Strategic Account Manager - Flow Control

About the Role

Hayward Flow Control, a division of Hayward Industries (NYSE "HAYW"), is a leading manufacturer of industrial thermoplastic valves, actuators, filters, strainers, pumps, bulkhead fittings, and controllers for use in water & wastewater treatment, chemical processing, aquatics, and many other industrial process applications. We are seeking a driven and technically skilled OEM Account Manager to join our team. In this pivotal role, you will identify, develop, and manage key Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) accounts, leveraging deep technical expertise and a solution-oriented sales approach to expand our market presence and drive significant revenue growth. This territory includes CA, NV, UT, AZ, CO, and NM.

Responsibilities

• Strategically identify and target new OEM customers across high-growth sectors, including industrial, water/wastewater, chemical processing, and life sciences.
• Develop and execute comprehensive sales strategies and business plans to achieve and exceed sales targets and expand Hayward Flow Control’s market share.
• Manage the entire sales cycle from initial contact to contract negotiation and closing, ensuring a seamless experience for the customer.
• Proactively seek opportunities for upselling and cross-selling within your existing portfolio to maximize account revenue.
• Serve as a primary technical consultant to customers, providing expert guidance on the application and performance of thermoplastic valves, piping systems, actuation, and related flow control products.
• Collaborate with customer engineering teams to understand system requirements, identify fluid handling challenges, and recommend tailored solutions.
• Prepare and deliver technical presentations and product demonstrations that showcase product advantages.
• Build and maintain strong, long-term relationships with key stakeholders, including engineers, purchasing managers, and senior operations teams.
• Partner closely with internal teams, including engineering, product management, and customer service, to ensure successful product specification, order fulfillment, and customer satisfaction.
• Serve as the voice of the customer, communicating market trends and feedback to influence product strategy.
• Identify new product development opportunities at key OEM accounts and collaborate with product management teams to drive new initiatives.
• Actively monitor competitor activity, industry regulations, and emerging applications to uncover new OEM opportunities and inform strategic planning.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of all account activity, sales opportunities, and customer interactions using CRM tools.
• Provide regular, data-driven sales forecasts and performance reports to management.
• Travel approximately 30–50% of the time to visit key OEM accounts, attend industry trade shows, and support field sales activities.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Business, or a related technical field is preferred, with a strong emphasis on materials science or fluid dynamics.
• 5+ years of successful technical sales or account management experience within the flow control, fluid handling, piping systems, or industrial equipment sectors.
• Strong working knowledge of thermoplastic materials and their applications in various OEM systems.
• A proven track record of developing new OEM accounts and achieving sales targets through a consultative, solution-oriented selling approach.
• A proactive ability to identify gaps in current product offerings and work collaboratively with product teams to advance new product development.
• Excellent interpersonal, presentation, and negotiation skills with the ability to engage technical and non-technical stakeholders at all levels.
• Highly motivated, results-driven, and able to work independently while collaborating with cross-functional teams.