Ford Account Manager

Magna International•Novi, MI

About The Position

The Ford Account Manager develops customer relationships and helps resolve commercial issues with Ford and other key program personnel. The role promotes Magna Seating (MS) to the customer and supports opportunities to increase market share, optimize profitability, and maintain MS’s standing as a world-class supplier. Typically working under the guidance of senior sales personnel, the position is generally assigned to less complex programs, such as carry-over programs or programs involving existing technologies. The Account Manager contributes to customer and program strategy, identifies and communicates business opportunities, helps define customer requirements, and participates in product development and program meetings. The role coordinates commercial information, quotes, pricing, documentation, and negotiations; follows up on deliveries; and works with application teams and other support groups to address cost, quality, production, and engineering-change issues. It also develops customer presentations and supports quality management, audit, and workplace safety requirements.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or bachelor’s equivalency in Business Administration, Engineering, or a related field, or a combination of equivalent education and work experience.
Knowledge of the customer, product, and supply base.
Customer-networking abilities.
Strong verbal, written, and technical presentation communication skills.
Strong organizational skills and the ability to coordinate and complete multiple tasks across departments while meeting established and changing deadlines.
Demonstrated ability to solve problems independently and deliver presentations successfully.
Proficiency with word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, and database applications.
Valid driver’s license.

Nice To Haves

Three years of experience in automotive sales, program management, or engineering management.

Responsibilities

Maintain regular contact with purchasing and other key program personnel to develop relationships and resolve commercial issues.
Promote Magna Seating to the customer and align communications with the organization’s policies, philosophy, capabilities, business plans, and strategy.
Contribute to objectives and strategies and carry out assignments to achieve Application Team, General Manager, and Director of Sales goals.
Consider customer direction, market demand, competitor activity, Magna Seating’s competitive position, and corporate and group strategy when addressing issues and exploring opportunities.
Monitor potential new business opportunities, assess their validity and relevance, and communicate them within Magna Seating.
Help define and communicate customer requirements to application teams, and attend product development and other program meetings to provide commercial goals and input.
Respond to commercial information requests from Engineering; attend production runs with manufacturing representatives as required; answer non-technical tooling questions; and process quotes and follow up on deliveries as required.
Complete tasks and resolve issues to ensure compliance with program objectives and commercial targets.
Ensure timely and accurate sales and marketing documentation, business-document flow between the customer and Magna Seating, recording of key positions and agreements, and compliance of documented agreements with finance requirements.
Assist in developing program pricing and lead negotiations; review and submit quotes and commercial correspondence, provide target pricing, respond to quotation feedback, and drive closure of commercial issues.
Assist with resolving quality and production issues and commercial aspects of engineering changes related to the customer.
Track loss monies and open cost issues and develop and implement timely closure strategies.
Consult with application teams and matrix support organizations on cost-reduction proposals; provide input on priority, likely customer acceptance, and program relevance; coordinate submissions and respond to customer inquiries.
Develop customer presentations.
Support internal and external audits related to ISO 9001 and IATF 16949 certification for the remote Group Office site.
Support requirements in Standard Operating Procedure 8000 (Quality Management System).
Promote employee work practices consistent with organizational objectives and targets, protective measures, and applicable regulations; establish workplace health and safety goals and ensure required safety talks, meetings, and training occur.