Channel Partner Rep

About Kennametal

With over 85 years as an industrial technology leader, Kennametal Inc. delivers productivity to customers through materials science, tooling and wear-resistant solutions. Customers across aerospace and defense, earthworks, energy, general engineering and transportation turn to Kennametal to help them manufacture with precision and efficiency. Learn more at kennametal.com. Follow @Kennametal: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.

Channel Partner Rep

Location: Southern Indiana focus, based in Evansville - Also open to other geographic locations like Indianapolis, Bloomington, Columbus, or Greenwood

Job Summary

The Channel Partner Representative actively manages and supports assigned channel partners in region, including local distributors, national distributors, and integrators. They are responsible for supporting and cultivating commercial relationships with partners, driving sales strategy and forecasting, coordinating technical support, coordinating training, and supporting channel served customers directly. This position supports the local distributor sales force with technical tooling and all product application solutions and serves as a valuable resource and a leader within the sales territory. This position requires experience, expertise, and thorough knowledge of the metal cutting industry: as such, the incumbent is expected to carry larger customer accounts, take on large strategic projects, act as a trainer/mentor for the employees of Kennametal’s sales partner, and step up as interim leader when necessary. This is an exciting opportunity to support the growth of Kennametal metal cutting solutions across all end markets, and build and execute a channel-based growth strategy.

 Key Job Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and manage the execution of Kennametal strategy through channel partners in the assigned geographical region.

• Proactively collaborate with channel partner management, channel partner sales staff, Kennametal sales and channel management, and Kennametal sales staff to develop strategic plans to execute sales growth activities and programs for region.


• Drive and develop sales strategy, customer segmentation, account planning, forecasting and reporting with channel partners


• Support corporate selling initiatives and incorporate new product sales and innovations into strategic planning with partners


• Manage relationships through regular meetings with channel partner leadership to review needs and sales figures


• Administer and develop sales programs and promotions with local management


• Provide and coordinate training on Kennametal products with channel partner sales force (e.g., local and national distributor reps)


• Coordinate or administer personally Kennametal technical support (e.g., Application Engineers) for channel partner end-customers


• Plan productive usage of co-op and T&D funds with channel partner management, assist in management of voucher usage, PLCO reporting and replacement, and assist in order tracking in project manager capacity


• Manage channel conflict amongst localized regions


• Assist on joint calls with Kennametal sales on key account and opportunities and sales responsibilities in absence of sales engineer support


• Own and drive particular customer relationships based on geography and become primary Kennametal technical support in some accounts

Education, Work Experience, Skills, Certificates

• Experience with machining, metal cutting, tooling, manufacturing, or CNC equipment required


• Sales experience in B-to-B ideally with distributors. Experience in leading commercial negotiations.

• Minimum Level of Education (for Job): Associates/Technical training


• Preferred Areas of Education, Certifications, and Skills: Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Business degree or concentration


• Years of Relevant Work Experience Required: 3-5 Years


• Energized and positive with an open-minded entrepreneurial mindset.

• An innovative and self-motivated individual who is able to work independently.

• Able to communicate in English.

Kennametal Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.