Account Director, Utility

Hitachi•South Boston, MA

7d•Remote

About The Position

The Account Director has overall responsibility for a specific utility account, including growing orders and share of customer spend, and maximizing customer satisfaction. The role represents and grows Hitachi Energy’s relationship with the account from a U.S. perspective, engaging regionally or globally when applicable. As account leader, the director mobilizes resources across Hitachi Energy’s businesses and leads a remotely based account team, including direct reports. The position is located in the Richmond, Virginia; Columbia, South Carolina; or Raleigh, North Carolina area, and is remote. The Account Director builds long-term strategic relationships with customer senior executives, executes the strategic account process, and works with business units to deliver value propositions. The role connects customer business needs with Hitachi Energy technologies and resources, promotes ethical and straightforward business relationships, and serves as a focal point for customer issues and their resolution. The position leads account and coverage planning, prioritizes opportunities, develops customer and market knowledge, conducts complex negotiations, and drives account growth. It also involves forming and directing capture and solution teams, participating in project oversight, coaching sales resources, managing account resources, and communicating account status and lessons learned across the organization. Strong analytical, communication, leadership, strategic planning, business acumen, and negotiation capabilities are needed to manage complex sales efforts and relationships.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a technical (engineering) or business discipline.
At least 8 years of sales experience; experience in sales, marketing, business development, or a related field may be considered in combination.
Expert knowledge of selling to enterprise accounts.
Proven ability to work in a matrixed team environment.
Ability to motivate and influence others.
Experience with customers in sales, problem resolution, and relationship building.
Strong business acumen.
Strong analytical, communication, and leadership skills.
Ability to develop imaginative sales strategies and coordinate related sales efforts.
Innovative strategic planning skills and in-depth understanding of the company’s technical and commercial strengths and market relationships.
Ability to negotiate and successfully conclude matters of major importance.
Willingness to travel; travel is required.

Nice To Haves

MBA.
10 years of sales experience preferred.
Diverse experience across multiple products, customers, countries, and market segments, including transmission, distribution, and generation.

Responsibilities

Represent and grow Hitachi Energy’s relationship with the assigned account, engaging regionally or globally when applicable.
Mobilize resources across Hitachi Energy businesses as an integrated account team.
Build long-term strategic relationships with customer senior executives and maintain relationships at all levels.
Execute the strategic account process and deliver business-unit value propositions.
Understand the customer’s business drivers, industry, economic trends, issues, competition, strategy, purchasing behavior, organization, and decision-makers.
Serve as the customer’s focal point for problem resolution and monitor the Customer Complaint Resolution Process.
Maximize customer satisfaction, loyalty, consistency of customer experience, and Hitachi Energy’s share of customer spend.
Achieve or exceed account order targets and drive account growth.
Lead development and implementation of account and coverage plans, including executive relationship strategy, opportunity priorities, solution targets, and required personnel.
Leverage channels and partners to improve customer satisfaction and maximize revenue.
Plan, facilitate, and conduct complex negotiations.
Develop knowledge of Hitachi Energy’s strategy, solution capabilities, and strategic direction.
Lead and coach a remotely based account team; identify, train, and motivate local and specialist sales resources.
Manage resources to implement the account strategy and operational plan, and coach using expert understanding of sales processes.
Lead the formation of capture teams and development of Sales X-Ray.
Direct account solution projects and stay informed through project communications and steering committee participation.
Monitor key Hitachi Energy and client activities and represent client issues, needs, and concerns within Hitachi Energy.
Deliver high-impact, complex, strategic, and high-value solutions for the customer and Hitachi Energy.
Provide regular reports, briefings, and reviews using agreed processes.
Participate in the Account Director community to share expertise and lessons, encourage cross-company learning, and identify solution opportunities.
Build internal relationships with business partners and support Hitachi Energy’s business objectives and financial goals.
Ensure transactions and relationships are conducted with high ethical standards and integrity.