Account Manager

McKenna Labs, Inc•Fullerton, CA

14h•$72,800 - $95,000•Onsite

About The Position

McKenna Labs is a full-service contract manufacturing company that specializes in hair, skin and body care products. We've been in the personal care development and manufacturing industry since 1998. We are seeking a highly motivated, highly organized individual responsible for managing and coordinating product development and production-related activities for new and existing customer accounts in a complex, multiple step process. The role drives client projects from initial quote stage to delivery, Tec transfer, and a variety of internal and external development projects. The Account Manager must possess the knowledge, experience, and confidence to engage and professionally interact with department leaders and clients while successfully driving project schedule. This individual will work closely with Account Coordinators and internal stakeholders to guarantee projects are on track at every phase and provide status on each project, including delays to cross functional teams involved for consistent communication. The Account Manager must be professional, personable, and committed to the overall objectives, and self-development within the company. Please note: This role focuses on client retention, satisfaction, and growth through relationship building, strategic advice, and ensuring value, acting as the main liaison to understand needs, resolve issues, and coordinate internal teams for service. Applicants with backgrounds primarily in Sales are not a match for this position.

Requirements

Minimum 3 - 5 years of experience in customer service, project management, or product development, preferably in the areas of cosmetic, food, and/or pharmaceutical contract manufacturing and packaging.
Strong ability to understand the needs and concerns of internal and external customers and respond effectively in a professional manner.
Strong ability to coordinate and collaborate with multiple departments and represent different points of view without long-term negative consequences.
Excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to negotiate and persuade without necessarily having direct authority.
A high level of confidence, integrity, and critical thinking skills, establishing credibility and decisiveness while balancing varying business considerations/priorities.
Ability to work independently and be comfortable making decisions based on limited information.
Intermediate to advance level proficiency in Microsoft Office.
Must be flexible to modify work hours due to company or customer priorities.
Must be able to work in person onsite.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary contact for customer, sales, and internal support departments. Responsible for ensuring all key stakeholders are fully engaged and informed.
Review all initial project concepts with clients and gather supporting data and documents for all MLI project briefs.
Work closely with the sales team to ensure project briefs are filled out in full to assure clear communication of project scope and client requirement, including restrictions and budget constraints, and ensuring these are communicated to the business for a successful execution and great client experience.
Work closely with the costing team to ensure quotes are processed in a timely manner.
Work closely with the R&D team to ensure submissions are on track and on budget. Provide clear communication on redirects to successfully manage client expectations.
Perform order data entry, process returns and all other tasks as it relates to department operating systems.
Ensure seamless and transparent execution from order acceptance through final product delivery.
Work closely with the purchasing and operations team to ensure on time delivery of raw materials and components for successful pilot, first production, or reorder runs.
Identify potential roadblocks related to budgets, resources, and timelines, and work together with Account Management Manager and Account Coordinator for solutions.
Manage multiple projects and prioritize workload in accordance with business goals.
Ensure customer changes are communicated, captured, and billed timely and correctly.
Meet regularly with customers to discuss open projects in the development phase, projects in the pre-launch phase, and open orders.
Ensure client’s formula testing needs are captured, relayed to R & D and Quality, and executed.
Advise customers on product availability and inventory status.
Assist the sales team with account inquiries and problems involving product quality, traffic carrier concerns, product availability, pricing, and billing.
Maintain accurate customer account information, assuring efficient billing and maintenance of all related paperwork.
Perform responsibilities and tasks with an understanding of the importance of increasing accuracy and efficiency and decreasing waste and operational costs. Identify bottlenecks and offer suggestions on how to resolve them, including stepping in to perform any task in support of company goals.
Maintain a positive and productive relationship with external and internal customers, co-workers, and others with whom the position may have contact.