Account Manager Speciality Chemicals needed for a leading international speciality chemical organisation who utilise renewable resources to make thousands of everyday products including fragrances, personal care, plastics, household cleaners, resins, paints and rubber products, inks and films and make the world healthier, cleaner, safer and more efficient. They now seek and a specialist account manager to develop a portfolio of products in the speciality area of gels and digital resins.

Location: Almere, Netherlands Organization/ Unit: Commercial,

Purpose: The purpose of the position is to manage the direct and indirect sales of Speciality Polymeric Gellants, IFO’s and Digital resins in the Americas. External customers include key accounts, second tier accounts, agents, distributors and internet leads. Internal customers include products management, customer service, marketing and technical. The position manages all aspects of existing customer accounts and is responsible to grow the business through the identification of unmet customer needs, initiating and managing customer driven projects and the commercialization of new products.

Key Accountabilities:

• Grow sales in target market segments:
• By managing and optimizing pricing
• By indentifying and initiating new product development opportunities and initiating new application for existing products.
• By expanding the account base
• By proactively providing technical service support on product applications
• By quickly responding to customer complaints, inquiries, and requests.
• By differentiating the client from its competitors.
• By recognising full the client chemical value proposition and positioning with customer.

Manage assigned market segment through:

• Understanding the markets and the immediate/ long-term requirements to serve
• Gaining an understanding of the account’s customer requirements and recommending client products, programming or service solution to grow their customer’s business
• Anticipating changes in product, programming or service requirements and take action to lead the change as required
• Understanding competition’s marketing strategy and products positioning and exploit opportunities for competitive advantage.
• Understanding what market/ segment/ customers/ products will drive future Business Team resources to attack the opportunities
• Develop & report to the Business Team function account plans, utilizing knowledge of customer practices/ policies and business strategies that are designed to gain increased sales, market share and intimately “preferred supplier” status.
• By utilizing a team effort and input from critical corporate functions (e.g., Marketing, Technology, Manufacturing, Customer Service and Product Management.
• Also by gaining corporate agreement on stated short-term goals, long-term goals, and action plans necessary for achievement.

Provide monthly rolling sales forecast for territory

• By maintaining effective contact and communication with customer

Develop and maintain excellent contacts and relationships to maximize our client’s knowledge of customers strategies, current industry trends, and future business plan.

• By identifying and maintaining contact with key personnel at all account location which are important to business success and developing long-term customer relationship
• Maintain a seamless flow of information between our client and all customers

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE LEADERSHIP/ MANAGMENT:

• Action Oriented
• Customer Focus
• Integrity And Trust
• Listening
• Presentation Skills
• Drive For Results
• Team Spirit
• Project Management
• Strategic Agility

FUNCTIONAL/ TECHNICAL:

• Knows the market segment intimately
• Understands and markets we serve and the development and implementation of account plans
• Knows and cultivates relationships with key customers across all levels in their organization
• Capable of making presentations to key customers (and client’s senior managers) on behalf of our client.
• Must be knowledgeable of client’s (with training) work processes in order to quickly respond to customer issues and concerns

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree (technical) or equivalent – essential
• 3-5 years sales experience in chemical industry – essential; personal care experience highly desirable
• Business acumen – essential
• Informing (oral and written) – essential
• Presentation skills – essential
• Negotiating – essential
• Operate autonomously – essential
• Interpersonal savvy – essential
• Listening – essential
• Drives for results – essential
• English required, French and German desirable