Strategic Sales Manager

Strategic Sales Manager

Location: US Remote

Salary Range: $ 111,000.00 to $ 139,000.00

About SKF:

SKF, reducing friction since 1907, re-imagining rotation for a better tomorrow!

SKF is an industry-leading manufacturer that has been a cornerstone in industrial life. Wherever there are machines or products in motion, SKF bearings are there to reduce friction. SKF drives the industries that support our way of life, powers the machines that put food on the table, and even helps explore the cosmos.

Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. SKF is on pace to decarbonize all its production facilities by 2030.


We're guided by our SKF values. Collaboration is critical to the success of our colleagues, partners, and customers. Curiosity and Courage provide a foundation for innovation and advancement. And we do this work out of Care for our people, customers, communities, and the planet.


We're a company committed to a culture of belonging, where all our people are encouraged to be themselves and grow their careers in an equitable environment.


Learn about SKF at

The Strategic Sales Manager (SAM) is a critical field sales role representing SKF to large, strategic OEM's and is responsible for managing, developing and implementing initiatives and activities designed to improve our customer engagement and increase sales. As an output of these objectives, we are looking for an individual with strong motivation to manage and develop new opportunities and overall sales growth for SKF USA Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) products in the Agricultural industry. This role is accountable for ensuring a world-class customer experience, throughout the entire sales process and beyond. The candidate selected for this position will be responsible for the ownership of daily sales activities for assigned AG customers. These customers may have multiple facilities, regionally, and globally. These are customers who are generally leaders in their industry and have potential for significant growth with SKF. In addition, the Strategic Sales Manager will understand the Voice of the Customer (VOC). The person in this position is expected to clearly articulate this throughout the entire SKF sales organization and in support of new product development as well as the strategic planning process.

The ideal candidate will be a motivated self-starter that possesses strong verbal and written communications. This would include a thorough knowledge of the SKF business processes supporting sales transactions both internally and externally. The selected candidate will be part of a high performing team that will include Strategic Account Managers, Applications Engineering, Quality, Sales and Customer Solutions. This position reports to the OEM VP Strategic Sales - Agriculture.

Responsibilities Include but not Limited to:

• Carry out strong customer account management practices.
• Review, negotiate, execute, and manage customer agreements.
• Mitigate business risk associated with key customer inventory, forecasting, and open orders.
• Build, deepen and sustain customer relationships.
• Drive critical KPI's of customer scorecard
• Deliver consistent year-over-year sustainable profit growth within the assigned portfolio of business.
  • Short and long-term strategic goals are met through actively managing assigned portfolio of business for share retention, revenue and profit growth, quality, delivery, and technical support.

Effective pipeline development and management; customer acquisition.

• • Drive a robust pipeline of projects that will lead to profitable and sustainable growth.
  • New Business acquisition through aggressive targeting, prospecting and sales techniques.
• Proactively obtain and leverage voice of the customer (VOC) information.
  • Routinely secure and share across the sales organization, voice of the customer (VOC) information.
  • Leverage VOC information to support new product development and current product line improvement.
• Maintain effective and strong business management practices.
  • Monitor and report the assigned portfolio's key metrics to include revenue and margin performance, project pipeline, forecast accuracy, days sales outstanding (DSO), customer scorecards, and competitive threats; develop corrective action plans as necessary to deliver business plan.
  • Support and participate in the Strategic Plan development by providing customer, competitor, and market trends information.
  • Proactively work with our internal analytics to identify demand gaps (aligning with planning), and sales opportunities to capitalize on.
• Build and sustain strong internal partner relationships
  • Partner with cross-functional groups such as engineering, business development, quality, customer service, accounting, and demand chain in a way that delivers a world-class customer experience.
  • Work with product line and Business Development and AG Industry Director to deliver a profitable and viable customer solution.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's Degree, Engineering preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in Application/Sales Engineering, Business Development, Sales or Sales Management for an industrial products company.
• Secure and in-depth knowledge of the associated industry as well as customer products, business strategies, financials, and competitive threats.
• Proven track record of success and career progression within an industrial products company.
• Willingness and ability to travel 50-60% of the time domestically and internationally (as required).
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
• High level of business acumen and accountability
• Ability to prioritize and complete multiple competing tasks while providing a flawless Customer Experience
• Ability to align priorities between SKF sales, SKF manufacturing and the customer.
• Must be a motivated self-starter and team player, interested in being an integral part of a high performing, diversified team.
• Able to work in a fast-paced environment and evolving culture.
• Demonstrate problem solving and performance analysis skills

Desired Attributes/Skills:

• Comfortable providing product presentations via in person, phone, or web.
• Embraces change in the name of efficiency and effectiveness.
• Demonstrate the ability to prioritize tasks and time management skills.
• Demonstrate problem solving and performance analysis skills.
• Ability to influence others (negotiating skills, persuasiveness, and tenacity to follow up).
• Demonstrate understanding and ability to communicate technical information.
• Demonstrate basic understanding of financial and accounting practices.
• Aggressive, relentlessly inquisitive, and entrepreneurial.
• Driven by success and has a passion for winning.
• Proven ability to develop positive and lasting rapport with both internal and external customers at all levels of an organization.
• Proven ability to influence cross-functional teams without formal authority.
• Thrives in a team environment.
• Ability to manage your time efficiently, unsupervised and work from both a home office, company office, and on the road as necessary
• Able to drive improvements, propose new solutions and have a positive attitude.
• Demonstrate problem solving and performance analysis skills
• Ability to influence others (negotiating skills, persuasiveness, and tenacity to follow up)
• Demonstrate understanding and ability to communicate technical information

What You'll Love About SKF:

Rest and Relaxation. Enjoy a generous PTO policy and 13 paid holidays.

Work/Life Integration. SKF supports work/life integration, home, family, community, personal well-being and health. Flexible work options available, depending on role.


Diversity in the Workplace. At SKF, we strive to embed Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in everything we do. By developing a culture of belonging, our people can flourish; leading to an inclusive, equitable environment that promotes leadership, engagement and innovation.


Best in Class Benefits. SKF cares about the wellbeing of our employees. Comprehensive healthcare options to fit your needs and opt out payment. Added benefits include company paid life insurance, STD, LTD. Supplemental benefits include critical illness coverage, tuition reimbursement, employee discount programs, and much more!


Bonus. SKF offers STVS (Short Term Variable Salary) or Sales Incentive based on company performance and at the discretion of management.


Invest in your Future. Participate in our 401K program that boasts a 10% employer contribution: 100% match up to 5% of your elected contribution (100% Vested) plus an additional 5% company contribution.

About SKF

SKF has been around for more than a century and today we are one of the world's largest global suppliers of bearings and supporting solutions for rotating equipment. With more than 40,000 employees in around 130 countries, we are truly global. Our products are found everywhere in society. In fact, wherever there is movement, SKF's solutions might be at work. This means that we are an important part of the everyday lives of people and companies around the world. See more, at