Channel Account Manager

Fortress Safety; Illinois; Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

24 days holiday + 9 office closure

401(k) matching

Profit-sharing potential

14 weeks parental leave

Group healthcare

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

Fortress Safety, a leader in machine safety, is seeking a Partner Development Manager for the Central Midwest (MN, WI, IL). Hybrid role covering distributors, integrators, and channel partners across Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois.

You will build a growth engine, mentor distributors, and directly influence how fortress safety products reach factories and machine builders in the Midwest. Expect cross-functional collaboration with Safety Services and Marketing to drive training and campaigns.

Qualifications

• Must have proven channel or distributor sales experience in industrial markets.
• Experience coordinating with distributors, integrators, or resellers, not just direct sales.
• Ability to forecast, manage pipeline, and track partner performance.

Responsibilities

• Own and grow relationships with distributors, integrators, and channel partners across the region.
• Lead joint sales calls, guide technical conversations, and drive deals to close.
• Develop strategic partner plans with measurable KPIs and shared revenue targets.
• Recruit new strategic partners aligned with Fortress Safety's direction.
• Collaborate with Safety Services to deliver partner trainings and product expertise.
• Collaborate with Marketing on co-branded campaigns and lead generation.
• Present partner performance and growth opportunities to leadership.
• Lead negotiations and ensure compliant, fair partnership agreements.

Skills

Channel sales

Industrial automation

Distributor/reseller management

CRM forecasting & pipeline

Strategic partner planning

Travel willingness

Cross-functional collaboration

Negotiation

Communication

Tools

Salesforce CRM

MS Excel

Job description

Partner Development Manager (Also known in the industry as: Channel Account Manager - Channel Sales Manager - Business Development Manager - Channel)

Location: Central Midwest (MN, WI, IL) - Hybrid

Imagine owning an entire territory's worth of distributor and reseller relationships - Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois - and being the person who turns those partnerships into real, measurable growth. That's this role. If you love the buzz of channel sales, know how to get the best out of resellers and integrators, and you've got a technical curiosity for how things like sensors, interlocks, and machine safety systems actually work - this could be one of the most rewarding moves of your career.

Why this role is a genuine step up:

You won't be managing a spreadsheet of accounts - you'll be building a growth engine. You'll shape how Fortress Safety shows up across an entire regional partner network, mentor distributors to sell smarter, and directly influence how safely factories and machine builders across the Midwest operate. It's commercial, it's technical, and it's genuinely purpose-led: every deal you help close protects real people on real production floors.

What you'll be doing:

• Owning and growing relationships across your assigned network of distributors, integrators, and channel partners - becoming their go-to trusted advisor, not just their supplier contact
• Getting hands-on in joint sales calls, guiding technical conversations, and pushing deals through to close
• Building strategic partner business plans with real KPIs and shared revenue targets - not just wish lists
• Scouting and recruiting new strategic partners who fit where Fortress is heading next
• Partnering with our Safety Services team to deliver training that makes your partners genuine product experts
• Teaming up with marketing to launch co-branded campaigns and lead-gen activity that actually moves the needle
• Presenting partner performance and growth opportunities directly to leadership
• Leading commercial negotiations and keeping partnership agreements sharp, fair, and compliant

What you'll bring:

• A track record of success in B2B or channel-led sales - ideally within industrial automation, machine safety, sensors, or adjacent technical markets
• Real experience working through distributors, integrators, or resellers (not just direct end-user sales)
• Strong commercial instincts and the confidence to align partner activity to a bigger regional strategy
• Comfort living in a CRM - forecasting, pipeline discipline, and partner performance tracking are second nature to you
• The ability to influence without formal authority, and to thrive in a matrixed, cross-functional environment
• A confident, personable communication style - you build trust fast, whether in a boardroom or a factory floor walkthrough
• A proactive, self-starting mindset with genuine enthusiasm for travel across your territory

What we offer:

• 24 days holiday + 9 office closure days
• 401(k) matching and profit-sharing potential
• 14 weeks fully paid parental leave
• Group healthcare (medical, dental, vision) with family/partner options
• Employee Assistance Program and long service recognition

About Fortress Safety

Since 1977, Fortress Safety has been protecting people and equipment in hazardous environments worldwide - from our UK HQ in Wolverhampton to operations across the USA, Europe, Australia, China, and India. As part of Halma plc (a UK FTSE 100 company with 8,000+ people across 50+ businesses), we're backed by scale but built on purpose: keeping people safe, every day.

Inclusion & Belonging

At Fortress, we don't just accept difference - we celebrate it. We're committed to building an inclusive environment for everyone, and if you need any adjustments during the recruitment process, just let us know.

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