National Account Manager

Remote (Washington, United States)

Clearwater Paper (NYSE: CLW) is a publicly held company and a premier supplier of private brand tissue to major retailers, including grocery, drug, mass merchants and discount stores. In addition, the company produces bleached paperboard used by quality-conscious printers and packaging converters, and offers services that include custom sheeting, slitting, and cutting. Clearwater Paper's employees build shareholder value by developing strong relationships through quality and service. Working at Clearwater Paper provides an opportunity to enrich your career through challenging and meaningful work and ongoing training and development—all in a supportive environment. We know our success depends on your success.

The National Account Manager for Clearwater Paper is responsible for significantly impacting the company’s overall financial performance through direct influence and impact on wired national account(s), As the primary connection between both the company and the account this role is responsible for developing plans that deliver profitable achievement of sales objectives (Revenue, Volume, Mix, Price, Margin) at assigned accounts while simultaneously securing and maintaining Clearwater Paper’s position as the preferred provider. As a strategic leader within the sales team, this role is responsible for developing and maintaining productive customer relationships with stakeholders, developing, planning and executing account strategies inclusive of collaborating with internal support teams for the initiatives that are critical to customers and Clearwater Paper’s success.

Key Accountabilities & Responsibilities

Customer Development & Advocacy

Attend customer meetings as subject matter expert on company initiatives, strategic positioning, promotional effectiveness, funding support, and pricing negotiations.
Account lead on strategic accounts determined by sales leadership team
Expert in consumer product market dynamics, positioning Clearwater Paper’s value proposition with current and potential customers creating mutual sustainable value.
Engage customer stakeholders in a 2 up/2 out/2 down approach to ensure company engagement protects and builds value creation for future benefit.
Contribute to organizational knowledge of customer requirements in a way that is managed for success and cross-organization alignment.
Proactively develop, support and monitor the sales funnel for opportunities and identify, develop and execute risks mitigation strategies.
Proactively assess, clarify, and validate customer requirements and satisfaction by engaging accounts in conjunction with field reports. Provide a management level point of view for key customers. Builds and maintains strong customer relationships with relentless yet balanced commitment to customer satisfaction

Consultative approach to Markets and Customer

Act as the internal voice of the customer representing Clearwater customers to ensure awareness of strategies, objectives, and expectations.
Develop productive relationships with marketing to share meaningful input with a management-level point of view and become a welcomed, respected partner.
Work with product, category and market management to ensure market level strategic and tactical level business objectives aligned with retailers/accounts are met by team.

Sales Force Effectiveness & Cross Team Contributions

Lead and support end-to-end sales process for CPD division including prospecting, RFQs, negotiating, on-boarding, forecasting, ROI promotional analysis, and account planning through Large Account Management Process (LAMP) engagement.
Establish productive relationships with peers and strong internal company relationships built on integrity, support and respect.
Act in a manner consistent with Clearwater Paper Values and Leadership Drivers; Develop team through execution of performance management objectives and commitment to personal growth and development
A key member of the CPD Sales team; build strong cross functional and collaborative relationships to deliver sales, customer service, and profit objectives across the operating division

Key Competencies & Attributes

Strong understanding of critical financial business metrics; ability to develop and leverage data to quantitively and analytically make business decisions and take smart risks
Able to think strategically and act tactically;
Demonstrated ability to lead in a matrixed and highly collaborative environment to influence change and core processes
High degree of business curiosity; quick learner with a proactive and agile mindset
Optimistically looks toward future for opportunities to innovate and improve
Exceptional communication skills (written and verbal); leading and presenting complex materials for various audiences
Demonstrated experience in leading and developing consumer product category management -develop setting vision, strategy, tactics, and delivery
Demonstrated experience in balancing advocacy for customer and company to achieved desired goals for both parties- commitment to customer satisfaction
Demonstrated strong change management skills with an ability to challenge status quo while aligning and bringing others along
Proven ability to adapt to evolving business conditions in a challenging fast paced environment while maintaining vision for path forward
Proven track record of establishing and developing sustainable partnerships with stakeholders throughout account organization; establishing self as trusted subject matter expert and valued business partner

Education/Experience

Bachelor’s degree in business or marketing
Minimum 10 years of sales and/or marketing experience required, along with pertinent industry experience
Financial analysis acumen in a manufacturing environment required. Consumer products or paper industry preferred.
Experience utilizing/interpreting Nielsen or IRI data with focus on strategy development, implementation, and score carding
Experience in front of key retailers in multiple channels – grocery, mass, club, drug, dollar, value
Corporate experience in sales or business development role preferred.

Skills/Abilities

Current knowledge and proficiency with MS Office suite inclusive of analytical & database tools
Extensive experience complex multi geographic consumer products account management inclusive of contract negotiations and customer account management
Proven experience in project management, execution of process improvements with customer focus a plus

Illustrative Essential Functions

Prior to start date, applicants are to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. We will make accommodation(s) for applicants who are unable to get vaccinated due to legitimate medical or religious reasons.

Primarily home office – Some mental, visual, physical fatigue from computer terminal use.
Minimal exposure to manufacturing facilities but occasionally required
Up to 50% travel required.