Regional Key Account Manager, Coatings

Elementis is a global specialty chemical company, with 1,300 employees operating 17 manufacturing sites across the globe. At Elementis, we bring a distinctive combination of expertise, innovation, and teamwork to every formulation challenge. We create high-value specialty additives that enhance the performance of our customers' products and make a positive change in the world. Combining our leading positions in the science of materials flow, surface modification, and formulation with access to unique natural materials, Elementis delivers unique chemistry, sustainable solutions to customers in a wide range of markets, including cosmetics, anti-perspirants, decorative and industrial coatings, automotive and ceramics.

Job Description Summary

Job Description

This is a position within the business segment Coatings dedicated to key account management.

The Regional Key account ( RKA) manager will work closely with the  Regional Business Manager, Americas, Global Key Accounts (GKA) managers, Sales managers  and the Marketing and Technical Service group/R&D teams to ensure proper support and alignment. This person will drive the regional strategy for key accounts within North America, ensuring full alignment with the Coatings business strategy. In this role, they will directly manage a portfolio of North American key accounts as well as other designated direct customers.

The Key Account Manager will develop a regional plan for their customers and be responsible for ensuring that critical projects are successfully completed. This position will work closely with the regional sales team to achieve revenue and margin targets. Additionally,  will be responsible for creating and developing ongoing business relationships in the territory with our customers’ senior managers, technical supervisors, purchasing managers, and chemists to help solve their technical problems.

The purpose of this position is to:

1.    Lead the Key Accounts in the Region and other designated direct customers
2.    Identify and deliver on New Business Development (NBO’s)
3.    Maintain and grow customer focus 
4.    Ensure stakeholders and resources are aligned and in place
5.    General

Key Responsibilities

Ad 1. Lead the Key Accounts and other designated direct customers

•    Creates, implements, and delivers strategic plans for regional key accounts  and direct customers to increase business and profitability.
•    Meets targets and strategic objectives while tracking performance; monitors RKA progress on financial objectives, critical milestones, risks, opportunities, and the completion of activities within the strategic plan.
•    Develops and maintains productive, professional relationships with key decision-makers to grow and deepen the customer contact network. 
•    Develops and negotiates regional contracts and pricing agreements, operating under the guidance and parameters set by senior management. 
•    Define, adapts, and owns the customer value proposition for assigned regional key accounts.

Ad 2. Identify and deliver on NBOs
•     Fully understands, assesses, clarifies, and validates customer needs on an ongoing basis.
•    Identifies, uncovers, quantifies, and prioritizes growth opportunities (and risks) for Elementis products to drive profitable growth, collaborating closely with Marketing, Technical Sales, and Technical Service.
•    Drives solution efforts that best address customer needs while remaining focused on Elementis priorities, coordinating with required employees to address issues and solve problems.
•    Develops a robust list of new business opportunities (NBOs) for assigned regional key accounts (RKAs).Follows up on new leads on a timely basis.Investment opportunities: Creates and presents business cases for identified commercial opportunities.

Ad 3. Maintain and grow customer focus
•   Develops and maintains customer relationships and cultivates new contacts at regional key accounts.
•   Represent the Company regarding its products and technologies to customers, including the ability to negotiate pricing on behalf of the Company within established guidelines.
•   Responsible for the execution of a regional sales plan.
•   Serves as the primary customer contact for technical and business issues for assigned RKAs.
•  Proactively provides analyses and recommendations on performance to management to enable the maximization of sales, contribution margin, and operating profit.
•   Delivers on territory growth targets (including volume, revenue, margin, and milestones), monitoring progress and proactively communicating forecasts and deviations.
•   Ensures products and technologies are understood by the customer and technical issues are resolved, working closely with Technology, Finance, Customer Service, and Supply Chain to ensure alignment and timely resolution.
•  Ensures that customer information, meetings, and agreements are recorded properly, on time, in full, and within the agreed formats and systems.

Ad 4. Ensure stakeholders and resources are aliged and in place
•    Adhere to strategy, process and guidelines set by Leadership, provide input and feedback for improvements
•    Upgrade customers engagement on continuous basis by working closely with all stakeholders
•    Identify the key decision makers in the RKA, build, implement and track a contact plan, develop strong relationships on multi levels at the RKA
•    Implement the contact, information and decision flow within Elementis (regional key account managers, sales managers, regional VPs, etc), lead and coordinate activities and information with sales in the region 
•    Define required technical sales, technical service and R&D resources to specific projects and opportunites for the RKA and customers in the territory
•    Develop and maintain productive and professional relationships with key employees
•    Coordinate the supply chain strategy and implementation plan for assigned RKAs and territory, optimizing the route-to-market, quality, and service levels in alignment with operation
•    Networks efficiently with regional cross-functional teams to secure positive engagement on regional key account management, acting as a recognized and valued value-added partner.
•    Influences and collaborates with local sales forces through the matrix organization, coaching and guiding members to ensure high customer engagement, monitor progress, and solve problems.
•    Actively monitors account progress to fruition, using coordination, persuasion, and internal escalation to clear resource blockages and support the local teams.

Ad 5. General
•    Represent Elementis in a professional manner, demonstrate the required values and behaviors internally and externally
•    Support marketing by gathering customer usage of key products
•    Make preparations of presentations, proposals and sales contracts
•    Develop sales forecasts for supply chain on a monthly basis
•    Write detailed call reports after each customer visit and share with organization
•    Attend trade-shows, seminars, and sales meetings
•    Gather and report information about competitors, products and practices, and where possible, obtain literature and samples. Regularly provide analysis of this information to Management
•    Reviews business performance, rationale, and NBO’s with Leadership Team on a regular basis.  Recognized as an astute, customer focused commercial manager with a Regional  outlook.
•    Continue personal development to keep abreast of products, applications and technical service; competitive activities; advertising and promotional trends through studying pertinent literature; consultation with marketing, technical service and innovation

Additional Job Description

Functional
•    Bachelor or Master’s degree
•    Minimum 10 years’ experience in an international company in the Paints & Coatings or adjacent market.
•    Minimum 5 years’ experience in Key Account Management, Sales or Purchasing
•    Proven track record in developing and growing commercial relations, successfully selling new products and growing revenue and margin
•    Experience with customer value propositions and value-adding sales
•    Strong Hunter mentality and profile required
•    Excellent interpersonal skills
•    Experience using MS Office products
•    Strong communication and presentation skills, ability to translate complex issues into simple understanding

Leadership
•    Shows dedication and passion, is self-starter, has high enthusiasm
•    Is influential at all levels, engages, creates buy-in for ideas and motivates others 
•    Drives high performance, delivers on commitments, improves processes 
•    Creates stakeholder value and strategic partnerships
•    Leads others through change and is able to deal with resistance
•    Ability to prioritize and multi task in high-pressure, changing environment

General
•    The position requires frequent and regular traveling
•    The position interacts with sales & technical sales in the region, other Functions within the region

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, Elementis does not discriminate in hiring or in the terms and conditions of employment because of an individual's race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, arrest record, citizenship or other category protected by federal, state or local laws.  

If you are an individual with a disability in need of assistance at any time during our recruitment process, please contact us at [email protected].    Please note: This email is reserved for individuals with disabilities in need of assistance and is not a means of inquiry about positions or application status.    EEOC Poster