Vacant job

AkzoNobel Car Refinishes provides coatings and services for collision repairers and commercial vehicle refinishers via the brands Dynacoat, Sikkens Lesonal, and Autocoat BT. Our Nordic head office is located in Stockholm. In the Nordics, we focus on car collision repairs and truck refinishing. We are a Nordic organization belonging to AkzoNobel's Vehicle Refinishes, one of the leading suppliers in the commercial vehicle and aviation industries. The Vehicle Refinishes head office is located in Sassenheim, Netherlands, where we also have our largest development, manufacturing, and distribution centers.

Are you ready to take the next step in your career? We are looking for a Distribution Manager with automotive experience to drive growth through our distributor network across the Nordics.

What can AkzoNobel offer you?

At AkzoNobel, you are met with a warm and welcoming atmosphere. We work together with a focus on innovation and sustainability to be the leader in our industry. Diversity enriches our workplaces, and we work actively with our employees to help them thrive and develop. We work strategically to become a better employer, which has resulted in us being appointed as one of Sweden's Career Companies 2026. We offer you an international working environment where you take on rewarding and challenging tasks that broaden your horizons and develop you in your role. You will work with competent and like-minded colleagues who share your attitude and enthusiasm.

As an employee at AkzoNobel, you will also enjoy a range of attractive benefits:

• Collective agreement with competitive terms and conditions
• Wellness allowance to support your health and well-being
• Employee discount in all Nordsjö stores
• Subsidized lunch benefit through Edenred
• Working time reduction (ATK), providing additional paid time off

What will you do?

As Distribution Manager Nordics, you will play a key role in driving the growth and development of our Automotive business across the Nordic region. You will be responsible for managing and developing relationships with distributors, importers, and key channel partners to strengthen market presence, drive profitable growth, and ensure successful execution of our commercial strategy.

Working closely with internal stakeholders and external partners, you will act as the main point of contact for our distribution network, ensuring alignment on business objectives, sales activities, and market development initiatives.

Your main responsibilities include:

• Develop and execute sales strategies/plans in the marketplace and deliver expected top- and bottom-line results for the segment in the allocated region.
• Provide feedback to understand how customers are utilizing our products and how well those products align versus competitive products. Primarily focusing on key accounts, e.g., architects and specifiers.
• Travel regularly within the Nordic region to visit distributors, customers, and key stakeholders. (Travel 3-4 days a week and 1-2 days in the home office)
• Nurture and maintain professional relationships with customers and resellers by working actively with our sales strategies, providing support and service, and thereby actively strengthening our position in the market.
• Participate actively in our business development and implement this with our customers.
• Maintain accurate records and customer information in sales support systems.

This is a permanent employment. The location is flexible, either in Norway, Sweden, Finland, or Denmark. You will be offered the option to work from home. You will report to the Country Sales Manager Nordics.

Who you are?

As a person, you are an independent and structured professional with strong ownership, discipline, and a clear focus on delivering results. Customer focus and relationship building come naturally to you, and you engage and motivate customers to create mutual value. You communicate effectively both in English and in a Scandinavian language with a wide range of stakeholders and adapt your style to different audiences, enabling you to succeed in complex, commercial environments.

To succeed as a Distribution Manager, you have the following qualities:

Skills:

• Strong presentation skills and the ability to communicate effectively in both internal and external settings.
• Customer-focused and goal-oriented mindset with a professional and trustworthy approach to developing long-term partnerships.
• Structured and independent working style with strong self-discipline, planning ability, and accountability for delivering results.
• Fluent in a Scandinavian language and English, both spoken and written.

Experience

• Proven understanding and experience of the automotive aftermarket value chain, including distributors, importers, and body shop networks.
• Experience working within multi-layered distribution structures and managing commercial relationships across indirect sales channels.
• Strong background in value-based selling, with demonstrated experience in driving growth through distributors and workshop networks.
• Strong understanding of customer profitability, cost-to-serve, and key commercial drivers within automotive service and repair environments.
• Demonstrated experience in building and managing long-term relationships with distributors, workshop chains, and other key stakeholders.
• Solid product and market knowledge within automotive refinish or related technical product segments is considered a strong advantage.

Education

• A degree in Business Administration, Economics, or a related field is considered a merit. However, we place greater value on relevant experience.

Your application

At AkzoNobel, we are very committed to ensuring an inclusive and respectful workplace where all employees can be their best selves. We strive to embrace diversity, tolerance, and respect. Our recruitment process plays a major role in this journey as it lays the foundation for a diverse work environment. In our organization, all qualified applicants are treated from an equal perspective regardless of ethnic origin, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, or disability.

We review applications on an ongoing basis and unfortunately do not accept applications via email.

For more information about the recruiting process, please contact Isabella Segovia Lundh, Junior Talent Acquisition Partner, [email protected]