Account Manager (Midwest)
About Us
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!
Job Summary
The Avient Account Manager is responsible for profitable growth through the commercial management and sales of Avient Specialty Engineered Material rigid and TPE plastic solutions to top manufactures in the Consumer Market. Primary focus will be development of potential target customers based on a specialization platform. Includes forecasting annual objectives for sales, margins and volume growth. Expectations include the ability to sell at all levels of management and build relationships that ensure Avient will continue to get the first and last look. Individual must have the ability to assist customers and Avient account team members in problem solving to deliver solutions, bring energy, enthusiasm and professionalism to their daily routines. This role requires the individual to perform the function independently with minimal oversight, and effectively interact and influence at the managerial peer level. Up to 60% travel is required.Plastics industry and 5 years prior outside sales experience preferred. The ideal candidate will be located in the Midwest.
Essential Functions
- Profitable revenue growth, including robust new business development within key account base.
- 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, and 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 short and long-term objectives at designated accounts.
- Develop contact matrix and establish strong relationships with key decision makers and project facilitators
- Prospecting and cold calling
- Establish account development plans and network resources up, down and across both the customer’s organization and Avient.
- Develop, execute and manage sales plans, sales budgets, and expense budgets.
- As an individual and sales team member, contributes to the company's planning of both long- and short-term business objectives. This will include periodic and annual sales forecasts, as well as the setting of sales volume goals.
- Deliver the planned results (AOP).
- Exercises discretion and judgment with respect to specific selling activities. These include, but are not limited to, solutions including appropriate product grades to be offered for specific applications and markets; appropriate use of standard product grades versus a custom compounded product and; competitive pricing of products.
- Work collaboratively with other Avient business segments to project a unified “One Avient” presence when necessary at target accounts
- Develop account relationships, identify opportunities and capture service opportunities at strategic accounts within assigned industry
- Implement Avient's, pricing and market strategies as well as business practices. Negotiate customer contracts and value packages to insure an acceptable return on Avient resources invested.
- Create and maintain CRM data and sales statistics as required.
- Manage strategic relationships, cultivate new alliances, and monitor competitive activity
- Works to establish selling strategy/tactics; obtains orders; plans and organizes daily work; calls on existing contacts and prospective contacts; analyzes customer requirements and objectives to recommend Avient product solutions.
- Understand key players, applications, requirements, trends, and needs as well as Avient's potential and share within the consumer industry. Become an industry and product expert to leverage successes across the industry.
- Keeps Sales Manager informed of progress through regular activity reports/communications.
- Executes the growth strategy set by the Sales Manager and Market Manager at account base to deliver growth in focus market segment
- Works with Technical and Customer Service team(s) to ensure customer requirements and satisfaction are met.
- Other duties as assigned. #LI-CB1, #LI-Remote
Education and Experience
- Bachelor’s Degree required in Plastics or Polymer Engineering, Business, Chemistry, or related discipline.
- 5+ years sales experience in account management/sales, in manufacturing environment.
Qualifications
- Complex thinking skills in translating customer needs into solutions.
- Technical aptitude.
- Professional presence, including excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills.
- Broad knowledge of solutions, materials and processing.
- Self-motivated.
- Team player.
- Strong organizational skills required.
- Minimal training and oversight required.
- Works autonomously on a day-to-day basis.
- Strong computer skills, proficiency with MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
Physical Demands
- Work is in a home office environment
- Valid US driver’s license.
- Position will require up to 60% domestic travel
Avient Leadership Behaviors
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.