Senior Sales Manager

Our client is a leading global Tier 1 automotive supplier. They are seeking a Senior Sales Manager.

The Senior Sales Manager is responsible for the Sales development for a specific Account or part of this Account (Program, Serial Life, Acquisitions)

The main missions of the role are: 

• Develop in-depth intimacy with Customer contacts (Purchasing, Engineering, Programs) :
  • Interfaces with the customer at 1st management level
  • Develop the relationship with his direct counterparts at the customer and with the assigned contacts by the sales network
  • participate regularly to customer meetings (progress reviews, quality reviews, commercial global meetings)
  • Monitor what competition is doing
• Prepare and check/validate the commercial offers to answer on due time to the Customer requests :
  • Get a good understanding of the costing files (“hands on”)
  • Build up and get validated the targeted pricing and the negotiation path / tactics to convince the customer
  • Ensure proper documentation of all prices and written communication to customer
  • Check coherence of all offers and validates offers regarding technical changes and mandated components
  • Understand and apply the guidelines proposed by the hierarchy regarding contractual management
  • Support claims negotiation at the appropriate level at the customer
• Manage a team of Sales Engineers :
  • Ensure the proper talent at the right place through internal or external recruitment processes
  • As and when properly staffed and organized, responsible for coaching, developing and promoting the Sales team
  • Assign objectives and follow-up
• Serial Life :
  • Responsible for on-time / on-profit customer ECRs (“Engineering Changes Requests”) negotiation 
  • Detailed understanding of piece price, tooling and D&D impact
  • Follow the Variable Cost Margin of the products
  • Coordinate or take directly in charge the commercial productivity proposals with a detailed understanding of Squeeze management
  • Understanding and execution of VA-VE commercial mechanisms
  • Deep understanding and commercial management of local economics (inflation, exchange rate)
  • Understanding and rigourous implementation of the Sales Administration guidelines & processes (purchase orders, invoices, terms of payment, overdues…)
  • Oversees commercial management for Spare Parts
• Programs :
  • Oversees several programs from Sales perspective
  • Supports the negotiation of ECRs and claims
  • Follow the profitability of the Program
  • Participate in the Division Program reviews
• Acquisitions :
  • Part/Leader of the Acquisition Team
  • Understanding of the Business Plan & RFQA
  • Preparation and update / improvement of the commercial offers through the negotiation loops
  • Develop & lead the execution of the lobbying plan

Education:

• Business degree or Engineering degree

Experience:

• Minimum 10 years of experience in Sales in the Automotive industry with successful track record preferably in electronics field
• International Experience is an advantage
• Minimum 5 years experience in managing a team of 4-5 members

Skills and competencies :

• Fluent in English and Japanese
• Strong competencies in relationship management, and negotiation
• Comfortable with financials
• Good communication and presentation skills, and capacity of empathy
• Business international mindset