Director of Sales - Strategic Accounts

Hendrickson•Canton, OH

About The Position

The Director of Sales; Strategic Accounts is responsible for leading and growing strategic and national fleet relationships with a primary focus on brake, wheel end, and accompanying content. This role provides strategic sales direction, and coordination, across all Hendrickson divisions while ensuring that Brake and Wheel-End business objectives, market positioning, and customer requirements are clearly represented and executed. The position ensures alignment between national account strategy, sales execution, service support, and divisional business plans.

Requirements

10-15+ years of progressive sales, service, or account management experience, preferably within heavy-duty vehicle, brake, wheel end, or related manufacturing industries.
Ability to travel extensively; typical workweek may include 3+ days/nights of travel.
Demonstrated experience managing or leading strategic or national accounts.
Strong business acumen with the ability to align customer strategy with divisional and enterprise objectives.
Ability to work in a matrixed organization.
Proven leadership, coaching, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, including proficiency with presentation software.

Nice To Haves

Business, Engineering, or related field preferred for Bachelor's Degree.

Responsibilities

Own and lead strategic relationships with designated national fleet, dealer, and OEM accounts, with primary accountability for Brake and Wheel-End (BWE) customers and associated products, while providing strategic direction and coordination across all Hendrickson divisions.
Drive profitable growth by identifying, developing, and executing new business opportunities across Brake and Wheel End, trailer, suspension, and related product lines, including migration and upgrade strategies aligned with customer applications, duty cycles, and performance requirements.
Serve as the senior commercial point of contact for assigned national accounts, ensuring alignment across sales, service, engineering, marketing, operations, and product management to deliver consistent customer value and enterprise-wide execution.
Establish and prioritize national account coverage strategies, ensuring appropriate field engagement and effective utilization of sales, service, and technical resources to support key enterprise and BWE accounts.
Develop and maintain senior-level customer relationships across purchasing, engineering, product planning, quality, manufacturing, and marketing organizations to identify opportunities for long-term growth and strategic partnerships.
Negotiate short- and long-term supply agreements in coordination with divisional marketing and leadership, ensuring alignment with pricing strategy, capacity planning, and business objectives.
Collect, analyze, and maintain critical account and market intelligence, including customer organizational structures, competitive product positioning, pricing, aftermarket strategies, product plans, and emerging market trends, to inform account strategy and decision-making.
Provide input to sales forecasting processes, including product mix, account-level projections, and key customer production or plant shutdown considerations.
Advocate for national account and Brake and Wheel End customer requirements by actively participating in divisional planning, product strategy, forecasting, and new product introduction activities.
Monitor and communicate customer feedback related to service performance, delivery, product quality, pricing, and competitive positioning; provide structured, actionable feedback to divisions to drive continuous improvement.
Ensure high levels of customer satisfaction by coordinating proactive service support, maintenance training, and field service engagement, and by serving as an escalation point for complex or strategic customer issues.
Represent Hendrickson at industry trade shows, customer events, and professional association meetings, delivering customer-facing presentations and supporting enterprise marketing initiatives.
Provide leadership, coaching, and performance management for National Account Managers (NAMs), including goal setting, coverage effectiveness, development planning, and succession planning; support recruitment, onboarding, and training of new national account and strategic field resources.
Ensure national account customers receive consistent, high-quality service support by coordinating closely with the National Service Manager, Regional Service Managers, and divisional technical and warranty teams. Serve as an escalation point for strategic Brake and Wheel End service issues and ensure timely communication and resolution.