Job Title: Sales, Marketing Research and Technical Product Specialist
Location: Oakville, ON,
Department: Product Management
Status: Full-time
Work Arrangement: In-Office, 5 days per week
The Company:Polar Performance Materials was founded in 2012 and produces ultra-high purity alumina (HPA) using a proprietary low-carbon process. The factory, located in Oakville Canada is powered with electricity generated by Niagara Falls. Polar’s HPA is increasingly necessary to manufacture products used in high growth, high purity semiconductor applications. Other applications include LEDs, lithium-ion batteries, thermal management materials, and technical ceramics utilized in aerospace, medical and industrial systems.
Company Values:- Quality is our signature
- Act with respect. Period
- Foundation of Safety
- Winning with Customers one solution at a time
- Be Real
- Positive intent
Position OverviewThe Sales, Marketing Research and Technical Product Specialist serves as a technical resource within Product Management, supporting the company’s product portfolio through product knowledge, technical analysis, customer application support, and cross-functional coordination.
Reporting to the Director, Product Management, this role develops an in-depth understanding of product characteristics, specifications, manufacturing processes, and end-use applications. The Product Engineer works closely with R&D, Quality, Manufacturing, and Sales to evaluate customer technical requirements, investigate product performance, support product qualification and development activities, and translate technical information into practical product and customer solutions.
The Sales, Marketing Research and Technical Product Specialist’s role will involve selected Sales, Marketing and research activities. This commercial immersion is designed as a developmental component of the role, providing direct experience with Polar’s customers, sales pipeline, market, industry events, and commercial processes. This experience will build the customer and market context needed to progressively take on the full technical and customer-facing scope of a Product Specialist.
Key Responsibilities:- Technical Product Support
- Develop and maintain an in-depth understanding of product properties, specifications, manufacturing processes, and end-use applications.
- Provide technical product support to Sales and other internal teams, including product selection, specifications, performance, and application-related inquiries.
- Review and interpret technical product data to support product recommendations and customer discussions.
- Customer Requirements & Applications
- Review customer specifications, technical requirements, and application needs to assess alignment with existing product capabilities.
- Work with Sales and customers to understand technical challenges and translate application requirements into clear internal product requirements.
- Coordinate with R&D, Quality, and Manufacturing when additional testing, investigation, or product development is required.
- Product Performance & Technical Analysis
- Analyze product, process, and quality data to understand product performance, variability, and suitability for customer applications.
- Support investigations into product performance concerns and work cross-functionally to identify technical causes and potential solutions.
- Prepare technical analyses, product comparisons, reports, and recommendations to support product and business decisions.
- Product Development & Qualification
- Support new product development, product modifications, and customer qualification activities from a Product Management perspective.
- Coordinate with R&D, Quality, and Manufacturing on product trials, testing, sample evaluations, specifications, and technical requirements.
- Support the transition of new or modified products from development through customer qualification and commercialization.
- Product Documentation & Cross-Functional Coordination
- Develop and maintain technical product documentation, including specifications, technical data, product information, and application-related materials.
- Act as a technical link between Product Management, Sales, R&D, Quality, Manufacturing, and other functions on product-related matters.
- Support the Director, Product Management with technical product assessments, portfolio activities, and product improvement opportunities.
6. Commercial & Customer Immersion - As part of onboarding and development into the Product Engineer role, supporting selected Sales, Marketing and research activities to build practical knowledge of Polar’s products, customers, markets, applications, and commercial processes.
- Support opportunity creation and pipeline administration, including creating and maintaining customer and opportunity profiles in the CRM and ensuring key information is accurate and current.
- Coordinate and administer customer sample requests, including documenting requirements, tracking status, coordinating internally, and supporting timely follow-up.
- Support sales pipeline tracking and reporting, helping maintain visibility to opportunity status, next steps, customer requirements, and key milestones.
- Support CRM administration and data quality by capturing customer interactions, opportunities, samples, activities, and relevant commercial information.
- Assist with SEMICON globally and other industry event preparation, including customer and market research, meeting coordination, materials preparation, and pre and post-event follow-up in addition to working the booths with the Sales team. Travel will be required.
- Conduct customer, competitor, market, and industry research to build knowledge of semiconductor and other target applications, market dynamics, and emerging opportunities.
- Participate in customer and Sales discussions to develop an understanding of customer needs, technical requirements, qualification processes, and how Polar’s products create value.
- Build an understanding of the full customer journey - from opportunity creation and sampling through technical evaluation, qualification, commercialization, and ongoing product support.
- Progressively transition from commercial and administrative support activities toward greater ownership of technical product, application, and customer responsibilities as product and industry knowledge develops.
Required Skills and Qualifications:- Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Materials Science, Chemistry, or a related technical discipline would be an asset.
- Experience in chemical processing, advanced materials, manufacturing, process engineering, quality engineering, R&D, or technical product support is preferred.
- Experience interpreting technical specifications, process/product data, and customer requirements is preferred.
- Experience within advanced materials, high-purity materials, ceramics, semiconductors, or other technical manufacturing industries is considered an asset.
- Strong understanding of engineering principles, material/process relationships, and technical problem-solving.
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret product, process, and quality data and draw meaningful conclusions.
- Ability to understand customer technical requirements and translate them into product requirements and actionable technical activities.
- Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to investigate technical issues and work collaboratively toward practical solutions.
- Effective technical communication skills with the ability to explain complex information to both technical and commercial stakeholders.
- Strong attention to detail, organization, and technical documentation skills.
- Ability to work effectively across Product Management, R&D, Quality, Manufacturing, and Sales.
- Strong organizational and follow-through skills with the ability to manage multiple customer, sample, CRM, and cross-functional activities.
- Comfort working with CRM systems and maintaining accurate customer and opportunity information; prior CRM experience is considered an asset.
- Curiosity and interest in developing commercial awareness, including customer needs, market dynamics, and the sales process within a technical manufacturing environment.
What We Offer:- Competitive compensation and benefits package.
- A collaborative and innovation-driven work environment.
- Opportunities for professional growth and meaningful project involvement.
