Solutions employees, vendor and professional relationships,


• Preparing sales plans and strategies for assigned clients and managing that plan.


• Participate in the effort to develop and execute the sales and marketing plan.


• Maintain up to date customer information and sales engagement activity in the company CRM system.

Physical Demands & Work Environment

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a team member to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.


• While performing the duties of this position, the team member is frequently required to stand, walk, sit, use hands, reach with hands or arms and talk or hear. They may occasionally be required to climb or balance, stoop, kneel, or crouch. Must occasionally lift and/or move up to 30 pounds. Specific vision abilities required include close vision.


• Generally, normal office environment where noise level is moderate and temperature/humidity is controlled. Overtime may be required.


• Ability to travel independently using all traditional modes of transportation.


• Ability to safely walk through a manufacturing facility.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• This role may supervise teams as part of a proposal or marketing effort but does not have direct reports.

EEO Disclaimer

Gray is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcomes everyone to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.