Strategic Accounts Director, Auto Refinish – Remote

Axalta; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 200,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Paid time off

Job summary

Axalta seeks a Director of Strategic Accounts to drive the strategic direction, growth, and profitability of its Refinish North America partnerships. You will lead long-term account strategies, foster executive-level relationships, and align customer needs with Axalta’s business objectives to deliver sustainable value.

The role requires building cross-functional teams, shaping innovative offerings, and guiding commercial strategy across Sales, Marketing, and Product functions to maximize revenue

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree or MBA preferred.
• 10–15 years of progressive experience in sales, account management, or customer strategy roles.
• Demonstrated success in managing complex, multi-level customer relationships and negotiating high‑value agreements.
• Strong business acumen with deep understanding of MSO operations, jobber networks, and collision repair industry economics.
• Exceptional negotiating and influencing skills as well as exceptional communication and presentation skills.
• Experience leading cross‑functional teams and driving alignment across diverse stakeholders.
• Proficiency in MS Office and Salesforce; strong analytical and strategic thinking capabilities.
• Autonomy in dynamic, fast‑paced environments.
• Ability to travel internationally and domestically as needed.

Responsibilities

• Drive customer share expansion and portfolio penetration by developing and executing strategies that increase product and service adoption across existing customer relationships.
• Partner with Sales, Distribution, Marketing, and Technical teams to identify cross-sell and SKU expansion opportunities that deepen customer engagement, increase wallet share, and accelerate profitable revenue growth.
• Lead commercial margin improvement initiatives by proactively managing customer renewals, contract negotiations, pricing strategies, and value-based selling programs.
• Ensure commercial agreements appropriately capture the value delivered by Axalta while balancing long-term customer retention, profitability objectives, and competitive positioning.
• Champion technology transformation and innovation adoption by identifying, evaluating, and implementing new products, services, digital tools, and technology solutions that create competitive differentiation and unlock new customer opportunities.
• Collaborate with Product Management, Marketing, Technical Services, IT, and Operations to accelerate commercialization and drive market adoption of emerging technologies.
• Design and optimize organizational strategies and operating models to ensure the business can profitably serve targeted market segments while supporting long-term growth objectives.
• Continuously evaluate resource deployment, coverage models, organizational structure, and capabilities to improve customer service levels, increase productivity, and maximize return on investment.
• Develop long-range segment growth plans that align customer needs, market trends, technology roadmaps, and organizational capabilities with Axalta's strategic objectives.
• Establish measurable performance indicators and accountability mechanisms to ensure sustained growth, profitability improvement, and market share gains.
• Lead strategic account management for North America by overseeing planning, execution, and performance across key customer partnerships.
• Develop and implement multi-year account strategies that align with Axalta’s growth objectives and customer business goals.
• Cultivate and maintain executive-level relationships with strategic customers, acting as a trusted advisor and business partner.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (Sales, Distribution, Finance, Legal, Marketing, Technical Services, Supply Chain) to deliver integrated solutions and maximize customer value.
• Identify and pursue new business opportunities within existing strategic accounts, including expansion into new geographies, segments, or service offerings.
• Monitor industry trends, customer dynamics, and competitive landscape to inform strategic decisions and account planning.
• Ensure consistent use of CRM tools and data analytics to track performance, forecast growth, and identify improvement areas.
• Champion Axalta’s core values and foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and customer‑centricity.
• Partner with Refinish Senior Leadership Team to shape strategic initiatives and influence broader commercial strategy.

Skills

Strategic account management

Business development

Enterprise sales leadership

Cross-functional leadership

Negotiation skills

Communication skills

Salesforce

MS Office

Analytical thinking

Autonomy

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor’s degree

MBA preferred

Tools

Salesforce

MS Office

Job description

Axalta seeks a Director of Strategic Accounts to drive the strategic direction, growth, and profitability of its Refinish North America partnerships. You will lead long-term account strategies, foster executive-level relationships, and align customer needs with Axalta’s business objectives to deliver sustainable value.

The role requires building cross-functional teams, shaping innovative offerings, and guiding commercial strategy across Sales, Marketing, and Product functions to maximize revenue