Strategic Accounts Manager

Located in Raleigh, NC, AFEX Fire Suppression Systems designs and manufactures rugged, reliable fire suppression systems for heavy mobile equipment operating in demanding environments.

We are seeking a Strategic Accounts Manager to help drive growth through large end user accounts, national account opportunities, OEM relationships, and equipment dealer partnerships. This is a highly proactive, relationship-driven sales role focused on creating new opportunities, building trust with key decision-makers, and generating pull-through demand across industries that rely on heavy equipment.

The ideal candidate is a self-starter who is comfortable picking up the phone, making cold calls, networking at industry events, traveling to customer sites, and consistently creating activity. This person should be energized by building relationships from the ground up, opening doors with strategic prospects, and helping convert those relationships into long-term revenue opportunities.

This role requires someone who can move confidently between corporate offices, OEM and dealer environments, trade shows, and job sites. Success will depend on consistent outreach, strong follow-up, effective use of CRM tools, and the ability to connect AFEX’s value to the needs of large equipment users and manufacturers.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Account Development - Identify, pursue, and develop relationships with large end users, national accounts, OEMs, and equipment dealers in target industries including mining, forestry, waste, oil and gas, construction, and other heavy equipment markets.
• OEM & Pull-Through Growth - Build relationships that create demand for AFEX systems at the OEM, dealer, and end user levels, supporting specification opportunities, standardization efforts, and factory-installed program potential.
• Prospecting & Sales Activity - Execute a high level of outbound activity, including phone calls, emails, LinkedIn outreach, cold calls, networking, and follow-up with prospects and existing contacts.
• Customer Meetings & Site Visits - Conduct in-person and virtual meetings with customers, prospects, OEMs, dealers, distributors, and industry partners. Travel to customer locations, job sites, facilities, and events as needed.
• Event Networking - Represent AFEX at trade shows, industry conferences, distributor events, OEM meetings, and customer-facing activities. Proactively engage attendees, generate leads, and follow up on opportunities after each event.
• Pipeline Management - Use CRM to document activity, manage opportunities, track follow-up, and maintain visibility into the sales pipeline.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration - Work closely with sales leadership, distributors, marketing, customer service, engineering, and technical teams to support strategic opportunities and move prospects through the sales process.
• Market Intelligence - Gather insight from the field on customer needs, competitive activity, industry trends, OEM requirements, and opportunities for growth.
• Professional Representation - Represent AFEX with professionalism, confidence, and credibility in all customer, distributor, OEM, dealer, and industry interactions.

Qualifications & Skills

• Experience developing national accounts, strategic accounts, OEM relationships, or large end-user opportunities.
• 4–6 years of heavy equipment, safety, fleet, OEM, or related B2B sales experience preferred.
• Proven ability to prospect, cold call, network, and create new business opportunities.
• Strong relationship-building skills with the confidence to engage decision-makers at multiple levels.
• Comfortable working independently and taking initiative without waiting for direction.
• Strong follow-up discipline and ability to manage a high volume of sales activity.
• Comfortable traveling frequently and working in a mix of office, factory, trade show, and field/job-site environments.
• Ability to understand customer needs and connect them to practical, value-based solutions.
• Experience using a CRM system to manage pipeline, activity, and follow-up.
• Familiarity with industries such as mining, forestry, waste, oil and gas, construction, transportation, or other heavy equipment markets is a plus.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States.

Travel

This role requires approximately 50% travel for customer meetings, site visits, OEM and dealer engagement, distributor support, and trade show participation.

Why AFEX?

• We make products that protect people and equipment
• Opportunity to build and shape a social media presence from the ground up
• Stable company with a strong industry reputation
• Work that has real-world impact
• Competitive salary and benefits package
• Room for creative ownership and professional growth
• Opportunity to shape a young brand’s visual storytelling
• Collaborative team culture with an emphasis on innovation