Key Account Manager

(Contract role for c6 months)

Location: Coventry/Gaydon

Salary: Excellent Hourly Rate

Our client is a tier 1 Automotive supplier and manufacturer of technical products to prestigious OEMs. A contract role is vacant for a Key Account Manager based in Coventry and Gaydon for a 6 month contract period deemed inside IR35. The KAM will drive profitable growth for the Business Unit and the successful candidate will build and maintain strong relationships whilst hunting for new business opportunities. Your remit will be to develop and execute account strategies aligned with the Global Account Sales Strategies.

The Role:

* This position reports to the Global Account Director and you will drive growth and profitability strategies and actively pursue opportunities of market share increase with the customer.

* Act as liaison between OEM customers and the Business Unit travelling as required to visit customers, lead negotiations, communicate cost and timing and prepare presentations.

* Being the Voice of the Customer, you will manage RFQs from collecting customer's requirements to coordinating all the activities internally: Product Line Managers, Engineering, Manufacturing, Purchasing, Quality, Logistics, Costing to build a Quotation.

* Manage commercial aspects of projects in development to ensure proper level of profitability: sales forecast, pricing, engineering change request, cash collection in coordination with Program Manager and Engineering.

* Manage the current product sales with respect to delivery performance and payments along with any overdue resolution.

* Support products in production: understand and facilitate quality resolution, service, price profit, technology, responsiveness and performance issues.

* Execute the customer strategy plan of the product lines aligned with product line strategies.

* Develop, nurture, maintain and establish strong relationships with the customer purchasing and engineering functions.

* Build strong customer relationships through frequent contact and follow-up, including, without limitation, regular meetings at the customer's place of business on a weekly or more frequent basis.

* Monitor, and coordinate process for charge backs and pass dues to ensure that they are closed.

* Develop, lead and execute opportunities to improve profitability.

* Work with the global Engineering team; communicate technical requirements and trends back to the division technical centres.

* Survey the market trend to anticipate customer requests, contribute to new technology proposals and support the Engineering team in front of the customer to develop the portfolio product.

The Person:

* Ideally a degree in Engineering or Business with great interest for technologies, HV and LV automotive connections is an advantage.

* Key Account Management, Sales, Commercial or Business Development experience in the automotive industry required, international environment and high-stakes negotiations.

* Excellent organisation and structured work style.

* Strong interpersonal and communication skills.

* Ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary and multicultural team setting.

* Numerate and a strong negotiator able to influence others.

* Easily builds long term relationships with others