Key Account Manager

Responsibilities

• Manages and cultivates highly complex and key internal and external customer relationships, identifies strategic initiatives and opportunities, and employs account management skills to accelerate growth and return on investment for select accounts in the food market sector.
• Assists with developing and implementing national marketing campaigns and strategies to drive accelerated sales within select key accounts.
• Develops relationships with key contacts in multiple functions in assigned Key Accounts, including, Quality, Regulatory, procurement, Operations, and Food Safety.
• Partners with customers through a strategic and consultative approach to understand their business needs, issues, strategies, and priorities to deliver a Hygiena value-adding business solution.
• Develops and manages a sales pipeline to analyze and manage activity and monitor sales activity against assigned sales quotas.
• Communicates and leads all aspects of the selling cycle for selected Key Accounts both Internally and externally.
• Recommends adjustments to business plan and establishes new objectives to maximize sales effectiveness.
• Develops comprehensive Key Account business plans for each Key Account focused on strategies for accelerated growth both long and short term.
• Manages sales pipeline to analyze and manage activity and monitor sales activity against sales quotas.
• Acquires and integrates industry knowledge related to general trends, emerging technologies, regulatory drivers as well as main competitors and how to sell against each
• Coordinates comprehensive calendar and meeting preparation/detail for customer events, attends customer events, conventions, key customer calls, etc. for key account customers.
• Prepares and delivers quarterly business reviews and competitive updates for Hygiena and key account customers.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in microbiology, Food Science or related Biology, or equivalent education and work experience, required.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in Food Safety required that includes the following: 3 years Pathogen experience
• Minimum of three (3) years of Strategic Account/Key Account Management experience
• Intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, Visio, PowerPoint) and Adobe Acrobat required.
• Knowledge and previous experience with CRM systems (MS Dynamics or SFDC)

Skills/Abilities

• Advanced knowledge and experience in sales and relationship management
• Proven performance of being able to negotiate complex contracts
• Excellent verbal and written communication.
• Must be able to influence results with customers, internally and externally.
• Must be able to use discretion and independent judgement.
• Must be able to execute projects/programs strategically throughout the organization.
• Must be able to work in a team environment, build internal alignment and influence internal contacts to drive accelerated sales in selected accounts.

Working Conditions

• Required to travel up to 75%
• Days consist of either driving and/or flying and driving to see customers in the territory
• May occasionally work evenings and/or weekends.