Director, Supplier Development

About APPLIED Adhesives: We have you covered. Nobody knows more about adhesives than APPLIED Adhesives. We are passionate about solving complex challenges with innovative adhesive products and offerings. APPLIED is the industry leader in helping manage costs, reduce waste, and make entire operations run more efficiently. From adhesives, equipment, parts, and service, we have you covered. With world-class adhesive products, equipment, and parts along with visionary leadership, unparalleled expertise, and an agile, responsive service team, we’re not happy simply staying put. Every day, we leverage our technical expertise and passion for problem solving for the benefit of our customers and the future of our company . We have countless victories that we could celebrate, but we’re more interested in looking forward than back. We’ve collected the talent and skills to continue innovating new product solutions and applications in emerging industries. We have the fortitude to not only accept challenges, but to seek them out. And we have the confidence and determination to become the most sought-after adhesive solutions partner. Come join us! The Role: APPLIED Adhesives is building a next-generation Supplier Development function designed to turn strategic supplier partnerships into a primary growth engine for the company. This role is central to executing APPLIED’s commercial strategy—connecting suppliers, sales, and internal teams to unlock new product categories, expand market reach, and drive measurable revenue and margin growth. The Director of Supplier Development will lead this transformation, shaping how APPLIED partners with key suppliers to scale high-value, market-leading solutions. We are seeking a commercially driven leader with a proven track record of building and scaling strategic partnerships that deliver measurable revenue growth. The ideal candidate comes from business development, strategic accounts, or channel leadership roles—preferably within industrial distribution, manufacturing, or specialty chemicals—and has experience expanding suppliers into new markets, product lines, or customer segments. This is not a supply chain or procurement role; success in this position requires a growth-oriented mindset, strong commercial acumen, and the ability to influence cross-functional teams to drive business outcomes. This position will be intensely interesting to an individual who wants to be a part of a transformative and high-performing team tasked to drive significant market share growth. This is a remote role, but you must currently live in the U.S. to be considered. The ability to travel 50% of the time is a requirement. Key Responsibilities: Develop and execute supplier growth strategies aligned to APPLIED’s priority markets, categories, and revenue objectives Lead joint business planning with strategic suppliers, establishing clear growth targets, investment plans, and execution roadmaps to expand the partnership. Identify and commercialize new market category opportunities, working with suppliers to expand APPLIED’s portfolio into new segments and applications. Build and advance a qualified supplier-driven opportunity pipeline, partnering with Sales, Product Management, and Technical teams to convert opportunities into revenue. Expand and deepen supplier relationships into strategic partnerships, influencing key stakeholders and decision-makers to unlock new growth opportunities. Drive cross-functional execution by aligning Sales, Marketing, Product Management, Technical Service, and Operations around supplier initiatives and growth priorities. Establish operating cadence and performance visibility, including pipeline reviews, business reviews, and KPI tracking to ensure accountability and results. Develop and execute supplier growth strategies aligned to APPLIED’s priority markets, categories, and revenue objectives Lead joint business planning with strategic suppliers, establishing clear growth targets, investment plans, and execution roadmaps to expand the partnership. Identify and commercialize new market category opportunities, working with suppliers to expand APPLIED’s portfolio into new segments and applications. Build and advance a qualified supplier-driven opportunity pipeline, partnering with Sales, Product Management, and Technical teams to convert opportunities into revenue. Expand and deepen supplier relationships into strategic partnerships, influencing key stakeholders and decision-makers to unlock new growth opportunities. Drive cross-functional execution by aligning Sales, Marketing, Product Management, Technical Service, and Operations around supplier initiatives and growth priorities. Establish operating cadence and performance visibility, including pipeline reviews, business reviews, and KPI tracking to ensure accountability and results. You Are Ideal for This Role If You: Are a collaborative and strategic thinker with the ability to influence at all levels. Have had proven success winning with suppliers. Are someone who has a desire to be part of a transformative and high-performing team. Physical Requirements: Must be able to remain in a stationary position. Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery. Able to communicate information and ideas so others will understand. Must be able to travel 50%-75% of the time. Experience and Qualifications: Bachelor’s or Associate's degree in Business or similar field required. 10+ years in commercial roles (Business Development, Strategic Accounts, or Channel leadership). Experience working with suppliers, manufacturers, or distribution channels. Proven track record of growing strategic partnerships and delivering revenue impact. Extensive travel required (50–75%), including up to 10 overnight stays per month and 2–3 weeks of travel per month. Collaborative and strategic thinker, consultative and solution oriented. Quick learner and self-starter with a sense of urgency. Forward-thinking to address near and long-term business issues. Strong cross-functional leadership across sales, marketing, and product teams. Highly driven, entrepreneurial mindset with ability to build from zero to scale. Ability to influence at all levels. Experience in a distributed, matrixed environment, influencing decision makers with data, building strong coaches to navigate mutually beneficial deals. Entrepreneurial acumen, effective communication at all organizational levels, relationship management. Proven ability to work independently and in a team environment. Strong presentation skills. Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Proficient in MS Office suite and Windows O/S. Power BI and Salesforce.com CRM platform experience required. Why Work for Us: Medical, Dental and Vision Benefits 401k Match Flexible and Team-Oriented work environment Generous PTO policy Tuition Reimbursement Employee Assistance Program Career and talent development opportunities as well as opportunities for personal growth Leading with Integrity, Collaboration, and Passion In today’s dynamic business landscape, these core values serve as the compass guiding our actions and decisions. Whether it’s demonstrating leadership, fostering collaboration, igniting passion, upholding integrity, or maintaining a relentless customer focus, these principles shape our mission, vison and values, and drive our commitment to excellence. Our Core Values: Leadership We are the leaders we wish to follow at work and in our communities. Collaborative One team delivering exceptional value and service. Passion We enthusiastically pursue excellence. Integrity We choose to be ethical and trustworthy. Relentless Customer Focus Our customers are at the heart of everything we do. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Typical work is in a climate-controlled environment requiring regular use of computer and electronic equipment. We are an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.