Strategic Account Manager , U.S. - Flooring SBU

Milliken & Company is a global manufacturing leader whose focus on materials science delivers tomorrow’s breakthroughs today. From industry-leading molecules to sustainable innovations, Milliken creates products that enhance people’s lives and deliver solutions for its customers and communities. Drawing on thousands of patents and a portfolio with applications across the textile, flooring, chemical and healthcare businesses, the company harnesses a shared sense of integrity and excellence to positively impact the world for generations. Discover more about Milliken’s curious minds and inspired solutions at Milliken.com and on Facebook, Instagram and  LinkedIn.

POSITION TITLE

Strategic Account Manager - US

LOCATION

Preferred candidate location – Any major U.S. metro with national airport access

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Strategic Account Manager (SAM) is responsible for developing, strengthening, and growing strategic customer relationships across the U.S. This role focuses on identifying enterprise-level opportunities, advancing account-level strategy, and expanding Milliken’s position within key customer organizations.

The SAM works closely with sales leadership, regional and territory teams, marketing, sustainability, product, customer experience, and other cross-functional partners to ensure Milliken shows up as a coordinated, strategic partner focused on long-term value creation.

The goal of this role is to create measurable customer value, accelerate strategic account growth, and support overall revenue and profitability targets across assigned accounts.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop and execute strategic account plans including key stakeholder mapping, growth opportunities, retention strategies, and long-term account objectives.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with end-users, specifiers, influencers, and procurement decision makers to deepen engagement and expand Milliken’s presence within assigned accounts.
• Apply value-based selling anchored in Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) to demonstrate long-term operational and financial advantages beyond unit cost.
• Lead and coordinate proposal, negotiation, pilot, and rollout activities across assigned strategic accounts, including RFI, RFP, and RFQ responses.
• Ensure teams are aligned to the customer's priorities, decision process, and long-term objectives to support sustained growth and account expansion.
• Partner with regional and territory sales teams to support consistent execution, alignment, visibility, and communication across customer touchpoints.
• Provide insight on customer needs, market activity, and competitive positioning to inform marketing, product development, and commercial strategy.
• Engage with sustainability, marketing, product, and sales enablement resources to deliver compelling, differentiated messaging and customer-specific value propositions.
• Represent Milliken at key customer events, industry conferences, and strategic forums to advance relationships and uncover new opportunities.
• Maintain accurate pipeline visibility and forecasting discipline using CRM tools and standardized sales process expectations.

Performance Metrics

• Growth and retention of strategic accounts
• Strategic account penetration and share expansion
• Contribution to U.S. and North American revenue and EBIT growth
• Forecast accuracy and execution of strategic account plans

QUALIFICATIONS - REQUIRED

• Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Proven experience in strategic selling, account leadership, or business development in a commercial or B2B environment.
• Strong communication skills and executive presence, with the ability to engage multiple decision-maker levels.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and coordinate complex work across functions and regions.
• Proficiency in CRM systems and standard business applications (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Salesforce or similar).
• Willingness to travel approximately 60% depending on business needs.

The successful candidate will have strengths in the following:

• Strong strategic thinking capability with the ability to influence and persuade internal and external stakeholders without direct authority.
• Experience building long-term customer relationships grounded in trust, commercial insight, and partnership.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to tailor messaging to executive audiences and cross-functional teams.
• Demonstrated judgment and problem-solving capability with the ability to navigate ambiguity and remove barriers to progress.
• Ability to prioritize and lead multiple initiatives while managing complexity across customers, teams, and timelines.
• A growth-minded, proactive approach focused on creating measurable customer and business impact.
• Ability to operate with discipline and resilience in a fast-paced environment with evolving priorities.

#LI-EC1 

Milliken is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition, including but not limited to lactation), sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression (including transgender status), ancestry, national origin, citizenship, age physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran or military status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

To request a reasonable accommodation to complete a job application, pre-employment testing, a job interview, or to otherwise participate in the hiring process, please contact TalentAcquisition@milliken.com.