Position Title: Strategic Account Manager  

Department: Sales  

Reports To: Vice President of Sales  

Supervises: N/A  

FLSA Status: Exempt  

Summary

Our client is a global company that develops products for animal health and nutrition. The Strategic Account Manager expands partnerships with the largest customer accounts in the animal health and nutrition sector. This role builds long-term relationships to increase demand for products and services. It also gathers market insights to shape value propositions. The manager works with the sales team and regional sales managers to meet customer needs and reach growth and profit goals. The position needs technical knowledge, relationship skills, and cross-team coordination to support objectives in the North American market.

Principal Duties

- Follow all safety protocols and join safety programs to support a safe work environment.  

- Develop and implement account strategies that expand demand, drive growth, and strengthen partnerships for key accounts, leading to higher sales and sustained business relationships.  

- Join the North America sales team on visits to manage opportunities, set up follow-up processes, track leads, and handle projects to close deals and maintain progress.  

- Build trust-based, long-term partnerships with customers by understanding and addressing their needs over the medium to long term.  

- Handle direct relationships with strategic accounts, including negotiating contracts, pricing, and volumes to secure favorable terms and meet sales targets.  

- Gather market insights on competitors and trends to create and deliver value propositions that win business and inform company strategy.  

- Develop internal networks to coordinate with stakeholders and provide solutions that meet customer goals and improve outcomes.  

- Suggest new sales approaches for premixers and distributors, such as custom blends, to grow the business, working with product and species managers.  

- Manage distributor contracts on pricing, terms, and territories to ensure clear agreements and efficient distribution.  

- Prepare and share sales reports with account stakeholders to track performance and support decision-making.  

- Form relationships with key influencers in accounts, including management, nutritionists, procurement, CSR, and field sales, to influence decisions and expand opportunities.  

- Attend industry trade shows and events to represent the company and build connections that lead to new business.  

- Maintain regular communication with regional and species sales managers to share updates on accounts, collect field insights, and build a full market view that boosts sales results.  

- Collaborate with the sales and operations planning team and demand planners on forecasting and inventory, using input from species managers to follow director strategies and hit annual sales goals.  

- Oversee North America price lists by working with species managers, customer service, and data leads to apply pricing strategies that position the company well and maximize profit.  

- Perform other assigned duties to support team and company needs.  

Requirements

- Bachelor’s degree in animal science, agriculture, or a related field, or equivalent experience.  

- At least 10 years of work experience in the animal health or nutrition industry, with proven results in sales, business development, and strategic account management.  

- Experience in technical sales, including providing support to farms, nutritionists, and veterinarians.  

- Strong knowledge of animal nutrition and health.  

- Proficiency in CRM software like Salesforce.  

- Ability to read and understand written instructions, communications, and technical information.  

- Proficiency in a second language such as Spanish or French is preferred but not required.  

- Willingness to travel 60-70% for meetings, trade shows, and sales visits in the United States and Canada.  

Core Competencies

- Open-minded: Shows curiosity, openness, and acts to support innovation and change.  

- Accountable: Takes initiative and focuses on key priorities.  

- Achiever: Works for results, maintains high performance, and shows professionalism and persistence.  

- Team player: Encourages cooperation, collaboration, and team spirit.