Key Account Manager (2024)

 , Michigan (US-MI) 

Position: Key Account Manager

At Nexteer, our strength lies in the diversity of our team—each member contributing unique backgrounds, experiences, and aspirations. We believe this diversity fuels our innovation, broadens our perspectives, and propels our collective growth.

For over a century, we’ve been innovators in the automotive industry.  Our vision is clear - we are a global leading motion control technology company accelerating mobility to be safe, green, and exciting. Our unwavering commitment to Quality, Collaboration, Integrity, and Accountability guides us as we solve motion control challenges for over 60 global customers. If you’re ready to join a dynamic team that drives change and makes a difference, Nexteer welcomes you! 

About the Role

Nexteer is looking for a Key Account Manager to lead commercial efforts for a key customer or product line to achieve strategic sales objectives and play an integral role in the future growth of the company. 

Reporting directly to the Sales Director, this position requires strong alignment and communication across divisions, functions, and product lines, with a focus on executing key corporate initiatives.

The position is located at Nexteer’s Corporate Headquarters in Auburn Hills, MI, and should expect frequent travel to the US Technical Center in Saginaw, MI as well as global travel throughout the year.

This position offers generous relocation assistance if applicable and offers the potential opportunity for a hybrid work arrangement.

Key Responsibilities

As a Key Account Manager, you will be responsible to:

• Achieve short- and long-term business goals
• Ensure customer satisfaction
• Communicate a compelling value proposition
• Oversee all quotations and bookings for the specified scope
• Execute global coordination for specified scope of responsibility
• Represent the Nexteer brand to an OEM as a sales professional
• Bring Voice of Customer to Nexteer
• Develop, maintain, and strengthen customer relationships across functional groups at the assigned OEM
• Facilitate communication cross-functionally

• Pursue and attain customer commitment for targeted new programs
• Communicate regularly with customer purchasing contacts, including establishing standard cadence of meetings for face-to-face interaction
• Interact effectively with global Nexteer team
• Manage Account Manager Team for assigned Product line
• Support/Assist Sales Director with Strategy/assignments
• Represent Nexteer at the customer including 1:1 meetings and group settings with a high level of maturity and relevant experience

Qualifications

• Eight (8) or more years of related sales experience in an automotive manufacturing company (Tier or OEM)
• A minimum of 5 years of experience within a cross functional environment preferred
• Experience working with a highly technical product line 
• Results that are indicative of a high performing sales professional
• Highly developed oral and written communication skills and the ability to influence stakeholders and peers
• Strong leadership skills, confident to interact at multiple levels and cross functions, both internally and externally
• Adept at building and maintaining deep relationships at customers, requiring an engaging personality to foster this initiative
• Ability to engage as a value creator with the ability to navigate complex customer situations with win-win solutions
• High energy, self-motivated, and driven for results with the ability to positively influence business minded stakeholders
• Team player across peer and internal functional groups
• Ability and confidence to deliver Voice of the Customer in a positive framework to improve the company’s operations and performance
• High level of analytical skills where problems are unusual and complex

• Ability to develop a basic technical understanding of Nexteer products and manufacturing processes
• Financial analytical skills developed to the extent that business case analysis is understood, basic calculations are feasible, and the ability to confidently articulate internally and to customer exists
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from cross-functional groups of managers, peers, or customers
• Very high level of interpersonal skills comfortable with both technical and commercial customer interfaces
• Knowledge of Milller Heiman Strategic Selling methodologies preferred
• Ability to be flexible in work schedule to enable interaction with customer and internal global organization when required

Education Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business or Engineering; Alternate Bachelor level degrees combined with significant related sales experience will be considered

Nexteer is an Equal Opportunity Employer Disabled/Minorities/Veterans/Women

VEVRAA Federal Contractor

Nexteer is an E-Verify employer. E-Verify is an internet-based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that allows participating employees to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees in the United States.

Accessibility for Applicants with Disabilities: If you need a reasonable accommodation for the online application process due to a disability, please call 1-989-757-5000. Please provide your contact information and details about the posted position of interest. Only inquiries regarding assistance for those who need an accommodation with the online application process due to a disability will be returned.

Employment agencies are an important component of our talent acquisition strategy, and we value the partnerships we have built with our preferred vendors. We will not accept unsolicited resumes from employment agencies for any employment opportunity. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at Nexteer Automotive or directly to hiring managers in any form without a signed Nexteer Automotive Agency Agreement on file, and search engagement for that position, will be deemed unsolicited in nature, and no fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired as a result of the referral or through other means. Additionally, any resume submitted without a contract in place will be considered Nexteer Automotive property and no fees will be paid to the agency if the candidate is hired. 

Please note, agency agreements will only be valid if in writing and signed by a member of Nexteer’s Human Resources team.  No other Nexteer employee is authorized to bind Nexteer to any agreement regarding the placement of candidates by an agency. 

About Nexteer

Nexteer Automotive is a global leading motion control technology company accelerating mobility to be safe, green and exciting. Our innovative product and technology portfolio includes electric and hydraulic power steering systems, steer-by-wire systems, steering columns and intermediate shafts, driveline systems and software solutions. The company solves motion control challenges across all megatrends – including electrification, software/connectivity, ADAS/automated driving and shared mobility – for more than 60 customers around the world including BMW, Ford, GM, RNM, Stellantis, Toyota and VW, as well as automakers in India and China including BYD, Chery, Great Wall, Geely, Xpeng and others. Learn more at: www.nexteer.com