Territory Manager

Territory Manager

Location: US Remote - Wisconsin 

Salary Range: $111,000.00 to $139,000.00

About SKF:

SKF, reducing friction since 1907, re-imagining rotation for a better tomorrow!

SKF is an industry-leading manufacturer that has been a cornerstone in industrial life. Wherever there are machines or products in motion, SKF bearings are there to reduce friction. SKF drives the industries that support our way of life, powers the machines that put food on the table, and even helps explore the cosmos.

Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. SKF is on pace to decarbonize all its production facilities by 2030.

We’re guided by our SKF values. Collaboration is critical to the success of our colleagues, partners, and customers. Curiosity and Courage provide a foundation for innovation and advancement. And we do this work out of Care for our people, customers, communities, and the planet.

We’re a company committed to a culture of belonging, where all our people are encouraged to be themselves and grow their careers in an equitable environment.

Learn about SKF at www.skf.com.

Summary:

The Aftermarket Territory Manager role is accountable for delivering consistent, sustainable, and profitable sales growth by actively creating incremental demand through new business development and competitive share gain. This role requires a strong hunter mentality, with a clear expectation to proactively identify, pursue, and win new opportunities across the territory.

The position engages SKF Authorized Distributors, Channel Partners, and End Users with a primary focus on winning new applications, and converting competitive positions to SKF solutions, while also expanding wallet share within existing accounts through strategic relationship development

Reporting to a regional Sales Director, this highly technical role is responsible for identifying, qualifying, and converting growth opportunities within targeted end users and channel partners. The Territory Manager secures SKF’s position on new products and applications by building a pipeline of new business, executing competitive take-away strategies, and delivering a flawless customer experience. This position serves as the primary technical and commercial resource for distributors and end users in a defined sales territory, partnering cross-functionally to win, implement, and retain business.

Sales territory geography includes Wisconsin. Subject to future adjustments based on business needs. Candidate must be located within the territory.

Key Responsibilities:

Deliver consistent year-over-year sustainable profit growth within the assigned portfolio of business

• Short- and long-term strategic goals are achieved by actively managing daily engagement with SKF Authorized Distributors, Channel Partners and end users; driving incremental sales growth through new account penetration, new application wins, competitive conversions, and expansion within existing accounts—supported by relationship building and a flawless customer experience.

Build, deepen and sustain customer relationships

• Enhance, broaden, and deepen key customer relationships that translate into measurable growth by uncovering unmet needs, qualifying new opportunities, and positioning SKF to take share from incumbent competitors through proactive, consistent customer connection.
• Consultative and collaborative approach with customers, their sales teams and engineers to clearly understand customer requirements, assess equipment needs and determine system requements to provide sales support while enhancing the customer experience
• Recommend improved materials or machinery emphasizing the benefits of lower cost or increased production
• Recognized by customers as trusted advisor; helping them to achieve their KPI‘s

Provide strong technical support to distributor and end-user accounts

• Recognized and motivated as the preferred technical partner for distributors and end-user customers in a defined sales area
• Fully proficient in providing technical support surrounding basic/intermediate level questions; relying on Application Engineers for higher-level, SME support
• Proactively perform application reviews for new opportunities to discover and recommend the optimum SKF solution
• Troubleshoot exisitng applications, perform visual analysis as part of an RCFA and define upgrade options
• Assess competitive share-shift opportunities and define/promote an SKF alternative

Effective and strong business management practices:

• Proactively identify, qualify, and document new business and share-shift opportunities in the sales funnel aligned to SKF growth strategies (new applications, competitive conversions, and product expansion).
• Actively manage the funnel with disciplined cadence (next steps, close plans, and stakeholder maps) to convert targeted prospects and competitive positions into won business while protecting and expanding existing share.
• Maintain and establish technical contacts to generate opportunities in the defined sales area
• Develops and execute cross-functional go-to-market (GTM) strategy with internal and external stakeholders

