Account Manager

We are seeking an Account Manager in Farmington Hills, MI

• Client: Japanese Automotive (Tier 2)

General Position Summary

This position is responsible for expanding new business opportunities. This position is also responsible for developing and generating new business; serving customers by selling products; meets customer needs.

Essential Job Functions

1. Business Development

• Finalizes/summarizes customer requested documents.
• Contacts customers to discuss their needs and explain how their needs could be met by specific company products offered.
• Provides sales presentations on the Company profile as well as Company products to potential and existing clients.
• Travels throughout assigned territory to call customers to solicit orders, answer questions, provide product information, obtain RFQ, etc.
• Displays or demonstrates product, using actual product demonstration or sales literature, and emphasizes saleable features.
• Quote prices, create cost breakdown based on the cost information provided by HQ, and prepares sales contracts for orders obtained; Maintain customer records.
• Negotiates with customers for the prices of products and tooling and annual price reduction including LTA.
• Estimates date of delivery to the customer, based on knowledge of inventory and delivery schedules.
• Prepares sales activity reports and keeps expense accounts.
• Keeps informed of new products, services, logistics, and other general information of interest to customers.
• Build relationships with key decision-makers. Act as liaison and single point of contact with major customers.
• Develops and implements action plans that increase company product presence, either face-to-face or phone contact with customers to ensure adequate stock is on-hand to meet anticipated sales.
• Works with Sales Manager to keep account activities up to date.
• Shares customers’ needs, price targets, spec information, delivery requirements, production information, and quality issues to multiple personnel including Sales, logistics, Engineers, Quality Assurance, and Production Departments both internally and at Japanese headquarters.
• Manages schedule and performance of product developments, and mass-production delivery and finds solutions for problems in a timely manner.
• Translates sales, marketing, and product-related documents from headquarters in Japan before being sent to clients.
• If finance trouble or quality issues happen, support as a point of contact to solve the problem.
• Supports Accounting personnel for the customers’ delayed payments by conducting investigations to check if there are any quality and/or other issues causing them, as needed.

2. Marketing

• Assists Sales Director in forecasting current and future product sales trends and advising competitive pricing and market situations.
• Monitors and evaluates activities of competitive products.
• Obtains SOP, EOP, and Production Planning information from customers in order to gain new business, stabilize mass production launches, and communicate to increase/decrease production and minimize inventory level at the end of the mass production cycle.

3. Customer Service

• Performs Initial containment of quality concerns or issues to customers for the solution.
• Develops customers’ profiles on assigned accounts to eliminate financial concerns with customers: to collect payment from customers on time; gather customer information on financial overview and performance; product range; facility locations; product volumes; and market share of products.

Other & Miscellaneous

• Makes efforts to gain product knowledge and familiarize with the product markets.
• Seeks constant improvement, more efficient and less expensive ways and means in work processes.
• Performs special projects and other miscellaneous duties as assigned by the Sales Manager and President.
• Reports to work daily (M-F) based on company schedule and complies with all company policies and procedures.
• Travels on a regular basis by both car and plane to meet customers.
• Follows up to complete any assigned work.
• Maintains high ethical standards in the workplace.
• Maintains good communication with supervisors, staff members, and outside contacts.
• Responsible for maintaining a clean and safe working area.
• Support for introduction and implementation of the quality control system of ISO9001/ IATF16949 as a sales.
• Supports to implement and maintain the Quality Control System “ISO9001/IATF16949”.

Job Competencies (Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities)

Critical Competencies

• Analysis – Critically and carefully examines facts or data to develop a hypothesis or theory. Undertakes a course of action to verify or disprove assumptions. Identifies causes of problems, secures relevant information and recommends solutions. Conducts research and analysis to determine whether a concept or plan can effectively be put into action.
• Math Skills – Ability to productively work with numbers and accurately perform arithmetical, algebraic, or geometric calculations as needed.
• Negotiation – Able to identify and make trade-offs and concessions while also achieving personal, department, or company goals.
• Presentation – Effective expression of information, ideas, and concepts formally to a group of people. Uses supporting media appropriately.
• Product Knowledge – Maintain up-to-date knowledge of the company’s products and/or services.
• Technical Communication – Able to communicate (reading, writing, speaking) by using the specialized vocabulary, terminology, and concepts.
• Language skills – Able to read, write and speak English and Japanese proficiently.

Other Competencies
Attention to Detail, Office Equipment Usage, Computer Usage, Multi-Tasking, Problem Solving, Team Participation, Motivation to Learn New Skills, Proactive action

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Management/Business Administration or other related field preferred; or 4+ years of related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience preferred.
• English and Japanese - read, write and speak proficiently.