Strategic Accounts Manager

Description

Join the 125-year legacy of Potter Electric Signal Co. Potter has been a part of the St. Louis community since 1898 and we are very proud of our rich history in the fire and life safety industry.  Potter's mission is to be the "Symbol of Protection" for fire and life safety solutions worldwide by combining the latest technology in fire protection with the dedicated manpower for which we have been known for over one hundred years. Our vision is to provide industry leading quality solutions, products and services for the protection of life, property and the environment. With unwavering dedication to our customers, Potter looks to continue as the industry standard in both product and service with increased focus on international expansion. 

Each employee at Potter takes great pride in knowing that every product we assemble, service, and sell is for the purpose of saving lives around the world. We strive to provide employment opportunities to those individuals who are performance driven, team players, take pride in their work, and are enthusiastic and passionate about their job.

Potter Global Technologies and our private equity firm, KKR, value our employees and all that they do. KKR offers a unique benefit and opportunity for all employees to participate in an ownership program of Potter Global Technologies. Being a co-owner allows each employee to play a more direct role in the business itself and reap the financial benefits of the Company’s success.

The Strategic Accounts Manager will be responsible for overseeing the overall relationship and performance of an assigned group of Security Equipment Distribution (SED), National Engineered System Distributors (ESDs) and National Account / end user customers. This role will interact with Senior Leadership within each of these customers to increase Potter Fire Safety’s business and adoption of our technologies across their businesses. 

Essential Functions

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

1. Actively interact with leadership of assigned customers as the single point of contact for the management of the relationship, including agreements, pricing and offering as well as interaction with internal Potter Fire Safety Leadership team members as needed.

2. Grow customer revenue with Potter Fire for assigned customer base in excess of established goals.

3. Prepare and present Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) for assigned customers to highlight results, growth opportunities and customer needs to further develop these partnerships. QBRs should be completed in-person at least twice per year; the remainder would be virtual. 

4. Work closely with the Director of Sales, Sales Manager and team of Regional Sales Managers to coordinate any branch / local activities for assigned customers and communicate overall direction and initiative updates to the team. 

5. In coordination with the Business Development Manager, target national Architect, Engineering and end user accounts to increase Potter Fire’s presence in project specifications.  The expectation would be 2 in-person presentations to such groups per quarter. 

6. Using consultative selling skills, further develop existing relationships with end user accounts to maintain the relevance of Potter’s products in existing specifications, including but not limited to updating existing specifications to include new product / service offerings.

7. Working closely with the Marketing teams, develop and implement creative channel & product programs aimed to increase Potter Fire Safety’s business with assigned customers. 

8. Provide voice of the customer (VOC) feedback to the sales, marketing and leadership teams based on knowledge gained from customer presentations, customer needs, industry trends and codes / regulations. 

9. Identify & prospect new customer opportunities throughout the year to grow our customer base.  

10. Manage rebate and incentive program for SED and ESDs customers designed to accelerate growth.

11. Manage core travel and entertainment budget on a weekly, monthly, and yearly schedule.

12. Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Required Skills/Abilities

1. A goal-oriented, driven, and enthusiastic self-starter.
2. Strong business acumen and analytical skills.
3. Strong listening skills with the ability to quickly identify customer needs.
4. Demonstrated ability to establish and develop relationships with Senior Leadership within assigned customer base. 
5. Strong verbal, written, and presentation skills. Ability to empathize with the target audience and tailor communications to that audience.
6. Ability to act with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality.
7. Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines.
8. Ability to prioritize tasks and to delegate them when appropriate.
9. Strong listening skills with the ability to quickly identify customer needs.
10. Ability to work remotely on the road and in a home office environment.

Required Qualifications

1. Bachelor of Science Degree (or equivalent).
2. A minimum of 10 years of direct fire alarm sales experience with a demonstrated ability to manage Senior Level relationships as a Manufacturer’s representative.   
3. Ability to travel up to 75% of the time. Occasionally non-standard work hours are required for meetings and other industry events.
4. Able to understand and effectively communicate technical information to channel stakeholders including sales, management, installation, service, engineering staff as well as to local fire officials.
5. Strong software skills MS Office, Salesforce, and Potter developed software products.
6. Valid Driver’s License and Reliable Transportation to travel for business needs.

Work Environment/Physical Demands/Travel

This job operates in a professional business office or home office where standard office equipment is routinely used, such as computers, photocopy machines, fax machines, telephones and filing cabinets.

This position is largely a sedentary role. Must be able to lift 30 pounds at times.  Must be able to access and navigate each department at the organization’s facilities.

This is a full-time position, with travel up to 75% of the time. This role will work remotely in the field and in a home office environment.

Geographic Territory

Candidate must reside within the United States, preferably near a major airport hub as the role will require extensive air travel to support these customers.   

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of an employee for this job. Activities, duties and responsibilities may change at any time with or without notice.

Salary : $100,000 - $150,000