Automotive Key Account Manager

Job Description

Key Account Manager - Automotive

Our client is a flexible material-handling automation company that keeps goods moving.

With award-winning technology engineered for uninterrupted work between autonomous mobile robots (AMR), labor, and systems.

As a company, our client driven by the same collective vision: an uninterrupted and highly efficient global supply chain where robots do the dirty work and people do the human work.

With more than 5 million traditional forklifts moving over 5 billion pallets around the world, there is a ton of work to do to make that vision a reality.

Our client seeks a highly experienced and results-driven Key Account Manager with a strong background in automation and robotics sales within the automotive industry to take on this high-visibility role within our dynamic sales team.

The Key Account Manager will play a pivotal role in driving new sales and growth opportunities for our robotic solutions with our large automotive clients.

The ideal candidate is:

a highly motivated self-starter with proven industrial automation or robotics sales experience

has exceptional negotiation skills, and the ability to build and maintain strong client relationships.

MUST understand the intricacies of working within the time sensitive and complex infrastructure of the automotive manufacturing industry

Reporting to the Director of Sales, this is a fulltime, salaried role based in Detroit, MI.

In this role, the Key Account Manager will:

Client Relationship Management:

Build and maintain strong, long-term relationships with key clients.

Understand the client's business goals and challenges related to robotics technology.

Sales Growth:

Proactively drive new sales and growth opportunities by understanding the customer's business needs and aligning their needs with appropriate solutions.

Capture net new accounts as well as maintain and grow existing accounts.

Identify upselling and cross-selling opportunities within existing accounts.

Communication and Trust Building:

Effectively communicate the value proposition of the robotics solutions to clients.

Keep clients informed about new products, features, and industry trends.

Problem Resolution and Negotiation:

Address and resolve client issues and concerns promptly.

Lead negotiations through a complex decision-making process.

Collaborate with internal teams to ensure client satisfaction and successful problem resolution.

Contracts and Sales Strategies:

Prepare formal proposals and present them to all levels of the organization.

Negotiate contracts and agreements with clients.

Develop sales strategies, build pipelines in a specified industry.

Obtain competitive information during daily contacts and distribute it as appropriate to develop sales strategies.

Market Analysis and Product Development:

Stay informed about market trends, competitor activities, and industry developments.

Assist in establishing product development priorities based on customer experience.

Provide feedback to the internal teams on market dynamics.

Reporting and Sales Forecasting:

Prepare regular reports on account status, sales performance, and forecasts.

Own industry sales forecasting by demonstrating in-depth knowledge of sales and buying cycles from initial contact through the procurement process.

Capture customer information and sales activity data into the customer relationship management (CRM) system.

Meet or exceed sales quota and revenue goals.

Travel approximately 50%: Most of the time, business will be in greater Detroit. However, there will be overnight travel to Canada and other states – TX, TN, NY.

What we are looking for:

Bachelor's degree in business, engineering, or related field.

5+ years of direct sales experience selling products in the warehouse or tech environment.

Proven experience as a Key Account Manager or in a similar high-visibility sales role within the robotics or technology industry.

Exceptional negotiation and communication skills.

Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.

Ability to build and maintain strong relationships across stakeholder levels.

Proactive and results-driven with a track record of meeting or exceeding sales targets.

Familiarity with CRM systems and sales analytics.

Willingness to travel approximately 50% of the time.

Interested candidates should reach out to Jay Veniard - or