Account Manager – Automotive
Location: Troy, MI or Williamsburg, MI
Department: Sales
Employment Type: Full-Time, Salaried, Exempt
Reports To: Director of Sales
Position Summary
We are seeking an experienced Account Manager to manage and expand strategic customer relationships within the automotive industry. This position is responsible for driving sales growth, maintaining strong customer partnerships, negotiating commercial agreements, and identifying new business opportunities with assigned automotive clients.
The ideal candidate will have a strong background in automotive B2B sales or account management, experience working with major automotive Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and Tier 1 suppliers, and a proven track record of achieving sales targets.
This role requires strong commercial negotiation skills, strategic account planning, and the ability to collaborate with internal teams to support customer programs throughout the project lifecycle.
Key Responsibilities
Account Management and Customer Relationships
- Manage and grow a portfolio of assigned automotive customer accounts and product programs.
- Serve as the primary point of contact for assigned customers, ensuring strong relationships, responsive service, and customer satisfaction.
- Develop a thorough understanding of customer business models, organizational structures, goals, and decision-making processes.
- Build and maintain long-term strategic relationships with key customer stakeholders.
- Represent customer needs and priorities internally to ensure alignment with business objectives.
- Serve as a point of escalation for customer concerns and work collaboratively to resolve issues.
- Coordinate cross-functional activities to support successful execution of customer projects and programs.
Sales Growth and Business Development
- Develop and execute strategic account plans to achieve sales targets, increase revenue, and expand existing customer relationships.
- Identify new business opportunities within assigned accounts and automotive markets.
- Pursue upselling, cross-selling, and product expansion opportunities.
- Analyze customer requirements, market conditions, and competitive activity to identify opportunities for growth.
- Develop sales strategies that support long-term account development and business expansion.
- Participate in customer meetings, industry events, and trade shows to strengthen relationships and identify new opportunities.
Commercial Negotiations and Contract Management
- Lead customer negotiations involving pricing, contracts, and commercial terms.
- Manage commercial relationships and agreements throughout the project lifecycle.
- Collaborate with internal stakeholders to develop competitive pricing strategies and commercial proposals.
- Balance customer expectations with company profitability and business objectives.
- Support ongoing commercial discussions and contract-related activities for assigned customer programs.
Sales Forecasting and Performance Analysis
- Develop and maintain multi-year sales forecasts and account growth projections.
- Manage sales pipeline activities and track opportunities through the sales process.
- Analyze customer volume databases, market trends, and competitive information to identify opportunities and potential risks.
- Monitor key sales performance indicators, including business awards, win rates, sales performance, and customer satisfaction.
- Evaluate account performance and recommend strategies to improve revenue growth and customer retention.
- Prepare sales reports, forecasts, and presentations for internal leadership and customer stakeholders.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner with internal teams to ensure alignment between customer requirements and operational capabilities.
- Coordinate customer programs and commercial activities with relevant departments.
- Communicate customer expectations, project requirements, and business opportunities to internal stakeholders.
- Support effective execution of customer projects throughout their lifecycle.
- Collaborate with sales leadership to develop account strategies and achieve organizational objectives.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Engineering, or a related field.
- Minimum of 5 years of experience in account management or automotive business-to-business (B2B) sales.
- Experience working with major automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers.
- Strong knowledge of the automotive industry, including supply chain structures and customer relationships.
- Demonstrated success in meeting or exceeding sales targets.
- Experience managing customer relationships, developing sales opportunities, and supporting account growth.
- Ability to negotiate pricing, contracts, and commercial terms with customers.
- Strong understanding of strategic account management and sales forecasting.
- Ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams and internal leadership.
- Willingness to travel to customer meetings, trade shows, and industry events as required.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience managing commercial relationships directly with automotive OEM customers.
- Technical sales experience involving automotive plastic components, particularly powertrain plastics.
- Strong background in automotive component manufacturing and customer program management.
- Excellent negotiation, communication, and relationship-building skills.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel and PowerPoint.
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret customer volume data, market trends, and sales performance metrics.
- Excellent presentation skills and the ability to communicate effectively with customers and senior leadership.
Key Skills and Competencies
- Automotive OEM and Tier 1 Supplier Relationships
- Strategic Account Management
- Automotive B2B Sales
- Customer Relationship Management
- Commercial Negotiations and Contract Management
- Pricing Strategy and Revenue Growth
- Sales Forecasting and Pipeline Management
- Business Development and Account Expansion
- Automotive Supply Chain Knowledge
- Market and Competitive Analysis
- Customer Program Management
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint
- Analytical and Presentation Skills
Additional Information
- Work Locations: Troy, Michigan or Williamsburg, Michigan
- Employment Type: Full-Time, Salaried, Exempt
- Reporting Structure: Reports directly to the Director of Sales
- Supervisory Responsibilities: None
- Travel: Travel to customer meetings, trade shows, and industry events as required
The successful candidate will demonstrate a combination of automotive industry knowledge, commercial expertise, strategic account management skills, and the ability to develop long-term customer partnerships that support continued business growth.
EOE (Veteran/Disability)
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