Automotive Industry Key Account Manager - Detroit or Austin

Beckhoff Automation Llc • Savage, MN

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Automotive Industry Key Account Manager plays a strategic role in advancing Beckhoff’s automotive industry initiatives by leading and supporting key customer relationships. Reporting to the US Automotive Industry Manager, this individual is responsible for driving growth across high value accounts, ensuring strong alignment between customer objectives and Beckhoff’s technical capabilities, and maintaining disciplined follow through across all stages of the sales cycle. The Automotive Industry Key Account Manager serves as a central coordination point across internal and external stakeholders, ensuring clear communication, proactive engagement, and consistent execution.

This is a highly collaborative role for a strong communicator who thrives in technically complex environments and excels at bringing clarity, structure, and momentum to customer engagements. A successful Key Account Manager blends commercial insight with technical understanding to position Beckhoff’s solutions effectively, cultivate long term partnerships, and guide opportunities with accountability, professionalism, and customer focused discipline.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Engineering Technology, Business, Project Management, or related technical discipline.
• Proven experience in technical sales, key account management, or project leadership within automation, intralogistics, material handling, or industrial systems.
• Proven track record for growing sales at key account/s.
• Strong understanding of automation technologies and the ability to translate technical capabilities into customer value.
• Demonstrated ability to manage large, strategically important accounts or complex multi‑stakeholder projects.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, able to engage both technical and executive audiences.
• Strong organizational discipline with the ability to manage multiple priorities in fast‑moving environments.
• Analytical and big thinker with the ability to identify risks, dependencies, and actionable opportunities.
• Effective collaborator experienced in working across distributed and cross‑functional teams.
• Self‑driven, adaptable, and comfortable operating in dynamic, technology‑focused environments.
• Must reside within the territory supported by the role and be able to meet required travel expectations.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and execution of strategic plans for high‑value global automotive accounts.
• Identify and pursue new business opportunities by understanding customer goals, technical requirements, and operational challenges.
• Align customer strategy with Beckhoff’s capabilities to drive long‑term growth and partnership.
• Build and manage a strong pipeline; advance opportunities through all stages with structure, documentation, and disciplined follow‑through.
• Conduct proactive customer engagements, including discovery conversations, solution presentations, and business reviews.
• Ensure accurate scoping of opportunities and guide customers through solution, timeline, and commercial considerations.
• Coordinate with Product Managers, Regional Sales, Application Engineering, and Technical teams in the country where group collaboration and team selling is needed to ensure unified communication and delivery.
• Facilitate internal alignment by sharing account insights, opportunity requirements, and critical timelines.
• Lead internal discussions to assign ownership, clarify expectations, and ensure coordinated action across teams.
• Work with US and German Product Managers to identify new products or other requirements to grow the key customer/s.
• Align closely with the Global Automotive Industry leadership and global sales teams to share account insights and drive global business.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for customer stakeholders across engineering and leadership levels.
• Maintain transparent, proactive communication regarding priorities, milestones, next steps, and changes affecting scope or timing.
• Support customer meetings, technical reviews, and milestone checkpoints to maintain clarity and momentum.
• Possess the ability to work across multi-disciplinary and multi-departmental teams, including being comfortable interfacing with C-suite executives.
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive account plan outlining growth strategies, target opportunities, and execution priorities.
• Partner with local sales teams to maintain accurate CRM records for forecasting, opportunity tracking, and reporting.
• Review account and territory analytics to identify trends, risks, and areas for improvement.
• Represent Beckhoff at industry events, customer workshops, and trade shows.
• Build and maintain strong technical knowledge of Beckhoff products to articulate value in customer‑specific terms.
• Support technical processes such as bill‑of‑materials generation and handoff coordination as needed.

Benefits

• Generous Paid Time Off + 12 Paid Holidays
• Employer paid High-Deductible Medical plan, Dental, and Vision for Employee + Family!
• 401(k) with up to 6% employer match
• Employer-Paid Insurance: Life, AD&D, Short-Term and Long-Term Disability
• Elective Benefits: Accident, Critical Illness, Indemnity, and Pet Insurance
• Professional Development Opportunities
• CarData Program: Fixed monthly reimbursement + Variable monthly mileage
• Additional $200.00 to $800.00 (Disclaimer: dependent on location)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior