Account Manager

About Teknor Apex - Teknor Apex, founded in 1924, is a privately held global custom compounder with operations across North America, Europe, and Asia. - The company partners with manufacturers to develop custom polymer solutions and is guided by seven core values: integrity, partnership, sustainability, innovation, accountability, safety, and respect. Position Summary - The Account Manager, Eastern Midwest Territory, is responsible for driving profitable growth for Teknor Apex’s Engineered Plastics and Elastomers product within the geographic region. - This role manages an assigned territory and customer base while identifying, developing, and winning new business with OEMs, processors, contract manufacturers, and strategic partners. - The territory is the Ohio Valley (OH, Eastern IN, Western PA, Kentucky, Western Tennessee and West Virginia). - The ideal candidate brings a strong understanding of complex sales cycles, commercialization timelines, and the technical, quality, and regulatory requirements that influence purchasing decisions at companies that specify and use engineering thermoplastics and elastomers. - Success in this role requires the ability to drive material specifications at OEMs and specifiers while building and sustaining relationships with processors across the assigned sales region. Responsibilities - Own the commercial strategy and performance for an assigned territory, with responsibility for revenue and volume growth, margin improvement, pricing discipline, and long-term account profitability. - Develop and execute strategic account and prospect plans that expand Teknor Apex’s position in the assigned region. - Identify, develop, and commercialize new business opportunities through share gain at existing customers and prospecting at new customers. - Build strong relationships across procurement, supply chain, engineering, quality, regulatory, manufacturing, executive, and commercial stakeholders within target accounts. - Partner with Sales Management on forecasts, pricing strategies, business reviews, contract development, and major commercial negotiations. - Work closely with Application Development, Technical Service, Product Management, Marketing, Sales Development, Supply Chain, Operations, and global teams to support material selection, trials, qualifications, commercialization, and issue resolution. - Translate customer performance, processing, and compliance requirements into value-based material recommendations and commercial proposals. - Create and deliver effective sales and technical presentations that educate customers, differentiate Teknor Apex solutions, and advance opportunities to close. - Communicate regularly with customers to uncover needs, drive growth plans, resolve open issues, and ensure strong ongoing account support. - Develop customer-specific value programs, including vendor-managed and other service-oriented programs, where appropriate. - Gather and communicate competitive intelligence related to products, pricing, market activity, compliance trends, and competitive threats. - Represent Teknor Apex at trade shows, industry events, customer meetings, sales meetings, and training events. - Train, coach, and mentor other commercial team members as appropriate. - Perform additional duties and responsibilities as assigned. Required Qualifications - 3+ years of successful B2B sales, account management, or business development experience in plastics, polymers, specialty compounds, chemicals, or a closely related technical industry. - Proven track record of profitable growth within complex accounts and complex selling cycles. - Strong working knowledge of polymer compounding and an understanding of extrusion, injection molding, and related conversion processes. - Ability to confidently provide technical product guidance and develop compelling value-in-use / value-based selling cases. - Demonstrated success managing customer relationships up, down, and across the organization. - Strong planning, forecasting, budgeting, account strategy, and pipeline management skills. - Proficiency with Microsoft Office, especially PowerPoint and Excel, along with CRM and account-management tools. - Strong oral and written communication skills in English; additional languages are a plus. - High self-motivation, accountability, and effectiveness in an independent remote role. - Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required; a technical degree in engineering, chemistry, polymer science, materials science, or a related field is preferred. - Routine travel up to 50% within the assigned territory is required; valid driver’s license required. Preferred Qualifications - Experience with TPV, TPE, and/or engineering plastics, nylon specifically. - Experience selling into specifiers and processors in the assigned region. Key Traits / Success Profile - Customer-focused and trustworthy - Technically curious and eager to learn applications in depth - Collaborative and effective across functions - Resilient and persistent in pursuit of growth - Strong listener and clear communicator - Team-oriented with the ability to build lasting internal and external relationships Essential Functions - Ability to safely and successfully perform the essential job functions consistent with the ADA, FMLA, and other federal, state, and local standards, including meeting qualitative and/or quantitative productivity standards. - Ability to maintain regular, punctual attendance consistent with applicable standards. - Must be able to lift and carry up to 15 lbs. - Must be able to talk, listen, and speak clearly on telephone and virtual media. Equal Opportunity - Teknor Apex is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any protected status under state or federal laws. - Must be 18 years of age or older to work at Teknor Apex.