Basin & Key Account Manager - KSA West Coast

Role Overview

Basin & Key Account Manager - KSA West Coast at Air Liquide, responsible for full commercial ownership of the Western basin portfolio and strategic management of major key accounts in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Role Purpose

To maximize basin profitability, protect revenue and cash performance, secure long-term customer retention, and develop sustainable growth by serving as the definitive commercial lead for the Western basin and focal point for major key accounts, coordinating across Operations, Finance, Legal, Technical and Business Development while maintaining strict safety, compliance and governance standards.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Key Account Management & Retention

• Own the primary commercial point of contact and end-to-end commercial ownership for the full KSA West Coast basin portfolio, managing day-to-day performance across profitability, contractual obligations, retention, and service quality.
• Develop and execute 3-to-5-year Strategic Account Plans covering retention, growth, competitive threats, and joint value creation roadmaps including efficiency, reliability, optimization, expansion, and decarbonization.
• Align local strategies with Cluster and Group account frameworks.
• Build and maintain multi-level stakeholder matrices across customer and internal functions including Operations, Procurement, Finance, Technical, Legal, and Executive Management.
• Lead Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) and steering committees supported by internal executive sponsorship.
• Lead full contract lifecycle administration, including complex negotiations, amendments, renewals, extensions, and commercial settlements.
• Ensure timely action ahead of contractual milestones and protect the company's long-term position.
• Maintain complete oversight of customer and company obligations, formal contractual notices, payment terms, indexation, volume commitments, and proactive mitigation plans.
• Monitor competitive, contractual, and operational risks.

Commercial Strategy, P&L & Working Capital Management

• Formulate and execute the localized West Coast commercial strategy reflecting customer priorities, market conditions, competitive dynamics and long-term asset positioning.
• Own and actively manage revenue, margin/OI, pricing, and volume performance.
• Manage commercial cost drivers.
• Prepare annual budgets, rolling volume/revenue forecasts, and monthly actual-versus-forecast variance analyses.
• Implement approved pricing strategies, contractual indexation, and minimum volume/Take-or-Pay mechanisms.
• Safeguard profitability, prevent revenue leakage, and ensure audit readiness.
• Validate monthly billing inputs including fixed/variable charges, indexation, penalties, and adjustments.
• Coordinate with Finance to ensure accurate, timely invoice issuance and prompt resolution of billing disputes.
• Maintain commercial ownership of accounts receivable.
• Monitor Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) and overdue aging.
• Lead collection escalations.
• Partner with Credit Management to evaluate and mitigate payment exposures.

Business Development, Growth, Operational Execution & Commercial Governance

• Partner with Business Development and Technical teams to evaluate expansion projects, greenfield opportunities, and decarbonization initiatives.
• Prepare business cases and commercial validation packages for Cluster/Group approval.
• Serve as the commercial lead during supply disruptions, major turnarounds, or operational events.
• Drive commercial risk mitigation and manage claims or disputes to protect customer relationships.
• Enforce contractual discipline.
• Champion customer requirements internally across Operations, Supply Chain, and Technical teams.
• Translate customer feedback into service reliability improvements.
• Facilitate seamless onboarding of newly commissioned projects.
• Ensure strict adherence to corporate governance, anti-bribery regulations, and internal delegation of authority.
• Maintain safety (EHS) standards.
• Maintain accurate CRM records and contract documentation.
• Report to the Commercial Director.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Engineering, or a related technical/commercial field; an MBA or Master's degree is desirable.
• Minimum 8–12 years of progressive experience in B2B commercial management, strategic account management, and complex industrial sales.
• Proven background in industrial gases, petrochemicals, energy, refining, or heavy industrial manufacturing sectors.
• Demonstrated success in long-term supply agreements, complex negotiations, profitability management, customer retention, and cross-functional commercial leadership.

Skills & Competencies

Technical & Commercial Skills

• Advanced financial acumen covering commercial P&L, margin analysis, revenue assurance, receivables, Days Sales Outstanding (DSO), forecasting, and pricing/indexation mechanisms.
• Strong grasp of commercial law principles, contract drafting, contractual risk, claims, and long-term supply agreement mechanics.
• Proficiency in CRM, ERP, reporting and analytics tools for data-driven commercial management.
• Deep understanding of regional B2B industrial markets, customer operating models and the commercial impact of operational events.
• Strong command of Strategic Account Planning, executive stakeholder mapping and multi-level account governance.

Core & Behavioral Competencies

• Steer high-stakes negotiations, manage conflicts and achieve sustainable win-win outcomes with senior stakeholders.
• Lead by influence across Operations, Finance, Legal, Supply Chain, Technical and Business Development without direct reporting lines.
• Demonstrate strong focus on customer value, service reliability, responsiveness and long-term retention.
• Maintain high attention to contractual obligations, billing accuracy, collections, financial exposure, governance and execution follow-through.
• Make sound commercial decisions under pressure, particularly during supply constraints, disputes or operational disruptions.
• Speak fluent Arabic and English; French is desirable.

Additional Information

Air Liquide is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace that embraces the diversity of employees, customers, patients, community stakeholders and cultures across the world. We welcome and consider applications from all qualified applicants, regardless of their background.