Strategic Account Manager - Remote Eligible

Strategic Account Manager

As the largest pureplay adhesives company in the world, H.B. Fuller's innovative, functional coatings, adhesives and sealants enhance the quality, safety and performance of products people use every day. Founded in 1887, with 2024 revenue of $3.6 billion, our mission to Connect What Matters is brought to life by more than 7,500 global team members who collaborate with customers across more than 30 market segments in over 140 countries to develop highly specified solutions that enable customers to bring world-changing innovations to their end markets.

This role develops and owns a strategic plan for assigned accounts and drives the execution of the plan through expert communication, coordination of activities and influence of indirect resources.

• Develops sales funnel for future growth opportunities

• Drives and delivers HBF's commercial goals, optimizing share, price and profitability

• Anticipates and meets the needs of the customer

• Consistently applies sales process and use of all sales tools

• 20% of time focused on growth (larger opportunities).

ACCOUNTABILITY

• Develops strategy and an account plan for short and long term to defend and grow the account, optimize profitability, and manage risk

• Strategic Account Manager is accountable for delivering annual business results, aligned with business plan, sales, CM and volume

• Negotiates pricing and margin (aligned with the business) using value selling and the flip pricing tool to capture the optimum price and margin for H.B. Fuller

• Owns the contact matrix, ensuring that the expectations of all parties are set and met, internal & external

CUSTOMER FOCUSED

• Drive customer intimacy by delivering HBF's value proposition tailored to meet the needs of the customer

• Identifies customer needs and translates into opportunities.

• Promote, quantify and expertly sell value, which differentiates H.B. Fuller in the market and adds value to our customers

• Consistently deliver value to our customers to realize customer loyalty and minimize erosion

• Provide insight to the customer through expert application of skills and knowledge. Anticipate current and future needs of the customer through deep understanding of the customer's business

• Demonstrates the ability to teach the customer on current market trends and issues, and is able to be a strategic partner to our customers on key issues such as industry and raw material trends

SALES COMPETENCIES & BEHAVIORS

• Negotiating: Negotiates skillfully in all situations; including at headquarters with procurement professionals. Understands the needs of the customer and HBF, and incorporates this knowledge into negotiations for a win/win solution.

• Managing a portfolio: Managing segment-specific, regional strategic accounts. Allocates an appropriate amount of time to optimize results from portfolio of customers. Astutely selects opportunities for growth and allocates time appropriately to grow business. Taps into H.B. Fuller resources to ensure organization is aligned with customer priorities.

• Demonstrating strategic intent / Being Innovative: Able to develop own strategic plans with well-considered research and identified opportunity. Primary contacts are procurement (HQ) and technical / production contacts at sites. Has awareness of H.B. Fuller innovation goals and incorporates into customer plans.

• Presenting: An effective presenter for simple and complex topics in a variety of settings, both inside and outside the organization.

• Questioning / Listening: Increases listening skills through practice; asks clarifying questions for increased understanding. Restates or summarizes the message accurately.

• Communicating: Consistently delivers accurate, clear, and concise messages orally and/or in writing to effectively inform an individual or group. Adapts to the needs of individuals or groups to ensure his/her message is understood.

• Prospecting: Allocates at least 20% of time prospecting. Research is focused on identifying needs and on understanding and recording share of wallet data across customer's business. Always working on opportunity to acquire new strategic accounts

• Being a team player: Understands the importance of applying good influence management skills to get the best out of individuals and teams.

KNOWLEDGE

• Customer Knowledge: Intimately understands the customer's business and strategy, and is able to articulate strategic fit of H.B. Fuller and the customer.

• Products & Value: Has good understanding of customer's products and H.B. Fuller technologies

• Tailors service and technical support to the needs of the customer

• Agrees goals with customer to deliver quantified value

• Sales Process & Sales Tools: Consistent user of salesforce.com and FLIP pricing tool

• Invests sufficient time on discovering and meeting needs

• Trends in Market & Industry: Building a working knowledge of customers, markets and industry, and leverages to enhance the sales process

• Supply chain & Customer Service: Knowledgeable of customers' plant location and business and understands impact of own and customers supply chain, and is able to incorporate into best deal for customers and HBF

• Business Acumen: Able to optimize products, price and service to meet customer needs, delivers value for customer and profit for HBF

• Technical Knowledge: Capable to run line trials with specific customers and advise on processing parameter settings, technical trouble shooting on customer site in alignment with R&D/Technical service and Quality department

• Basic Legal Knowledge