Key Account Manager

Avient•Avon Lake, OH

About The Position

The Key Account Manager is responsible for building, maintaining, and leveraging executive relationships with Avient’s most strategic current and target accounts to increase customer loyalty, revenue, and profitability. The role develops global account strategies aligned with Avient’s sales and marketing objectives, sells at all levels of customer management, and helps ensure Avient receives the first and last look. Success requires customer-centric selling, the ability to communicate the value of Avient’s products and services, and skill in helping customers solve problems with effective solutions. This individual works independently, influences across functions and globally, and coaches matrix personnel across disciplines and business units. The position serves as a member of the Commercial Leadership team and acts as a leader and role model within the sales organization. It is an individual-contributor role with the ability to work through global matrix teams. Travel of up to 75% is required. The role has no budget responsibility, and sales revenue responsibility is territory-specific.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
10+ years of sales experience.
Ability to work independently without direction and influence managerial peers.
Ability to influence cross-functionally and globally and coach matrix personnel across disciplines and business units.
Ability to sell at all levels of management and build executive relationships with strategic accounts.
Customer-centric selling skills and ability to communicate the value of products and services.
Ability to assist customers with problem-solving and solution delivery.
Proven track record of growing a business.
Strong business acumen, including experience managing P&L, working capital, and profitability.
Ability to develop budgets, operating plans, goals, forecasts, and business plans.
Up to 75% travel is required.

Responsibilities

Create comprehensive account plans for strategic key accounts that align with broader strategic initiatives and Avient solutions.
Take ownership as the business leader for key initiatives and deliverables.
Deliver profitable revenue growth, develop new business, achieve gross margin targets, and drive year-over-year growth in sales and operating income.
Use customer-centric selling skills and tools, including scorecards, business reviews, EVE tools, high/wide/deep, warning signs, prospecting, new-account calls, sales-funnel development, accounts-receivable collection, bad-debt avoidance, cross-selling, and CRM management.
Foster a motivated and engaged sales team; coach, mentor, and develop direct reports.
Build productive relationships with key customers, suppliers, and internal contacts.
Manage business performance, including P&L, working capital, and profitability; develop budgets, operating plans, seller and technical representative goals, forecasts, and annual business plans and strategies.
Analyze market share and recommend ways to increase it.
Maintain first-hand knowledge of technology changes, material development, and market conditions, and present at sales meetings.
Participate in Commercial Leadership team meetings and division-wide projects.
Develop and execute global account strategies aligned with Avient’s strategic marketing and sales objectives.
Gain or increase sales at assigned accounts.
Establish and direct Platinum Account teams of sales, operations, and technical personnel as needed to meet goals and strategic plans.
Understand customer buying cycles, supplier relationships at all management levels, and fields of play at assigned Platinum Accounts.
Prepare and present sales and technical information to customers.
Conduct annual performance reviews with assigned Platinum Accounts and Avient management.
Establish buying influences, budgets, and purchasing criteria for assigned accounts.
Resolve customer issues and problems.
Maintain updated customer account profiles, B2B sales projects, and Lab Resource Requests.
Conduct internal blue sheet sessions on top opportunities and use Strategic Selling concepts in day-to-day sales management.
Act as a leader and role model to others in the sales organization.