Strategic Account Executive

MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc.; Canton (OH); On-site; USD 51,000 - 81,000; Full time

Job summary

MSC Industrial Supply Co. is seeking a Strategic Accounts Executive to drive sales growth across select key locations.

The role focuses on maximizing account penetration and retention by delivering measurable value through cost savings initiatives and CIRs, while building executive relationships with operations, supply chain and procurement leaders. You will develop strategic account plans, renew agreements, and ensure onboarding and adoption across sites, leveraging CRM tools and data insights

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business or equivalent experience.
• Minimum of 5 years of demonstrated sales and marketing success.
• At least 2 years in industrial, manufacturing, or distribution sales.
• Proven track record of selling profitable solutions and services.
• Excellent negotiation, relationship-building and closing skills.
• Ability to interpret customer financial statements to support solutions.
• Strong project management, data analysis and CRM use (Salesforce).

Responsibilities

• Sell, manage and retain portfolios over $250K in potential revenue.
• Develop and execute strategic account plans aligned with objectives.
• Identify churn indicators and implement retention interventions.
• Negotiate and renew agreements with at-risk accounts to optimize value.
• Deliver measurable cost savings and profitability through CIRs and reviews.
• Build trusted relationships with Operations, Supply Chain, Procurement, and Engineering.

Skills

Sales

Negotiation

Account Management

Relationship Building

Strategic Planning

Data Analysis

CRM (Salesforce)

Cross-functional Collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Salesforce.com

Microsoft Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Serving customers and our community starts with the best people doing their best work. That is precisely what we have created at MSC Industrial Supply Co. We are a leading North American distributor of metalworking and maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO), products and services. We offer more than 2 million products and have over 80 years of experience across dozens of industries. We aim to execute our Built to Make You Better brand promise for all our stakeholders, including our associates.

Employment Type :Full Time

Job Category :Sales

Work Location :Cleveland, OH

BRIEF POSITION SUMMARY:

Strategic Accounts Executiveis responsible for driving sales growth, managing and retaining select key account locations acrossportfolios exceeding $250K in potential revenue, driving profitable growth through customer analysis, strategic account planning, and value realization. This role focuses on maximizing account penetration and long-term retention by delivering measurable value through cost savings initiatives, continuous improvement reviews (CIRs), and solution optimization. This role develops trusted executive-level relationships with cross functional leaders in Operations, Supply Chain, Procurement, and Engineering, while also ensuring disciplined engagement at the site level to strengthen adoption and results. In addition, they position MSC's solutions as a long-term competitive advantage.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Sell, manage and retain portfolios over $250K in potential revenue to achieve profitable growth and retention.
• Develop and execute strategic account plans that anticipate customer needs, align with business objectives, and drive account penetration.
• Proactively identify churn indicators and implement interventions to safeguard retention and customer satisfaction.
• Negotiate and renew agreements with underperforming or at-risk accounts to optimize value realization and profitability.
• Deliver measurable cost savings initiatives and demonstrate profitability through regular customer assessments and solution optimization.
• Conduct Continuous Improvement Reviews (CIRs) with senior stakeholders to showcase value delivered and identify new opportunities.
• Build and maintain trusted internal and external relationships with leaders in Operations, Supply Chain, Procurement, and Engineering.
• Ensure seamless onboarding of new customers, coordinating with internal teams to deliver commitments and adoption.
• Engage with site-level contacts to strengthen solution adoption and ensure consistent execution of account strategies.
• Maintain disciplined use of CRM tools and reporting standards to ensure accuracy in forecasting and account visibility.
• Act as a strategic advisor by leveraging market insights, benchmarking, and industry trends to educate customers and strengthen partnerships.
• Analyze customer data and trends to recommend process improvements that reduce costs and increase efficiency.
• Present financial and operational insights to customer executives, linking MSC's solutions to measurable business outcomes.

QUALIFICATIONS

What You Need:

• Bachelor's degree in business or equivalent experience required.
• Minimum of 5 years of demonstrated sales and marketing success, including at least 2 years in industrial, manufacturing, or distribution sales.
• Proven track record of selling profitable solutions and services, consistently meeting or exceeding sales plans.
• Demonstrated excellence in sales, negotiation, relationship building, and closing, with the ability to influence at multiple organizational levels.
• Ability to read, interpret, and apply insights from customer financial statements to support solution recommendations.
• Strong project management skills with a solid history of accountability and results.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Salesforce.com (CRM).
• Ability to gather, analyze, and synthesize data from multiple systems to recommend solutions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to develop and deliver impactful presentations.
• Strong interpersonal skills with proven success collaborating cross-functionally (e.g., Marketing, Product Management, Finance) and with leaders holding competing priorities.
• High attention to detail, follow-through, and ability to adapt quickly to changing business needs and market conditions.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to make sound, timely decisions.
• Self-motivated and adaptable, able to perform effectively in both independent and team environments.

Bonus Points If You Have:

• Industrial or manufacturing segment experience preferred

Other Requirements:

• A valid driver's license may be required.
• Capable of driving up to several hours per day to customer location(s) within an assigned territory or region is required
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs and perform physical tasks (walking, bending, standing for long periods).
• Willingness to comply with customer safety and PPE protocols.
• This position may require access to International Traffic in Arms Regulations Information (“ITAR”) and/or Controlled Unclassified Information (“CUI”)

*INDICATES ESSENTIAL DUTIES

To perform this job successfully an associate must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed are representative of knowledge, experience level and abilities required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties.

Compensation starting at $51,401 - $80,773 plus commission depending on candidate location and experience.

The salary range represented is based on similar roles in comparable industries, and the cost of labor in respective cities. Actual compensation is based on the candidate's relevant experience, education requirements and peer pay equity. The Company reserves the right to modify the range as market conditions change.

This job posting will remain open for a minimum of 3 business days from the original posting date or longer as needed to fill the position.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

At MSC, we are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all qualified applicants and our associates without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, sexual orientation or any category protected by applicable law. Accommodation requests can be made at any stage of the recruitment process; applicants are asked to make their needs/requirements known.

Please note that MSC uses electronic monitoring and system logs in its workplace, including monitoring of Company-provided systems and collaboration tools, as permitted by applicable law.