Key Account Manager (Midwest)

Job Summary

The Key Account Manager works with the most strategic accounts in the Avient portfolio, including current accounts and targeting new accounts. This position assumes the overall responsibility for building, maintaining, and leveraging executive relationships with strategic accounts that allow Avient to increase customer loyalty, revenue, and profitability. Expectations include the ability to sell at all levels of management and building relationships that ensure Avient will continue to get the first and last look. This role requires a thought leader who can influence cross-functionally and globally. Skilled at customer-centric selling approaches and effectively selling the value of our products and services are also keys to success. Individuals must be able to assist customers in problem-solving to deliver solutions, bringing energy, enthusiasm, and professionalism to their daily routines. This role requires the individual to perform the function independently without direction and effectively interact and influence. The ideal candidate will be located in the Upper Midwest. Up to 75% travel is required.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities 

The purpose of the Sales Function is to deliver:

• Ability to deliver profitable revenue growth, including robust new business development within the territory.
• Achieve stated gross margin targets as a percentage of sales.
• Approach the sales process with a high degree of professionalism and effectiveness by prospecting & new account calls, development of a robust sales funnel, collecting ARs, avoidance of bad debts, cross-selling, and effective CRM system management.
• Establish, track, and close new business targets consistent with designated accounts' short- and long-term objectives.
• Develop a contact matrix and establish strong relationships with key decision-makers and project facilitators.
• Delivering year-over-year growth in Operating Income and Sales. Must have a proven track record of growing a business.
• Must have a proven track record of growing a business.
• Highly skilled in developing highly productive relationships with key customers, suppliers, and internal contacts is essential.
• Demonstrating strong business acumen to manage a P&L, working capital, profitability, etc.
• Develop short—and long-term sales forecasts for product lines and markets, prepare the business plan and strategy, and implement a successful business plan annually.
• Maintaining first-hand knowledge of technology changes, material development, and marketplace conditions.
• Ability to present to large global audiences both internally and externally.
• Develop and execute global account strategies in concert with Avient's strategic marketing and sales objectives.
• Gain or increase sales at assigned accounts.
• Establish and direct support teams (sales, operations, and technical personnel) as necessary to achieve established goals and strategic business plans.
• Understand customer buying cycles, customer-supplier relationships at all management levels, and customer “fields of play” at assigned Key Accounts.
• Prepare and present sales and technical information to customers.
• Conduct annual business reviews with assigned Key Accounts and to Avient management.
• Promptly resolve customer issues/problems.
• Establish buying influences, budgets, and purchasing criteria for assigned accounts.
• Develop and maintain updated customer account profiles, B2B sales projects, and Lab Resource Requests.
• Utilize Strategic Selling concepts in day-to-day sales management, including conducting appropriate collaboration meetings with proper internal personnel.
• Act as a leader and role model to others within the sales organization. #LI-CB1, #LI-Remote