Strategic Key Account Manager

Synthomer is a leading supplier of high-performance, highly specialised polymers and ingredients that play vital roles in key sectors such as coatings, construction, adhesives, and health and protection – growing markets that serve billions of end users worldwide. Headquartered in London, UK and publicly listed there since 1971, we employ c.3,900 employees across our 5 innovation centres of excellence and more than 29 manufacturing sites across Europe, North America and Asia. Around 20% of our sales volumes are from new and patent protected products.

At our innovation centres of excellence in the UK, Germany, China, Malaysia and Ohio, USA we collaborate closely with our customers to develop new products and enhance existing ones tailored to their needs, with an increasing range of sustainability benefits. Since 2021, we have been proud holders of the London Stock Exchange Green Economy Mark, which recognises green technology businesses making a significant contribution to a more sustainable, low-carbon economy.

Job Location: EU or UK based.

Reporting to: Group Distribution & ComEx Director & CCS Key Account Leader

Shape the Future of a Global Strategic Partnership

At Synthomer, we're looking for an exceptional Strategic Key Account Manager (SKAM) to drive one of our most important global customer relationships. 

This is not a traditional sales role. It's an opportunity to influence strategy, accelerate innovation, build executive-level partnerships, and deliver sustainable commercial growth across a world-leading coatings customer. You'll work at the intersection of commercial leadership, technical innovation, and global stakeholder engagement, helping position Synthomer as preferred strategic partner worldwide.

If you're a commercially driven leader with deep coatings, specialty chemicals, or polymer industry experience and thrive in complex multinational environments, we'd love to hear from you.

What You'll Be Doing

Drive Global Growth Strategy

As the global account leader you will develop and execute a long-term account strategy that aligns Synthomer's capabilities with customer's business priorities.

You'll:

• Create and deliver a global account growth plan across regions, products, and applications
• Identify and convert new business opportunities throughout customers organisation
• Deliver ambitious revenue, margin, and profitability objectives
• Build a robust opportunity pipeline that supports long-term growth

Build Executive Relationships

You'll become Synthomer's primary global interface, establishing trusted relationships across procurement, R&D, technical, and commercial leadership teams.

You'll:

• Engage key decision-makers and senior stakeholders globally
• Strengthen strategic partnerships through value creation and innovation
• Champion customer needs internally while representing Synthomer externally
• Create trusted advisor relationships that support long-term collaboration

Lead Commercial Excellence

You will take ownership of complex commercial negotiations and ensure global alignment across all customer agreements.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading contract and pricing negotiations
• Managing global commercial agreements
• Driving forecasting, pipeline management, and account reporting
• Aligning regional execution with global account strategies

Accelerate Innovation

Working closely with R&D and technical teams, you'll help bring innovative solutions to market.

You'll:

• Lead joint development projects (JDPs)
• Identify opportunities for differentiated technologies
• Translate customer challenges into actionable innovation initiatives
• Support growth through new product introductions and technical collaboration

Influence Across a Global Matrix Organisation

Success in this role requires outstanding collaboration and leadership.

You'll:

• Lead cross-functional global account teams spanning Sales, Technical, Supply Chain, and Marketing
• Ensure strategic alignment across regions and business units
• Act as the internal advocate for one of Synthomer's most significant strategic customers

Keep Ahead of the Market

You'll continuously monitor industry dynamics, customer trends, and competitor activities to help shape business decisions and future portfolio development.

What Success Looks Like

This is a highly visible role with clear performance expectations, including:

Financial Performance

• Deliver defined annual sales growth
• Achieve defined  annual gross margin improvement
• Maintain a pipeline at a defined KPI 

Strategic Development

• Deliver  execution of the global account plan
• Increase share of wallet  annually

Customer & Stakeholder Engagement

• Maintain strong internal stakeholder satisfaction ratings
• Deliver high levels of project execution and customer satisfaction
• Conduct regular executive-level engagements across the account

Innovation & Value Creation

• Build and maintain an active innovation pipeline
• Generate 15–25% of account revenue from new products and solutions

What You'll Bring

Experience

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Business, or a related discipline
• 8–12+ years of experience within coatings, polymers, specialty chemicals, or adjacent industries
• Strong track record in strategic key account management, global sales, or commercial leadership roles
• Experience managing multinational or global customer relationships
• Deep understanding of the coatings industry value chain

Skills

• Strategic mindset with strong commercial acumen
• Excellent negotiation and influencing capabilities
• Ability to navigate complex global matrix organisations
• Outstanding communication and stakeholder management skills
• Customer-focused and results-driven approach
• Strong cross-cultural awareness and relationship-building capability
• Ability to balance long-term strategic goals with short-term commercial priorities

Why Join Synthomer?

• This is a unique opportunity to:
• Lead one of Synthomer's most important global strategic accounts
• Operate with significant visibility across senior leadership teams
• Influence the future of a world-class customer partnership
• Work on cutting-edge coatings technologies and innovation initiatives
• Shape global growth strategies and deliver measurable business impact
• Collaborate with international teams and customers around the world

Ready to Make a Global Impact?

If you're passionate about building strategic customer partnerships, driving commercial growth, and delivering innovation in the coatings industry, we'd love to hear from you.

Join Synthomer and help shape the future of our global partnership.

🌍 Global Benefits Overview

• 💰 Competitive, market-aligned compensation

• 🎯 Discretionary global bonus scheme

• 📈 Discretionary Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTIP) – for senior positions

• 🚗 Company car or car allowance – varies by region and role

• 🩺 Healthcare – tailored to regional locations

• 👶 Parental leave and family support – maternity, paternity, adoption (aligned with regional policies)

• 🏡 Working options – flexibility where it matters, based on role and business needs

• 📚 Learning & development opportunities – training, online platforms, buddy/mentorship programs, Internal Synthomer University with L&D offers

• 💙 Wellbeing support – employee assistance program (EAP), mental health resources, wellbeing initiatives

• 🌱 Retirement / pension contributions – plans vary by country

• 🤝 Culture of Inclusion – where everyone can thrive

• 🏆 Performance culture, global reward & recognition programmes