Account Manager

Core Responsibilities

• Manage new business acquisition and quotation
• Develop customer quotes for products in compliance with business unit guidelines
• Develop strategies for improved market share and improved financial status
• Develop strategic business plans to support market share objectives
• Drive business development within assigned key accounts and/or markets
• Understand, document, and convey customer technology and product strategies to support new product development
• Facilitate interface between customer and SAM Segments in the NA region and globally to ensure that customer needs are met and that company standards are maintained
• Lead commercial interface for global issues whose purchasing lead and decisions are made from NA
• Share commercial strategy with the SAM global sales team for the specific customer to guarantee price alignment
• Develop pricing structures that support overall market strategies
• Track volume and sales price information for projects
• Provide market intelligence to identify new development / business opportunities
• Identify Technical gaps and work with Project Management and Engineering to close them in a timely manner
• Understand competitors’ products and services to better assess Continental position
• Understand how industry/market trends might influence business opportunities
• Ensure timely invoice of customer one-time payments
• Be the main contact to the customer for all commercial matters
• Negotiate and address customer claims, having negative financial impact on the company performance

Additional Responsibilities

• Facilitate interaction between customer and Continental (program management, engineering, purchasing, controlling and operations personnel)
• Prepare sales plan including specific goals, potentials, action plans and strategy for the customer account
• Maintain accurate and updated customer sales forecast including ramp up/down planning
• Prepare, organize and host customer commercial meetings and document the outcome
• Manage quote process from the internal and external (customer) side
• Participate in establishing product pricing and position and lead customer negotiations
• Handle and process customer POs, TOs, LOIs and other sales relevant documents and store in the appropriate repositories
• Monitor and maintain customer portals (PO updates, Capacity planning, etc.) as well as internal sales tools (SPOT, CDP, QRDB...)
• Address timely and effectively customer issues and complaints
• Build success relationship with customer to ensure support during negotiations

Core Capabilities

• Ability to interface at all relevant levels of customer organization and build solid rapports
• Flexibility to handle wide variety of activities
• Accountable, independent, self-motivated and results oriented
• Ability to work in multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary environment
• Commitment to customer excellence
• Good communication skills
• Ability to work effectively in a team

*** Continental is not able to provide Visa sponsorship for this opportunity 

*** Continental is not able to provide relocation for this opportunity 

Basic Qualifications

• Relevant Bachelor’s degree 
• Minimum 7 years of experience in automotive sales
• Sales and Marketing Activities - Capable of managing the effort of matching products and services to prospective needs and/or opportunities, meeting with key decision makers., using a feature/benefits strategy, addressing objections, and closing/ following up sales.
• Functional knowledge - Demonstrated ability to apply principles, practices, and standard methodologies of Sales coupled with a knowledge of the standard Marketing programs to provide advisory services. Recommend strategic actions based on financials, thinking globally, acting locally, and following industry standards
• Microsoft Programs and Inhouse specialized systems - Develop solutions that others can use to improve work. PowerPoint-based presentations.
• Ability to lead and train others.
• Oral and Written communications - Advanced ability to plan and deliver oral and written communications that can make an impact and persuade their intended audiences. Demonstrated success in establishing a working relationship with outside agencies, organizations, and entities to meet the established needs of each.
• Ability to work with internal and external customers - Advanced ability to proactively interact with multi-cultural teams with strong interpersonal skills.  Strongly demonstrate conflict management and negotiation skills.  Ability to mediate and counsel opposing views.
• Ability to travel 5-10% annually
   

Preferred Qualifications

• 10 years of experience in automotive sales
• Experience working with Ford

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

EEO-Statement:

EEO / AA / Disabled / Protected Veteran Employer. Continental offers equal employment opportunities to all qualified individuals, without regard to unlawful consideration to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law. In addition, as a federal contractor, Continental complies with government regulations, including affirmative action responsibilities, where they apply. To be considered, you must apply for a specific position for which Continental has a current posted job opening. Qualifying applications will be considered only for the specific opening(s) to which you apply. If you would like to be considered for additional or future job openings, we encourage you to reapply for other opportunities as they become available. Further, Continental provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with a disability. If you need assistance in the application process, please reply to Careers@conti-na.com or contact US Recruiting at 248.393.5566. This telephone line and email address are reserved solely for job seekers with disabilities requesting accessibility assistance or an accommodation in the job application process. Please do not call about the status of your job application, if you do not require accessibility assistance or an accommodation. Messages left for other purposes, such as following up on an application or non-disability related technical issues, will not receive a call back.

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Continental develops pioneering technologies and services for sustainable and connected mobility of people and their goods. Founded in 1871, the technology company offers safe, efficient, intelligent and affordable solutions for vehicles, machines, traffic and transportation. In 2021, Continental generated sales of €33.8 billion and currently employs more than 190,000 people in 58 countries and markets. On October 8, 2021, the company celebrated its 150th anniversary. The ContiTech group sector develops and manufactures, for example, cross-material, environmentally friendly and intelligent products and systems for the automotive industry, railway engineering, mining, agriculture and other key industries. Guided by the vision of “smart and sustainable solutions beyond rubber,” the group sector draws on its long-standing knowledge of the industry and materials to open up new business opportunities by combining various materials with electronic components and individual services.