Strong customer account management practices

• Successfully manage end customers with an opportunity-based sales plan designed to protect existing business, win new applications, and execute competitor take-away plans that expand SKF product penetration and wallet share.
• Employ Sales Excellence process in offer development and insight presentations to move opportunities through the sales funnel
• Plan and modify products to meet customer needs
• Secure growth and retention orders; ensure timely delivery

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent industry experience
• Strong commercial and technical/mechanical aptitude
• General industry knowledge with strong ability to communicate technical details
• Eagerness to look for new opportunities and expand the business – hunter mentality with a bias toward competitive take-away
• Ability to answer technical questions utilizing published information catalogs for bearings, seals and maintenance products related, but not limited to:
• Nomenclature and design features
• Shaft and Housing Fits
• Basic maintenance recommendations
• Proficient knowledge in sales plan development/execution, funnel management, prospecting, and rigorous customer follow-up to win new business and convert competitive positions
• Strong technical acumen and ability to learn is a requirement
• Perform competitor product interchanges for catalog item
• Provide training and hands-on demonstrations of bearings, seals, and maintenance products
• Knowledge of lubrication methods and practices including performing assessments and providing recommendations
• Knowledge of bearing failures and causes; providing hands-on failure analysis and recommendations
• Ability to troubleshoot applications and articulate advanced problems to Application Engineers as needed
• Ability to inspect bearings and conclude to scrap, reuse or rework
• Strong situational awareness; adept at managing complex organizations and situations
• Effectively utilize SKF technology/tools – Illuminate, Microsoft Suite, PTPlace, DeliveryData.net, SKFiOS, Android Applications and Croesus
• Strong knowledge of distributor management – profit and loss statements, margin and mark ups, competitive rebates, returns, shipping and logistics, terms and conditions, digital transactions (EDI, PTPlace, portals, etc.)
• Exceptional organizational, time management and sales planning skills
• Purposeful action taker with strong ability to make sound judgements and good business sense
• Entrepreneurial spirit; self-motivated and driven to win
• Eagerness to constantly learn new products, applications and business models
• Willingness and ability to travel 60-75% of the time within the sales territory including overnight stays

Competencies:

• Ability to communicate effectively (verbal, written, presentation)
• Demonstrate self-management, time management, and process management skills
• Demonstrate strong technical aptitude, problem solving and analytical skills
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of bearings, seals and corresponding applications
• Demonstrate strong understanding of rotating equipment and related applications
• Ability to influence others (negotiating skills, persuasiveness, and tenacity to follow up)
• Demonstrate project management skills; adept to working with all levels of an organization
• Ability to develop positive and lasting relationships with internal and external customers
• Demonstrate understanding and ability to communicate technical information
• Demonstrate sales skills (effective questioning, active listening, consultation)
• Ability to prioritize technical support resources based on retention and/or customer growth value
• Proficient knowledge of full SKF enterprise product offering;
• Ability to identify opportunity; develop and execute winning strategy
• Demonstrate ability to use tools/resources to improve efficiency, handle customer needs, reduce costs
• Ability to present technical training and hold discussions in front of groups of people
• Self-starter mindset
• Strong drive for results
• Competitive mindset

Travel Requirements:

• 75% of travel
• This is a Road Warrior position, extensive travel is required

What You’ll Love About SKF:

Rest and Relaxation. Enjoy a generous PTO policy and 13 paid holidays.

Work/Life Integration. SKF supports work/life integration, home, family, community, personal well-being and health. 

Diversity in the Workplace.  At SKF, we strive to embed Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in everything we do. By developing a culture of belonging, our people can flourish; leading to an inclusive, equitable environment that promotes leadership, engagement and innovation.

Best in Class Benefits. SKF cares about the wellbeing of our employees. Comprehensive healthcare options to fit your needs and opt out payment.  Added benefits include company paid life insurance, STD, LTD. Supplemental benefits include critical illness coverage, tuition reimbursement, employee discount programs, and much more!

Bonus. SKF offers STVS (Short Term Variable Salary) or Sales Incentive based on company performance and at the discretion of management.

Invest in your Future. Participate in our 401K program that boasts a 10% employer contribution: 100% match up to 5% of your elected contribution (100% Vested) plus an additional 5% company contribution.