Key Account Manager

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. Up to 75% travel is required.

Responsibilities

• 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.
• Other duties as assigned

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

The purpose of the Sales Function is to deliver:

• Profitable revenue growth, including robust new business development.
• Achieve stated gross margin targets as a percentage of sales.
• Approach the sales process with a high degree of professionalism and effectiveness by successful utilization of customer centric selling skills and tools, such as use of scorecards, business reviews, EVE tools, high/wide/deep, 5 warning signs, prospecting & new account calls, development of a robust sales funnel, collecting ARs, avoidance of bad debts, cross selling, and effective CRM system management.
• Delivering year-over-year growth in Operating Income and Sales. Must have a proven track record of growing a business.
• Creating an environment where a highly motivated, engaged team of Sales professionals thrive.
• Ability to coach, mentor and develop direct reports is a key aspect of this position.
• Development of 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. Must be experienced in developing a budget, operating plan and goals for sellers and technical representatives that align & ensure delivery of the annual operating plan commitments. Development of short- and long-term sales forecasts for product lines and markets and preparation the business plan, strategy, and implementation of a successful business plan annually.
• Performing market share analysis and preparation of recommendations for increasing market share.
• Maintaining first-hand knowledge of technology changes, material development and market place conditions; makes presentations at sales meetings.
• Serving as a member of the Commercial Leadership team in meetings and working on projects across the Division.
• Develop and execute global account strategies in concert with Avient strategic marketing and sales objectives.
• Gain or increase sales at assigned accounts.
• Establish and direct Platinum Account 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 Platinum Accounts.
• Prepare and present sales and technical information for customers.
• Conduct annual performance reviews with assigned Platinum Accounts/Avient management.
• Establish buying influences, budgets and purchasing criteria for assigned accounts.
• Resolve customer issues/problems.
• Develop and maintain updated customer account profiles, B2B sales projects and Lab Resource Requests.
• Conduct internal blue sheet sessions on top opportunities.
• Utilize Strategic Selling concepts in day-to-day sales management including conducting appropriate blue sheet sessions with appropriate internal personnel.
• Act as leader and role model to others within sales organization.

Scope

Personnel: Individual contributor with ability to matrix globally.

Budget: None.

Sales Revenue: Territory specific.

• Bachelor's degree in related field or equivalent experience

• 10+ years of experience in Sales and Customer Service, including strategic selling, tactical sales techniques, full-cycle sales execution, and product knowledge

• 7 years of experience in account management, including customer retention and relationship growth
• 5 years of experience managing large or enterprise-level accounts
• 5 years of experience in cold calling and outbound sales prospecting
• 7 years of experience in cross-functional process improvement initiatives
• 7 years of experience applying structured problem-solving techniques to business and customer challenges
• 5 years of experience working in global or multi-regional business environments

Our purpose at Avient Corporation is to be an innovator of materials solutions that help our customers succeed, while enabling a sustainable world.

Innovation goes far beyond materials science; it's powered by the passion, creativity, and diverse expertise of 9,000 professionals worldwide. Whether you're a finance wizard, a tech enthusiast, an operational powerhouse, an HR changemaker, or a trailblazer in materials development, you'll find your place at Avient.

Join our global team and help shape the future with sustainable solutions that transform possibilities into realities. Your unique perspective could be the key to our next breakthrough!

We believe that all of our global employees are leaders and that the six most important behaviors for driving our strategy and culture are the same no matter if an employee is a leader of self, a leader of others, or a leader of the business.

By playing to win, acting customer centric, driving innovation and profitable growth, collaborating seamlessly across Avient, and motivating and inspiring and developing others and yourself you will accelerate your ability to achieve Avient's strategic goals, to meet our customer needs, and to accomplish your career goals.

At Avient, we believe a wide variety of thoughts, ideas and backgrounds gives us the creativity to be successful in a rapidly changing world. In support of this, we stress equality of opportunity for all qualified individuals in accordance with applicable laws. Decisions on hiring, promotion, development, compensation or advancement are based solely on a person's qualifications, abilities, experience and performance.

Avient is an equal opportunity employer. We maintain a policy of non-discrimination in providing equal employment to all qualified employees and candidates regardless of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, color, religion, national origin, disability, genetic information, protected veteran's status, or other legally protected classification in accordance with applicable federal, state and local law. If you need an accommodation because of a disability to complete an online application, please contact the Avient HR Team by emailing, ApplicationAccommodation@Avient.com.