Key Account Manager (51583)

Gradian is an engineering-led, full-line thermal solutions partner serving data center and other mission-critical, commercial, and industrial markets. Headquartered in Maple Grove, MN, with additional facilities across North America, we design and manufacture liquid cooling systems, air handling equipment, heat rejection units, and modular, factory-assembled thermal management solutions.

Gradian was founded through the unification of four complementary, established brands: MAS HVAC, Daedex, DeepCoolAI, and EcoChillers. Together, we act as a single-source provider, deploying cooling technologies as scalable systems optimized for efficiency, spatial constraints, and overall performance. With a vertically integrated engineering and manufacturing model, we pair rapid design turnaround with precision fabrication, so customers can move faster on complex projects where reliability, timeline, and quality all matter.

Why work here

At Gradian, you'll work alongside others who get genuinely fired up by complex problems, see your work go from first sketch to job site in weeks, not years, and know that while we're developing the technologies critical for AI infrastructure to scale, our culture remains people-first by design.

It is core to our identity that we operate as one team — driving to win together, energizing others, and building lasting relationships that make the work fun and rewarding.

Position Summary:

The Key Account Manager (KAM) is responsible for developing, managing, and expanding strategic relationships with data center customers, including hyperscale, colocation, enterprise, AI infrastructure, and mission-critical facility operators. The KAM serves as the primary commercial point of contact for assigned accounts and is responsible for driving revenue growth, increasing market share, and ensuring successful execution of customer projects.

This role will lead account planning, opportunity development, forecasting, contract negotiations, and executive relationship management while coordinating closely with engineering, operations, product management, commissioning, and service teams to deliver industry-leading customer solutions.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Account Management

• Develop and execute comprehensive account strategies for assigned data center customers.
• Establish and maintain relationships with executive leadership, procurement teams, engineering groups, consultants, and operations personnel.
• Create account growth plans aligned with customer expansion strategies and infrastructure roadmaps.
• Conduct quarterly business reviews and executive-level customer engagement meetings.
• Develop customer-specific market intelligence and competitive positioning strategies.

Revenue Growth & Business Development

• Achieve annual revenue, bookings, and gross margin targets.
• Identify and pursue opportunities for airside cooling, liquid cooling, heat rejection, modular infrastructure, and aftermarket services.
• Drive specification positioning and preferred vendor status within target accounts.
• Develop and maintain a robust sales pipeline through proactive account engagement.
• Support bid strategy, proposal development, and contract negotiations.

Customer & Project Leadership

• Act as the voice of the customer throughout the organization.
• Coordinate internal resources to ensure successful project execution.
• Lead customer communications throughout the sales and delivery process.
• Manage issue resolution and escalation activities.
• Support project reviews, factory witness testing, commissioning activities, and customer acceptance processes as required.

Forecasting & Business Planning

• Maintain accurate opportunity management and forecasting within Salesforce.
• Provide monthly revenue forecasts and account updates.
• Support annual operating plans, budgeting, and strategic growth initiatives.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Business, Engineering, Marketing, or related field preferred.

Experience

• 5+ years of sales, business development, or account management experience within the data center, HVAC, power infrastructure, mission-critical, or industrial equipment industries.
• Proven experience managing large strategic accounts and complex capital equipment opportunities.
• Experience working with hyperscale, colocation, enterprise, or AI infrastructure customers preferred.
• Demonstrated success managing multi-million-dollar sales opportunities.

Required Competencies

• Strategic account planning and relationship management.
• Executive-level communication and presentation skills.
• Commercial negotiation and contract management.
• Financial acumen including margin management and forecasting.
• Strong organizational and project management skills.
• Ability to coordinate cross-functional teams.
• CRM proficiency, preferably Salesforce.
• Strong understanding of data center infrastructure and mission-critical environments.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Revenue growth within assigned accounts.
• Gross margin performance.
• Program awards.
• Forecast accuracy.
• Pipeline growth and conversion rates.
• Customer satisfaction and retention.
• Strategic account plan execution.
• Share-of-wallet growth within target accounts.

Travel Requirements

• 30–50% travel, including customer visits, project reviews, trade shows, and industry events.

Preferred Customer Experience

Experience working with:

• Hyperscale operators (AWS, Microsoft, Google, Meta, Oracle)
• Colocation providers (Equinix, Vantage, QTS, Digital Realty, Stack, DataBank)
• AI infrastructure providers (CoreWeave, Crusoe, Lambda, xAI)
• Mission-critical consultants, EPC firms, and contractors

Success Profile

The successful Key Account Manager is a trusted advisor who understands data center infrastructure, develops deep customer relationships, identifies strategic growth opportunities, and consistently delivers revenue growth while ensuring exceptional customer experience and project execution.

Benefits:

• Medical, vision, and dental plans
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance
• Group term life insurance coverage
• HSA, FSA, and Dependent Care plans available
• 8 paid holidays, 4 floating holidays, and generous PTO policy
• 401k matching
• Annual safety shoe allowance
• Education assistance program

EEO Statement:

Gradian is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, political affiliation, or any other legally protected status.

Employment decisions at Gradian are based on merit, qualifications, and business needs. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind and actively promote a culture of fairness, equity, and opportunity.

We also provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and for sincerely held religious beliefs, practices, or observances, in accordance with applicable laws.