Key Account Manager

Summary
The Key Account Manager is responsible for driving strategic growth by promoting advanced automation and manufacturing solutions with a compelling value proposition. This role focuses on acquiring new accounts in priority markets and expanding relationships within existing key accounts across the U.S. and Canada. The KAM serves as the primary commercial point of contact, identifying new opportunities, aligning solutions with customer needs, and supporting successful project execution. This position contributes to overall market presence and is accountable for meeting quarterly and annual bookings and margin targets through proactive business development, account management, and cross-functional collaboration.

Major Duties & Responsibilities

Account Strategy & Growth

• Develop and execute account strategies tailored to customer needs, supporting sustainable long-term revenue growth.
• Manage large, high-profile customer accounts while building strong relationships with decision-makers at all levels.
• Position the organization as a strategic automation partner to drive profitable, repeat business and project success.
• Identify and pursue new market opportunities; develop market entry strategies for underpenetrated verticals.
• Ensure sustainable bookings and margin growth by landing new customers and expanding existing partnerships.
• Conduct regular market assessments and analyze trends to inform strategic planning.
• Assist other account owners as needed.

Customer & Internal Collaboration

• Build effective working relationships with internal stakeholders to develop optimal customer solutions.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams to support successful account execution.
• Engage with strategic industry partners to stay informed on market developments and competitive activity.
• Conduct customer site visits to support business growth and opportunity development.
• Enable Sales and Service teams to exceed performance metrics, including proposal timelines and margin expectations.

Pipeline Management & Forecasting

• Manage and update the sales pipeline daily using CRM tools.
• Support capital equipment and service proposal development by articulating clear value propositions.
• Utilize regional resources to support customer engagement and responsiveness.
• Provide accurate monthly and quarterly forecasting.
• Maintain comprehensive records of customer interactions and documentation through CRM, ERP, and related technologies.

Market Engagement & Compliance

• Stay current on industry trends, customer investment strategies, and competitive movements.
• Represent the organization at industry events, customer meetings, and technical discussions.
• Ensure all business activities comply with ethical standards, organizational policies, ISO procedures, and safety guidelines.

Strategic Account Development

• Manage and grow a portfolio of strategic, high-value accounts across the U.S. and Canada.

• Serve as the primary commercial lead, building executive-level relationships and aligning solutions with customer priorities.
• Identify opportunities for upselling, cross-selling, and solution enhancements within existing accounts.
• Lead structured account planning activities including stakeholder mapping, growth strategies, and execution roadmaps.
• Support the development of top-to-top executive relationships to deepen trust and strengthen long-term partnerships.

New Business Acquisition

• Identify, pursue, and close new business opportunities within target industries.
• Develop strategies to secure new accounts and expand market presence in priority verticals.
• Collaborate with marketing and technical teams to position the organization's value in emerging markets.

Commercial Execution

• Lead the full sales cycle: discovery, value articulation, proposal development, negotiation, and closing.
• Apply value-based selling principles to connect technical solutions with customer ROI and business outcomes.
• Maintain rigorous pipeline discipline and forecasting accuracy through CRM tools (e.g., Salesforce).
• Support engineering and proposal teams in developing compelling, value-driven customer solutions.

Qualifications

Education

• Associate degree in a technical field preferred, with 3+ years of application/sales experience in field service or engineering environments.
• Experience using CRM systems and pipeline management tools.
• Proven success in meeting quotas and delivering results in a target-driven environment.

Experience

• 5+ years of progressive B2B sales, strategic account management, or business development within automation, capital equipment, or advanced manufacturing.
• Demonstrated success managing multi-site or global key accounts and driving consistent revenue growth.
• Proven ability to navigate complex sales cycles with cross-functional and executive engagement.
• Experience landing new business in emerging or underpenetrated markets.
• Familiarity with structured pipeline management and account planning tools (e.g., Salesforce).
• Experience supporting customers across multiple regions, preferably U.S. and Canada.

Required Skills

• 3-5 years of experience in industrial or systems automation is required
• Strong track record in managing and expanding strategic customer accounts.
• Deep understanding of value-based selling and the ability to link solutions to business outcomes.
• Experience with sales methodologies such as MEDDICC, Miller Heiman, or Challenger is beneficial.
• Proficient with modern sales enablement tools and technologies.
• Strong communication, executive presentation, and relationship-building skills.
• Highly collaborative, customer-focused, and driven to succeed in a fast-paced environment.

#LI-AS7 #LI-ONSITE
$120,000-$150,000 Base