Strategic Account Manager

INFICON is a leading provider of innovative instrumentation, critical sensor technologies, and Smart Manufacturing/Industry 4.0 software solutions that enhance productivity and quality of tools, processes, and complete factories. These analysis, measurement and control products are essential for gas leak detection in air conditioning/refrigeration and automotive manufacturing. They are vital to equipment manufacturers and end-users in the complex fabrication of semiconductors and thin film coatings for optics, flat panel displays, solar cells and industrial vacuum coating applications. Other users of our vacuum-based processes include the life sciences, research, aerospace, packaging, heat treatment, laser cutting and many other industrial processes. We also leverage our expertise in vacuum technology to provide unique, toxic chemical analysis products for emergency response, security, and environmental health and safety.

About the role

As a Strategic Account Manager (SAM), you will play a strategic and vital role in unlocking INFICON’s potential and achieving the company’s long-term strategic goals. You will be responsible for managing the relationship with one of INFICON’s most important strategic customers, orchestrating all interactions and development with a long-term business (P&L) view to deliver consistent, predictable, and repeatable business results toward 2030 and beyond.

Responsibilities

• Leadership: Strategic Account Management
  • Understand the customer’s business, market, and organizational needs.
  • With support from the Industry Consultant, derive the customer’s main problems, pain points, and strategy into a differentiated value proposition and targeted fair share in upcoming CAPEX and OPEX investments.
  • Define long-term bold account aspirations and strategy, setting short-term goals to drive impact.
  • Create, maintain, and execute the strategic account plan, updating it as needed with input from the Strategic Account Team.
  • Conduct regular account coordination activities with the INFICON strategic account team, including local Key Account Managers in countries where the customer operates, and other key INFICON stakeholders.
  • Review the global strategic account plan with the executive sponsor and senior management to align with INFICON’s overall strategy.
• Growth: Scouting for/capturing opportunities
  • Accelerate existing projects to support the customer’s immediate goals.
  • Early identification of global growth opportunities from all potential revenue streams, including expanding share of wallet, creating new applications, services, consumables, and new business areas.
  • Support local sales and application teams following the customer’s buying cycle.
  • Coach and provide input to opportunity plans owned by local Sales Managers.
  • Align customer and INFICON R&D roadmaps and establish integrated partnerships across functions from the beginning to the end of the product cycle.
  • Facilitate early entry into new application areas and fab locations within this account.
• Communication & Information
  • Drive INFICON’s agenda and strategy on a continuous and proactive level.
  • Create and set the narrative that moves the account strategy forward.
  • Ensure relevant customer buying center members understand the business impact of INFICON’s latest solutions (e.g., innovation roadmap sharing, modular design, new supplier partnerships) and facilitate similar sharing from the customer to INFICON.
  • Maximize customer sponsorship of INFICON at the executive level.
  • Ensure all relevant opportunities, activities, and information are visible in the chosen communication channel (Teams/CRM).
  • Encourage cross-region and cross-functional interaction between INFICON and the customer organization.
  • Ensure omni-channel consistency and quick responses.
• Relationship management: Strengthening the relationship
  • Map, build, and strengthen relationships with strategic stakeholders in the customer’s organization.
  • Establish the SAM Diamond: multi-level relationships between INFICON and the customer.
  • Conduct scheduled business reviews with the customer and INFICON account team.
  • Organize the right meetings with the right people to discuss the topics that matter most (e.g., executive meetings, engineering workshops, technical roadmap presentations).
• Deal making: Negotiate Profitable and Fair Deals
  • Drive holistic value creation and value capture for the account, both long-term and short-term.
  • Close deals using creativity and by mastering the art and science of negotiation.
  • Master all elements of business contracts, including a solid understanding of legal aspects.
  • Proactively initiate and facilitate global framework agreements, H&S, and CSR activities (if applicable) to ensure INFICON solutions are fully approved as a Tier 1 supplier by the customer.
  • Ensure consistency between T&Cs offered in individual markets.

Requirements

• Cognitive Attributes
  • Reflective, careful listener, and open to new ideas.
  • Diplomatic and analytical mindset.
  • Able to connect people and information and get things done based on sound analysis, experience, out-of-the-box thinking, and creative strategies.
  • Able to recognize and attend to multiple points of view simultaneously.
• Competences
  • Strategic thinking and planning to create line of sight between INFICON’s 2030 aspirations, strategy, and customer activities.
  • Exceptional executive-grade presentation skills to provide timely and relevant data for decision-making or consensus inside INFICON and with the customer.
  • Conflict resolution inside INFICON and with the customer in a way that drives growth and fair deals without damaging relationships.
  • Ability to lead complex contract negotiations and strong contract management skills.
  • Strong financial and business acumen to benefit both INFICON and the customer.
  • State-of-the-art funnel-to-forecast management competencies.
  • Deeply developed interpersonal skills to build strong relationships at all levels with the customer, act comfortably in social business settings, and influence individuals and groups through verbal and nonverbal communication.

Qualifications

• Minimum Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field. Master’s degree is a plus.
• 10-15 years of experience in semiconductor front-end wafer manufacturing, sales, account management, or business development within the industry.
• Proven experience as a negotiator, including contracts.
• Track record of managing and growing strategic accounts.
• Experience working with cross-functional teams (e.g., Sales, Product Development, Supply Chain).
• Technical Skills
  • Strong understanding of the semiconductor industry, including current trends, technologies, and key players.
  • Technical proficiency with CRM software, MS Office Suite, and other sales enablement tools.
  • Familiarity with the product development lifecycle and the ability to grasp complex technical products and solutions.
• Willingness to travel as required to meet business needs (<40% overall).
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, prioritize effectively, and manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
• High level of integrity, professionalism, and drive, with a strong commitment to excellence and accountability.

Pay

Total on-target compensation: $205,000–$270,000. Your total cash compensation includes a base salary of $145,000–$190,000, plus a commission and profit-sharing model targeting an additional 30% of total compensation. Actual compensation will be determined based on experience, location, and other factors permitted by law.

Benefits

• 8% 401k match.
• Potential car and remote allowances.
• Comprehensive benefits package, including major medical, dental, health, vision, 401K, vacation and sick time, and tuition reimbursement.
• Discretionary bonus and relocation assistance.

Schedule

This is a hybrid, field-based position. Employees will primarily work remotely while traveling to customer sites as needed to support business objectives and build customer relationships.