Job Description:

The National Strategic Account Manager (SAM) – Robotics & Digital Solutions is responsible for driving growth of ESAB’s “Robotic” Workflow Solution (robotics, and digital solutions portfolio) with John Deere and a selected group of strategic key accounts with similar profiles (agriculture, construction, off-highway, and industrial equipment manufacturers), plus selected System Integrators.

This role owns the overall commercial relationship, account strategy, and long-term growth plan, working cross-functionally with Product Management, Engineering, Customer Success, and regional Sales to deliver integrated solutions that improve customer productivity, quality, and total cost of ownership.

Key Duties & Responsibilities:

Strategic Account Ownership

• Serve as the primary commercial owner for John Deere and a defined set of “look-alike” OEMs.
• Develop and maintain multi-year account plans including revenue targets, wallet share goals, and solution roadmaps.
• Map customer stakeholders (engineering, operations, purchasing, IT, digital/Industry 4.0 teams) and build executive-level relationships.

2. Robotic Workflow Solutions Growth

• Drive adoption of ESAB’s robotics, and digital offerings (e.g., welding automation cells, collaborative robots, connected equipment, data/analytics platforms, software) as a primary focus.
• As part of the Workflow Solution offering, be an active part in pitching and driving Filler Metal and HIP products as applicable
• Identify customer pain points and translate them into solution concepts and value propositions.
• Lead opportunity qualification, solution scoping, and deal strategy for major projects and programs.

3. Business Development & Pipeline Management

• Build and manage a robust opportunity pipeline across assigned accounts (new lines, new plants, re-tooling, new product launches, and continuous improvement projects).
• Coordinate with regional sales and channel partners to ensure coverage at plant level.
• Own forecasting, pricing strategy, and contract/terms negotiation for strategic deals.

4. Internal Collaboration & Program Leadership

• Act as the “voice of the customer” to Robotics, and Digital Product Management teams.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams (engineering, applications, service, digital, marketing) to deliver complex solutions and ensure successful implementations.
• Lead quarterly business reviews (QBRs) with key accounts and internal stakeholders.

5. Value Selling & Executive Communication

• Present at customer leadership meetings and internal executive reviews.
• Support marketing with reference stories, case studies, and joint innovation initiatives.

6. Account Governance & Compliance

• Ensure adherence to global framework agreements, pricing guidelines, and commercial policies.
• Maintain accurate CRM data (contacts, opportunities, forecasts, activity).
• Monitor competitive activity and provide intelligence on market trends in automation and digitalization.

Target Accounts / Coverage Concept

Primary focus:

• John Deere (global plants and business units, in cooperation with regional teams).

“Like accounts” (examples, to refine based on your portfolio):

• Large agriculture OEMs.
• Construction and off-highway OEMs.

• Industrial equipment manufacturers with multi-plant, multi-region footprints and strong automation/digital roadmaps.Build business cases quantifying productivity, quality, and cost savings from ESAB solutions.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

Experience

• 7–10+ years in strategic / key account management, business development, or solutions sales in industrial/ OEM environments.
• Proven success selling complex solutions (preferably robotics, digital/IoT, or capital equipment) into large multi-site OEMs.
• Experience working with John Deere or similar Tier-1 OEMs is strongly preferred.

Technical & Commercial Skills

• Solid understanding of industrial automation and robotics; familiarity with welding/metal fabrication processes.
• Comfort discussing digital/connected solutions (data platforms, software, analytics, integration with MES/ERP).
• Strong financial acumen for building ROI/TCO models and negotiating high-value contracts.

Soft Skills

• Strategic thinker with the ability to build and execute long-range account plans.
• Excellent relationship-building and executive communication skills.
• Strong project leadership and cross-functional coordination abilities.
• Self-starter, comfortable managing complex, long sales cycles and matrix stakeholders.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, or related field required.
• MBA or advanced technical degree is a plus.

Success Metrics (KPIs)

You can use these to define performance expectations:

• Annual revenue growth and margin for robotics & digital solutions in assigned accounts.
• Share of wallet / penetration of ESAB solutions vs. available spend.
• Number and size of new robotics/digital programs initiated per year.
• Adoption and expansion of digital platforms (active connected assets, users, or subscriptions).
• Customer satisfaction and NPS for strategic accounts. Accuracy of forecast and quality of account plans.
• plans.

Reporting & Travel

• Reports to: VP, Robotics & Digital
• Location: Flexible within the U.S., ideally near a major customer hub or ESAB office.
• Travel: ~40–60% (domestic and limited international as required for key sites and reviews).

The ESAB Group Inc. is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability status, or any other applicable characteristics protected by law.

Pay Range: