📌 Core Information
🔹 Job Title: Distribution Key Account Manager - Aerospace
🔹 Company: Henkel
🔹 Location: Remote (with travel)
🔹 Job Type: Full-time
🔹 Category: Sales & Business Development
🔹 Date Posted: May 1, 2025
🔹 Experience Level: 2-5 years
🔹 Remote Status: Hybrid (25% travel)
🚀 Job Overview
Key aspects of this role include:
- Driving regional sales and channel excellence strategies
- Managing strategic projects and eCommerce implementation
- Evaluating and maintaining relationships with channel partners
- Proactively understanding market developments and product knowledge
ASSUMPTION: This role requires a balance of strategic planning and hands-on execution, with a focus on driving growth through channel management and market understanding.
📋 Key Responsibilities
✅ Steer and drive regional execution of sales and channel excellence roadmap
✅ Manage regional implementation of framework, policy, and channel strategy development
✅ Drive strategic projects on sales and channel excellence (e.g., ACE) in the region
✅ Drive global/regional/local implementation of eCommerce strategy
✅ Enforce channel discipline according to channel growth and development targets regionally
✅ Determine greatest underexploited channel growth opportunities for the region
✅ Align with global sales and channel excellence for regional roll-outs and counterparts of other SBUs
✅ Cooperate with pricing team and ensure continuous regional price alignment
✅ Sponsor or manage distribution key accounts at global/regional/local level
✅ Contiguously evaluate existing and possible channel partners
✅ Pro-actively maintain understanding of market developments and relevant product knowledge
✅ Travel regularly in market to support understanding
ASSUMPTION: This role involves a mix of strategic planning, project management, and customer relationship management, with a significant portion of time dedicated to travel and market engagement.
🎯 Required Qualifications
Education: BS or BA degree required, technical or business preferred
Experience: 3-5 years of sales experience in the electronics or aerospace industry required
Required Skills:
- Proven experience in managing channel/distribution sales strategies
- Omnichannel understanding
- Digital process design and customer experience skills
- Distribution and territory management knowledge
- Ability to travel an average of 25% (one week per month worth of overnight trips, mostly East of the Mississippi)
Preferred Skills:
- Fluency in additional languages
- Experience with CRM systems
ASSUMPTION: Successful candidates will have a proven track record in channel sales management, a strong understanding of the electronics or aerospace industry, and a willingness to travel regularly.
💰 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: $116,000.00 - $162,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Health Insurance: affordable plans for medical, dental, vision, and wellbeing starting on day 1
- Work-Life Balance: paid time off including sick, vacation, holiday, and volunteer time, flexible and hybrid work policies (depending on role), and vacation buy/sell program
- Financial: 401k matching, employee share plan with voluntary investment and Henkel matching shares, annual performance bonus, service awards, and student loan reimbursement
- Family Support: 12-week gender-neutral parental leave (up to 20 weeks for parents giving birth), fertility support, adoption and surrogacy reimbursement, discounted child and elderly care, and scholarships
- Career Growth: diverse national and international growth opportunities, access to thousands of skills development courses, and tuition reimbursement
Working Hours: Full-time, with regular travel
ASSUMPTION: The salary range provided is an estimate based on industry standards for this role and experience level. Actual compensation may vary.
📌 Applicant Insights
🔍 Company Context
Industry: Henkel operates in the manufacturing industry, specifically in Adhesive Technologies and Consumer Brands. They are a global leader with a strong focus on innovation, sustainability, and collaboration.
Company Size: Henkel is a large corporation with over 47,000 employees worldwide. This size offers opportunities for career growth and diverse experiences.
Founded: Henkel was founded in 1876 and has since grown into a multinational company with a long-standing legacy of innovation and sustainability.
Company Description:
- Henkel operates worldwide with leading innovations, brands, and technologies in two business areas: Adhesive Technologies and Consumer Brands.
- The company holds leading positions with its two business units in both industrial and consumer businesses thanks to strong brands, innovations, and technologies such as Persil, Schwarzkopf, and Loctite.
- Henkel's purpose is to enrich and improve life every day through its products, services, and solutions, guided by its shared values and leadership commitments.
Company Specialties:
- Adhesive Technologies
- Consumer Brands
- Innovation
- Sustainability
- Global Operations
Company Website: http://www.henkel.com
ASSUMPTION: Henkel's large size and global presence offer a dynamic work environment with diverse opportunities for career growth and development.
📊 Role Analysis
Career Level: This role is at the mid-level career stage, offering opportunities for growth and advancement within Henkel's sales and business development functions.
Reporting Structure: The Distribution Key Account Manager reports directly to the Global Sales & Channel Excellence Director and works closely with counterparts of other SBUs and the pricing team.
Work Arrangement: This role is hybrid, with an average of 25% travel required, mostly East of the Mississippi.
Growth Opportunities:
- Advancement within Henkel's sales and business development functions
- Expansion into other business units or regions
- Development of leadership and management skills
ASSUMPTION: Successful candidates in this role will have opportunities to grow within Henkel's sales and business development functions, with potential for advancement into leadership and management positions.
🌍 Location & Work Environment
Office Type: Remote with regular travel
Office Location(s): Rocky Hill, CT (primary); other locations may be required for travel
Geographic Context:
- Rocky Hill, CT: A suburban town in central Connecticut, offering a mix of urban and rural environments
- Travel: Primarily East of the Mississippi, with occasional opportunities to travel internationally
Work Schedule: Full-time, with regular travel (one week per month worth of overnight trips)
ASSUMPTION: The remote work arrangement with regular travel offers a flexible work-life balance, with the opportunity to work from home while maintaining a strong connection to the company and market.
💼 Interview & Application Insights
Typical Process:
- Online application submission
- Phone or video screening
- In-depth behavioral and technical interviews
- Final round interviews with key stakeholders
- Background check and offer extension
Key Assessment Areas:
- Sales and channel management experience
- Industry knowledge and market understanding
- Problem-solving and strategic thinking skills
- Communication and interpersonal skills
- Willingness and ability to travel
Application Tips:
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight relevant sales and channel management experience, as well as any industry-specific knowledge or skills
- Prepare for behavioral and situational interview questions that focus on your experience in channel management, market understanding, and problem-solving
- Research Henkel's company culture and values to demonstrate your fit and alignment with the organization
- Be prepared to discuss your willingness and ability to travel regularly
ATS Keywords: channel management, distribution sales, strategic projects, eCommerce, market understanding, travel, aerospace industry
ASSUMPTION: The interview process will focus on assessing candidates' sales and channel management experience, industry knowledge, and problem-solving skills, as well as their willingness and ability to travel regularly.
🛠️ Tools & Technologies
- CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics)
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Google Workspace
- Project management tools (e.g., Asana, Trello)
- Travel management tools (e.g., Concur, TripIt)
ASSUMPTION: Successful candidates will be comfortable using various CRM, project management, and travel management tools to effectively manage their sales and channel management responsibilities.
👔 Cultural Fit Considerations
Company Values:
- Pioneering
- Responsible
- Sustainable
- Collaborative
- Customer-focused
Work Style:
- Strategic and analytical thinking
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills
- Adaptability and flexibility
- Proactive and results-driven approach
- Willingness to travel and work remotely
Self-Assessment Questions:
- Do you align with Henkel's company values, particularly in being a pioneer at heart for the good of generations?
- Are you comfortable working in a hybrid environment, with regular travel required?
- Do you possess strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build and maintain relationships with channel partners?
ASSUMPTION: Successful candidates will demonstrate a strong alignment with Henkel's company values, a willingness to travel regularly, and excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
⚠️ Potential Challenges
- Regular travel may require candidates to be away from home for extended periods
- Managing channel partners may present challenges in maintaining relationships and driving growth
- Staying up-to-date with market developments and product knowledge may require continuous learning and adaptation
- Balancing strategic planning and hands-on execution may be challenging at times
ASSUMPTION: Successful candidates will be able to effectively manage the challenges associated with regular travel, channel partner management, market understanding, and balancing strategic planning with hands-on execution.
📈 Similar Roles Comparison
- This role differs from other sales and business development positions in its focus on channel management and distribution key account management within the aerospace industry
- Industry-specific context: the aerospace industry is highly competitive and dynamic, requiring a strong understanding of market trends and customer needs
- Career path comparison: this role offers opportunities for growth within Henkel's sales and business development functions, with potential for advancement into leadership and management positions
ASSUMPTION: This role offers a unique opportunity to drive growth and manage channel partners within the aerospace industry, with a clear path for career advancement within Henkel's sales and business development functions.
📝 Sample Projects
- Developing and implementing a regional channel strategy to drive growth in the aerospace industry
- Managing a strategic project on sales and channel excellence (e.g., ACE) to improve market penetration and customer satisfaction
- Evaluating and optimizing channel partner relationships to maximize sales and profitability
ASSUMPTION: Successful candidates will have experience in developing and implementing channel strategies, managing strategic projects, and evaluating channel partner relationships within the aerospace industry.
❓ Key Questions to Ask During Interview
- Can you describe the most significant challenges faced by the current incumbent in this role and how they were addressed?
- How does Henkel support the professional development and growth of its sales and business development employees?
- What are the key priorities for this role in the first 90 days, and how will my performance be measured?
- How does Henkel foster a culture of collaboration and innovation within its sales and business development functions?
- What are the most important qualities and skills for success in this role, according to the hiring manager?
ASSUMPTION: Asking insightful questions during the interview process will demonstrate your interest in the role and help you better understand the expectations and challenges associated with the position.
📌 Next Steps for Applicants
To apply for this position:
- Submit your application through this link
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant sales and channel management experience, as well as any industry-specific knowledge or skills
- Prepare for behavioral and situational interview questions that focus on your experience in channel management, market understanding, and problem-solving
- Research Henkel's company culture and values to demonstrate your fit and alignment with the organization
- Be prepared to discuss your willingness and ability to travel regularly
- Follow up with the hiring manager one week after your final interview to express your continued interest in the role
⚠️ This job description contains AI-assisted information. Details should be verified directly with the employer before making decisions.
