Account Manager

From a small family business to a multi-billion-dollar global company, Sonoco has been changing the face of products and packaging since 1899 — all while keeping the heart of “People Build Businesses” alive.

Our talented people are at the core of our growth, constantly reinventing the Sonoco wheel with brilliant solutions every year. Today we are a world leader in global packaging solutions with diversified operations in over 34 countries. We're extremely proud of our portfolio of brands, our achievements in sustainability and industrialization and the groundbreaking work accomplished by our people. 

Sales Manager – Partitions (Midwest Region)

Location: Chicagoland & Surrounding Areas

Reports to: Director, Sales Segment – Partitions

The Sales Manager for Sonoco’s Industrial Paper Packaging – Partitions business will be responsible for leading all direct sales activities across an assigned Midwest territory. This role focuses on strengthening Sonoco’s position as the preferred partitions supplier across key markets—including food, beverage, industrial, automotive, and consumer packaged goods—while expanding new business opportunities through value‑based selling, engineered solutions, and multi‑plant coordination.

You will maintain regular engagement with existing customers and prospective accounts, drive profitable growth, and ensure alignment with Sonoco’s commercial strategy, preferred‑vendor programs, and long‑term customer partnerships. You will also champion Sonoco’s service, quality, and engineering value advantages to protect and grow our footprint in a dynamic and competitive environment.

What You Will Be Doing

• Prepare and maintain updated account plans for major customers and high‑potential prospects within the assigned territory, including growth strategies, risk assessments, and competitive intelligence.
• Provide the Director, Sales Segment and cross‑functional partners with regular progress reports summarizing account activity, pipeline development, and commercial opportunities.
• Establish, execute, and continuously refine a territory call plan to ensure consistent engagement with all customers and prospects, including multi‑level and multi‑plant touchpoints.
• Maintain accurate, up‑to‑date visibility into gross margins, cost‑to‑serve, and pricing structures for all major accounts; make informed pricing recommendations that support profitable growth.
• Build and sustain multi‑level relationships across customer organizations—procurement, operations, engineering, quality, and leadership—to strengthen Sonoco’s preferred‑vendor position.
• Identify opportunities for value‑based engineering, packaging optimization, and cost‑reduction initiatives that reinforce Sonoco’s technical and service differentiation.
• Collaborate with internal operations, customer service, and supply chain teams to ensure flawless execution, service reliability, and proactive issue resolution.
• Monitor market trends, competitor activity, and customer shifts to help shape territory strategy and protect Sonoco’s position in served markets.
• Travel approximately 60% of the time across the Midwest to maintain strong customer engagement and support business development activities.

We Would Love to Hear from You If:

• You have a 4‑year undergraduate degree or equivalent professional experience.
• You bring 5+ years of sales experience, ideally in B2B manufacturing, packaging, or industrial products.
• You have knowledge or experience in protective packaging—including molded foam, plastics, fiber, thermoforming, or paper‑based protective solutions.
• You are skilled in value‑based selling, solution development, and navigating complex customer organizations.
• You are comfortable managing a multi‑state territory and maintaining a strong presence with customers across the Midwest.
• You thrive in a fast‑paced environment and can balance strategic planning with hands‑on commercial execution.

Skills

• Direct B2B Selling
• Sales Activities
• Marketing
• Price Management
• Negotiation & Contract Alignment
• Customer Relationship Development
• Territory Management
• Value‑Based Engineering Collaboration

Compensation:

This is a progression position, and level will be determined based on experience and business needs. The annual base salary range for this role is as follows:

• Account Representative: $73,280 - $82,400, plus an annual target bonus of 12.5% of base salary.
• Account Representative II: $99,360 - $111,780, plus an annual target bonus of 12.5% of base salary.
• Senior Account Representative: $111,760 - $125,730, plus an annual target bonus of 12.5% of base salary.
• Account Manager: $124,800 - $140,400, plus an annual target bonus of 12.5% of base salary.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and we strictly prohibit and do not tolerate discrimination against employees, applicants or any other covered persons because of race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, marital status, gender identity or expression, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any legally protected characteristic.