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.

Key Account Manager – Adhesives (Hot Melt & Pressure Sensitive Adhesives)

We're looking for an experienced Key Account Manager with deep industry contacts in the adhesives market and strong expertise in hot melt and pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) technologies.

This role is responsible for driving profitable sales growth by identifying, developing, and executing strategic opportunities that support both the short- and long-term objectives of the Adhesive Solutions business across the Americas. Working closely with customers and cross-functional teams, the Key Account Manager will build a robust opportunity pipeline, develop strategic account plans, and deliver sustainable business growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Drive new business development by identifying unmet customer needs, prioritizing opportunities, coordinating internal resources, and commercializing solutions.
• Develop and execute strategic account plans that outline customer strategies, key stakeholders, value chain positioning, historical performance, and growth opportunities.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with existing and prospective customers to drive business retention and expansion.
• Document customer interactions, opportunities, and sales activities within the CRM system.
• Deliver against agreed business targets, including sales volume, margin, profitability, and working capital objectives.
• Leverage forecasting tools to provide accurate sales projections and business insights.
• Monitor progress against plans, proactively communicate risks, and implement contingency actions when needed.
• Collaborate with Technical, Marketing, Supply Chain, and other cross-functional teams to accelerate growth and enhance customer satisfaction.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in a technical discipline, such as Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related field.
• 5–10 years of professional experience, including at least 5 years in sales, business development, or key account management.
• Proven track record of successfully developing and growing strategic customer relationships.
• Experience within the specialty chemicals, adhesives, coatings, or related industries.

Skills & Competencies

• Excellent communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
• Strong business acumen with strategic thinking and analytical problem-solving capabilities.
• Demonstrated success in identifying and converting growth opportunities.
• Experience working in a global or multicultural business environment.
• Strong project leadership and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Disciplined use of CRM systems and sales forecasting tools.
• Self-motivated, results-oriented, and capable of working independently in a dynamic market environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong market knowledge of the adhesives industry, particularly hot melt adhesives and pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) applications.
• Established relationships with key customers, distributors, OEMs, or formulators within the construction and adhesives markets.
• Technical and commercial expertise in adhesives technologies, raw materials, and related applications.
• Cross-functional experience in Technology, Marketing, Product Management, Procurement, or Supply Chain.
• Deep understanding of customer needs, market trends, competitive dynamics, and value chain drivers.
• Broad product portfolio knowledge and strong problem-solving capabilities.

🌍 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