Position Summary:
Join our exciting & dedicated team at Vallen as an Account Specialist. In this position, you will be responsible for selling and expanding the organization's solutions, products, and services. From here, you can achieve performance goals in areas of sales, gross margin, profitability, value propositions and/or other customer contractual agreements within assigned Integrated Supply accounts.
Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities:
- Leads efforts to explore, solicit and obtain new sales opportunities within assigned accounts.
- Builds rapport and collaborates with customer to understands customer needs and works to generate value added propositions around new products, processes, and services. Drives the development process from idea to implementation to ensure products or solutions meet customers' needs.
- Drives cost savings commitments: ensures goals are exceeded and are captured in Vallen VPP and/or customers ERP system.
- Designs and implements strategic sales plans to develop assigned accounts to meet and/or exceed contractual obligations. Leads and reports on KPI activities and commitments.
- Collaborates and builds relationships with Vendor/Supplier community to support solutions selling opportunities and the transition from non-franchised product to franchised product offerings related to those vendors.
- Performs other related duties as requested.
Job Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in a related field (e.g., Business, Supply Chain Mgt, Marketing, Finance, etc.) and 3+ years of outside or inside experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience in supply chain management, wholesale distribution, industrial distribution, manufacturing, or a similarly applicable industry (indirect materials a plus).
- Demonstrated product and sales knowledge (specific product knowledge may be required).
- Strong ability to develop and cultivate customer relationships.
- Demonstrate strong communication, planning, organizational, time management, problem solving and customer service skills.
- Demonstrated knowledge of product and solution-based sales life cycles and best-in-class processes.
- Proficiency with MS-Office products (Excel, Word & PowerPoint) and the technical aptitude to learn all company specific programs and software applications.
Work Environment & Physical Demands:
Reasonable accommodations will be evaluated and may be implemented to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions of this position.
- The work environment may not be temperature controlled; must have the ability to work in extreme hot or cold environments; must be able to work in dusty environments.
- Long periods working on a computer and performing repetitive keyboarding activities.
- Extended day, evening, and weekend work may be required as job duties demand and may include little to no advanced notice.
- May be required to handle hazardous materials and wear various forms of protective equipment (shoes, gloves, protective eyewear, etc.).
- May be required to drive a forklift and/or operate other standard warehouse equipment.
- Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
- May be required to pass forklift and/or other warehouse equipment certifications (written and/or driving).
- Must be able to handle and work physical inventory; required to lift up to 25 lbs or greater with assistance following standard operating and safety procedures. Other physical requirements including, regularly being required to stand, walk, kneel, bend, crouch, crawl, climb, and balance.
- Close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus are required.
Skills Required
- Bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent combination of education and experience
- 3+ years of outside or inside sales experience or equivalent applicable industry experience
- Experience in supply chain management, wholesale distribution, industrial distribution, manufacturing, or a similar industry
- Demonstrated product and sales knowledge
- Ability to develop and cultivate customer relationships
- Strong communication, planning, organizational, time management, problem-solving, and customer service skills
- Knowledge of product and solution-based sales lifecycles and best-in-class processes
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office products, including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint
- Technical aptitude to learn company-specific programs and software applications
- Ability to work in extreme hot or cold and dusty environments
- Ability to work extended days, evenings, and weekends as needed
- Ability to handle hazardous materials and wear required protective equipment
- Ability to drive a forklift or operate standard warehouse equipment, including passing required certifications
- Ability to handle physical inventory and lift up to 25 pounds or greater with assistance
What We Do
Vallen is a leading provider of indirect industrial supplies—all those materials that are not part of the products our customers manufacture. From earplugs to specialty tools, to abrasives and cutting tools, we cover the vast majority of our customers’ maintenance, repair, operations and production-related needs. Vallen is also a leader in safety services with offerings that include equipment inspection, maintenance, certification and solution design. Many of our customers look to us for integrated supply solutions and vendor-managed inventory, with Vallen associates on-site, bringing local knowledge and expertise to the specific needs of individual facilities.
