Key Account Manager – Independent Wholesale Distribution

Trane Italia • Davidson, NC

4d • Remote

About The Position

The Key Account Manager for Independent Wholesale Distribution is responsible for driving the growth and profitability of supply sales within the Independent Wholesale Distribution (IWD) channel for The Supply Business Unit HVAC. This role sets the strategic vision, mission, and overall direction for supply in this channel while serving as the national growth leader for the Independent Wholesale channel. This role accelerates profitable expansion by increasing market reach and share across the Product Growth Team (PGT) portfolios, with a primary emphasis on Day 2 lifecycle parts. The role develops and executes national distributor growth strategies, influences stocking programs, rebate structures, and pricing tier alignment, and drives portfolio penetration to deliver sustained revenue and margin expansion. With influence over approximately $180M in annual revenue, this position partners directly with regional and strategic account managers, cross-functional teams, and distributor partners to deliver financial targets and expand portfolio adoption across the IWD channel.

Requirements

• Each employee must have the ability to work in harmony with all members of the organization and display that ability on an ongoing, daily basis.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Sales, Distribution, Supply Chain, Engineering, or related field; equivalent experience will be considered
• 8–12+ years of experience in distribution, OEM wholesale, channel sales, or strategic account management; minimum 5 years of HVAC Supply Sales experience required
• Two-step distribution experience strongly desired
• Demonstrated success managing national or multi-regional distributor relationships
• Proven track record of driving revenue growth and share expansion across complex product portfolios
• Strong financial acumen, including experience with pricing tiers, rebate programs, margin management, and ROI analysis
• Experience leading Joint Business Planning (JBP) processes with strategic partners
• Ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders without direct authority
• Experience utilizing CRM platforms (Salesforce preferred) to manage account strategy, pipeline visibility, forecasting, and performance analytics
• Effective Communication: Ability to present subject matter virtually and in person before diverse audiences
• Technical Proficiency: Strong computer usage skills, particularly with Microsoft Office and Salesforce
• Organizational Skills: Excellent organization, communication, and interpersonal skills
• Personal Attributes: Agility, self-motivation, goal orientation, and resilience
• Team Collaboration: Ability to work well in a team environment with diverse members to achieve business results
• Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.
• Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.
• Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of the organization.
• Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume.
• Ability to apply concepts of basic algebra and geometry.
• Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form.
• Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.
• Valid Driver’s License
• Proof of personal auto insurance

Nice To Haves

• Two-step distribution experience strongly desired

Responsibilities

• Set the strategic vision, mission, and overall direction for supply sales within the Independent Wholesale Distribution channel
• Develop and execute national growth strategies across Independent Wholesale Distributor (IWD) partners
• Identify and activate market expansion opportunities across the $200+M portfolio
• Establish annual growth targets aligned to Product Growth Team (PGT) priorities
• Lead national Joint Business Planning (JBP) processes with strategic distributor partners
• Represent Independent Distribution in the Supply Business Unit Monthly Operating Review
• Deliver revenue, gross margin, and operating income for the Independent Distribution Channel
• Assist in setting, communicating, tracking, and achieving budgets throughout the year
• Conduct weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual revenue forecasting for independent distribution
• Monitor revenue growth, margin performance, and portfolio mix trends
• Analyze distributor performance data to identify expansion opportunities and risks
• Deliver performance insights and strategic recommendations to Sales & Operations leadership
• Develop corrective action plans when results deviate from established targets
• Increase penetration across strategic PGT portfolios, including: Compressors; Motors, Airflow & Drives; Coils; Controls; Parts & Supplies; Airflow & IAQ; Supply-only Equipment Portfolios
• Accelerate Day 2 lifecycle parts growth and improve portfolio mix performance
• Influence distributor stocking depth, assortment strategy, and strategic SKU adoption
• Translate PGT initiatives into executable distributor growth plans
• Partner with product management on new product lines, training opportunities, vendor participation, and education of supply products
• Create and communicate Supply-specific programs, including preseason promotions, marketing initiatives, and growth incentives
• Influence pricing tier alignment and growth rebate structures to support profitable expansion
• Work closely with the pricing team on independent distribution pricing strategy and monthly price updates
• Ensure disciplined execution of commercial guardrails to protect margin performance
• Monitor program effectiveness and recommend optimization based on ROI and performance analytics
• Collaborate with DC, inventory, and procurement teams through the PSI and SIOP processes to ensure a successful distribution network for independent wholesale distributors
• Influence national stocking agreements and inventory strategies aligned to growth priorities
• Partner with Integrated Supply Chain (ISC) to align availability with portfolio acceleration initiatives
• Identify and mitigate risks to supply continuity or growth targets
• Support regional and strategic account managers with their assigned customer base
• Partner with Product Growth Teams (PGTs) to align national distributor execution with portfolio strategy
• Collaborate with Finance, Pricing, Commercial Operations, and ISC to ensure disciplined governance and operational alignment
• Work closely with the Equipment team and IWD Regional General Managers (RGMs) to coordinate equipment portfolio growth initiatives with Supply
• Serve as the Voice of Customer on various projects, A-3s, and strategic initiatives
• Interact with customer service, IT, Parts ID, PIM, footprint, and EDI teams to address the needs of independent distributors
• Ensure efficient and thorough resolution of distribution conflict issues
• Influence enterprise stakeholders to support national channel expansion priorities

Benefits

• health insurance
• holistic wellness programs that include generous incentives
• Family building benefits include fertility coverage and adoption/surrogacy assistance.
• 401K match up to 6%, plus an additional 2% core contribution = up to 8% company contribution.
• Paid time off includes 15 vacation days, 9 paid holidays, 3 floating holidays, sick leave, and additional options to support volunteer and parental leave.
• Educational and training opportunities through company programs along with tuition assistance and student debt support.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior