Senior Account Manager - Structural Steel Coatings

Job Description

Job Description

Pay: $85,000-$110,000, plus commission negotiable.

Location: John L. Armitage & Company (545 National Drive, Gallatin, TN 37066)

Required Travel 60%+

Job Description:

Industrial paint and coatings company is seeking an experienced, commercially driven Senior Account Manager – Structural Steel Coatings to manage, retain, and grow customer relationships within the industrial primers for structural steel market. This role is responsible for serving as a senior commercial and technical resource for accounts, combining account leadership, customer-site technical service, coating-system evaluation, quality support, and issue resolution.

The Senior Account Manager will develop a detailed understanding of each customer’s operations, coating processes, specifications, quality requirements, production objectives, and business priorities. The position will work closely with coating applicators, production managers, quality control personnel, purchasing teams, and executive leadership to improve coating performance and utilization, improve customer satisfaction, and identify opportunities for growth, increased utilization, and new customer acquisition.

This role requires a strong blend of industrial coatings knowledge, structural-steel market familiarity, technical problem-solving capability, commercial judgment, and executive-level customer relationship management. The successful candidate will act as a trusted advisor and consultant on coatings, to customers while coordinating with sales, laboratory, technical service, operations, and delivery teams to ensure errorless execution and sustained growth.

Key Responsibilities:

·       Own and grow a portfolio of industrial coatings structural steel accounts, serving as the senior day-to-day contact for commercial, technical, product-performance, and service-related matters.

·       Build and maintain trusted relationships with customer stakeholders, including owners, senior management, purchasing, operations, production managers, quality, and coating-line personnel.

·       Develop account plans for key customers that address customer objectives, retention risks, competitive positioning, product opportunities, product requirements, and strategy.

·       Conduct regular customer-site visits to evaluate coating performance, application conditions, surface preparation, coating quality, production practices, customer satisfaction, and emerging product needs.

·       Provide technical and commercial support for industrial coatings used on steel deck, steel joist, fabricated structural steel, metal castings, fabricated metal products. Occasionally will be called upon to provide technical and commercial support for industrial coatings used on wood products such as OSB, fiberboard, particleboard, and engineered wood.

·       Perform technical audits of customer coating operations.

·       Evaluate coating performance especially corrosion protection, durability, appearance, film build, and adhesion.

·       Troubleshoot and coordinate resolution of customer concerns.

·       Support and schedule product trials, new-customer qualifications, line startups, process changes, and evaluations of new coatings technologies.

·       Develop and present technical recommendations, proposals, and pricing.

·       Coordinate laboratory, technical service, sales, operations, customer service, and delivery teams to ensure customer requirements are understood, service commitments are met, and issues are resolved promptly.

·       Coordinate with internal commercial leadership on pricing, sales projections, market dynamics, renewals, and growth initiatives.

·       Monitor customer activity and structural steel market conditions, including competitive developments, customer project pipelines, production trends, emerging coating specifications, environmental and health and safety considerations, and opportunities for new business and business growth within the structural-steel market.

·       Maintain complete and accurate records, including customer contacts, customer interaction reports, service reports, and customer issues.

·       Prepare, disseminate, and archive customer-visit reports, technical-audit reports, corrective-action documentation, follow-up and follow-through.

·       Follow all company and customer environmental, health, safety, quality, and security requirements, including safe chemical handling, required documentation, and appropriate use of personal protective equipment.

·       Travel regularly and extensively to customer locations, industry events, and account meetings; provide rapid response support for urgent customer or project-related issues when needed.

Required Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree or higher in chemistry, chemical engineering, business, or a related field; equivalent directly relevant industry experience may be considered in lieu.

Minimum of five years of experience in industrial coatings, and/or structural-steel fabrication, steel deck, or steel joist.

Minimum of five years of experience in technical service, account management, technical sales, or in coatings laboratory or production.

Demonstrated experience managing complex customer relationships.

Record of success for corporate and/or account growth.

Entrepreneurial spirit, strong self-motivation and drive.

Extensive knowledge of industrial coatings, structural steel manufacturing processes, coatings formulation, and common coating-performance issues.

Strong analytical, mathematical, troubleshooting, negotiation, presentation, and business strategic capabilities.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively with shop-floor personnel, technical teams, purchasing contacts, project managers, and senior customer leadership.

Demonstrated ability to independently manage priorities, customer issues, travel schedules, account plans, and follow-up activities.

Valid driver’s license and willingness to travel regularly and extensively throughout the assigned territory.

Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel and Word, as well as CRM systems, technical-reporting tools, formulation software, and financial software.

Preferred Qualifications:

Minimum of ten years of experience in industrial coatings, and/or structural-steel fabrication, steel deck, or steel joist.

Minimum of ten years of experience in technical service, account management, technical sales, or in coatings laboratory or production.

Benefits:

Health Insurance via Blue Cross/Blue Shield

Simple IRA with 3% matching

Paid holidays, vacation, and personal days

Use of company car