Customer Account Manager

Role Purpose                    

The role of the Customer Account Manager is to be the primary point of contact for all commercial activities around a dedicated  Aftermarket customers. Ensuring that customers’ requirements including customers inquiries and concerns and opportunities are managed. Key focus is to constantly improve customer profitability and to mitigate all potential issues. 

Key Responsibilities

• Represent the customer within GKN Automotive, providing the necessary information to the relevant functions and tracking responses to customer issues.

  
  

• Constantly work on re-pricing opportunities to mitigate potential margin shortfall during the lifecycle of parts.

  
  

• Closely align customer strategy with relevant serial production account managers.

  
  

• Maintain a customer database (pricing/contracts), and communicate/cooperate with relevant internal functions.

  
  

• Check customer RFQ and related documents and forward to relevant functions for specific checks (feasibility study, contractual check of documents, …) and documentation thereof (present/support ISO Audit), prepare quotations and technical and commercial offers.

  
  

• Provide input to the account planning process, e.g. 5YP, budget process, demand planning.

  
  

• Maintain account sales performance data and investigate variances to budget; Propose and manage improvements.

  
  

• Review and understand the implications of customer agreements, license agreements and other contracts/agreements; request internal legal support when required.

  
  

• Adhere to internal authorization processes. Priorities and escalation of critical items to be agreed with Account Director.

  
  

• Ensure to work acc. to GKN standard processes, procedures and policies.

  
  

• Ensure to work in line to GKN policy, e.g., health and safety, environmental, etc. especially Anti Bribery and Corruption rules.

  
  

• Develop and maintain an in-depth and up-to-date understanding of the customer and technical requirements, including market position, vehicle strategy, purchasing strategy, competitor activities, organization, etc.

  
  

• Use visits and technical events to develop a relationship and network throughout the customer; represent GKN Automotive at the customer level.

  
  

• Monitor and measure the customer’s perception of GKN Automotive and act to improve.

  
  

• Participate in/lead customer negotiations such as design changes, changes in the supplier base, move of production, material recovery or contract/annual pricing negotiations and new businesses. Prepare and agree sales plan/tactics ahead of negotiations (i.e., price reconciliation, supporting documents, technical explanations ...)

  
  

Qualification and Skills

• Bachelor's degree relevant technical or commercial degree or equivalent.

  
  

• Experience in the automotive aftermarket industry.

  
  

• Exceptional data skills: Candidates should be able to effectively manage, challenge, analyze, and summarize multiple-dimension data (cost, budget, and market data).

  
  

• Comfortable preparing business cases and analyzing financial scenarios.

  
  

• Excellent Excel and systems skills.

  
  

• Knowledge of Demand Management, Budgeting, Pricing, and Cost Interrogation.

  
  

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

  
  

• Customer-facing experience.

  
  

• Be able to negotiate using detailed cost models.

  
  

• Must be fluent in English.

  
  

• Must be able to work and travel independently.

  
  

• Initiative-Proactivity

  
  

• Negotiation skills

  
  

• Logical thinking

  
  

• Resilience