Strategic Account Manager

FCX Performance•Long Beach, IL

About The Position

As a key member of Applied Industrial Technologies’ Applied Strategic Accounts team, the Strategic Account Manager drives growth with Applied’s contract accounts, specifically within the Procure Analytics team. The position offers location flexibility, with candidates ideally residing near a major airport. The role develops existing accounts and secures new business in target sectors to meet or exceed established goals. It plans, implements, and manages strategic account agreements and programs, supports customer and service-center requests for quotes, and identifies opportunities to improve margins and document customer value and savings. The Strategic Account Manager develops and maintains relationships with strategic accounts, helps customers and service centers realize the value of agreements, and ensures agreement terms are supported and followed. The role works with corporate, service-center, regional, area-management, and customer personnel to evaluate opportunities, address complaints, communicate developments, and meet targeted customers’ needs. Applied Industrial Technologies is a value-added distributor and technical solutions provider serving industrial MRO and OEM end users.

Requirements

At least 5 years of experience selling industrial components, value-added services, and solutions, with proven metrics and results.
Proficiency in Excel, including macros, charts, and pivot tables.
Strong written and verbal communication skills and proper English grammar.
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, or an equivalent field.
Valid driver’s license.

Nice To Haves

National account experience.
Experience managing a P&L.
Experience presenting to executive-level personnel.
Strong negotiation skills.
Tenacity and confidence.
Ability to learn and apply new information quickly.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
Strong organizational skills, including the ability to manage multiple competing priorities.

Responsibilities

Develop existing strategic accounts and secure new business in target sectors to meet or exceed established goals.
Plan, implement, and manage strategic account agreements and programs using selling and negotiation skills.
Assist with requests for quotes (RFQs) received directly from customers and from service centers.
Research, evaluate, develop, and establish strategic account agreements.
Collect data from service centers and regional personnel to analyze account potential, and work with customers to assess feasibility, opportunities, and benefits.
Identify and execute margin improvement opportunities within contracted accounts to positively affect acquisition and rebated margins.
Identify, execute, and document cost savings, including documented value add (DVA), across the customer base.
Generate, document, and manage value-added return on investment (ROI) for customers.
Create and deliver presentations to current and prospective strategic accounts, and prepare reports as requested by customers or management.
Act as a liaison between service centers and customers, helping local facilities understand the value of agreements.
Keep customers informed of developments and resolve complaints in coordination with corporate, service-center, and customer personnel.
Guide service centers on returns and pricing.
Maintain relationships with existing strategic accounts and ensure agreement terms are supported and adhered to.