Senior Account Manager (Performance Chemicals) - 1480

Sp Associates, Inc.; United States; On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Sp Associates, Inc. is seeking a Senior Account Manager to drive profitable growth across the Northeast coatings and related industrial markets.

You will develop strategic plans, expand current accounts, recapture lost business, and identify new opportunities while leading executive-level engagements. The role requires deep experience in specialty chemicals, strong negotiation and forecasting skills, and the ability to manage complex, multi-stakeholder sales cycles.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science, or a related field preferred.
• Eight to ten years of specialty-chemical sales experience with focus on additives.
• Experience selling into coatings, adhesives, sealants and elastomers (CASE).
• Coatings-market experience preferred; at least half of recent responsibilities.
• Strong understanding of formulation chemistry and product performance.
• Proven ability to manage complex, multi-stakeholder sales cycles.

Responsibilities

• Grow territory revenue by approximately $750,000 annually through new account development and recapture of lost business.
• Build executive and technical relationships to communicate the value proposition.
• Develop and execute key account plans, including pipeline development.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to meet customer requirements and regulatory needs.
• Negotiate pricing, terms, and supply agreements to protect revenue and margins.
• Maintain CRM records, contacts, plans, and forecasts.
• Lead customer engagement via quarterly reviews, technical presentations, and on-site visits.
• Forecast customer demand to support planning and inventory decisions.
• Resolve product-quality and service issues promptly per procedures.
• Provide market intelligence to marketing and product management.

Skills

CRM proficiency

Negotiation

Strategic planning

Presentation skills

Account management

Stakeholder management

Forecasting and reporting

Education

Bachelor's degree in chemistry/engineering/materials science or related field

Tools

CRM platforms

Job description

We are seeking an experienced Senior Account Manager to lead profitable growth across the Northeast. This individual will develop and execute strategic sales plans, expand existing accounts, recapture lost business, and identify new opportunities within coatings and related industrial markets.

Business area: Performance chemicals and specialty additives (Northeast)

Location: Northeast

Primary Responsibilities

• Grow territory revenue by approximately $750,000 annually through new account development, increased share at existing customers, and the recapture of lost business.
• Build executive, commercial, and technical relationships that support sustainable, long-term growth and clearly communicate the company's value proposition.
• Develop and execute key account strategies, including opportunity mapping, project management, account planning, and pipeline development.
• Collaborate with business management, research and development, production, customer service, and health, safety and environmental teams to deliver solutions that meet customer performance and regulatory requirements.
• Negotiate pricing, commercial terms, and supply agreements while protecting revenue and margin objectives.
• Maintain accurate CRM records, customer contacts, call reports, pre-call plans, territory updates, and pipeline forecasts.
• Lead customer engagement through quarterly business reviews, technical presentations, and regular on-site visits.
• Obtain reliable customer demand forecasts to support financial planning, inventory management, and supply-chain decisions.
• Resolve product-quality and service issues promptly and in accordance with established quality procedures.
• Provide market intelligence to marketing and product-management teams regarding emerging trends, unmet customer needs, and competitive activity.
• Prepare accurate information for annual planning, budgeting, forecasting, and business reviews.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science, or a related field preferred.
• Eight to ten years of recent specialty-chemical sales experience with a strong focus on additives.
• Demonstrated success generating new business within industrial markets such as coatings, adhesives, sealants and elastomers (CASE), and graphic arts.
• Substantial coatings-market experience, ideally representing at least half of the candidate’s recent commercial responsibilities.
• Experience selling defoamers, dispersions, or closely related performance additives is strongly preferred.
• Strong understanding of formulation chemistry, product performance, and application testing.
• Proven ability to manage complex sales cycles involving technical, operational, procurement, and executive stakeholders.
• Proficiency with CRM platforms, account planning, pipeline management, forecasting, and detailed sales reporting.
• Strong consultative-selling, negotiation, project-management, strategic-planning, and presentation skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.

Key Relationships

Internal: Business management, research and development, production, customer service, product management, marketing, and health, safety and environmental teams.

External: Existing and prospective customers, strategic partners, distributors, and professional associations.