Key Account Manager- OEM Americas

Safran • Irvine, CA

111d

About The Position

The OEM Americas Key Account Manager - Aerospace & Defense is responsible for managing and growing strategic relationships with large OEMs in the Americas. This role drives business development, influences customer requirements, ensures the execution of key account plans, and aligns company product and technology roadmaps with customer needs.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, or related field; MBA preferred.
• 8-10 years of experience in aerospace key account management.
• Proven success in securing and managing complex contracts.
• Proficiency with CRM tools, Microsoft Office Suite, and familiarity with ERP/EAM/PLM systems.
• Strong knowledge of aerospace products, systems, and services.
• Awareness of competitive landscape, industry trends, and emerging technologies.
• Ability to set vision, develop strategy, and rally cross-functional teams around key objectives.
• Skilled in guiding internal stakeholders (programs, engineering, legal, operations, finance) toward common goals in complex sales cycles.
• Experience influencing without direct authority in a matrix organization.
• Account planning and pipeline management with a disciplined approach to forecasting.
• Contract negotiation and management.
• Budget management and resource allocation to maximize account profitability.
• Exceptional interpersonal and relationship-building skills with senior-level stakeholders.
• Persuasive negotiation and presentation skills tailored to highly technical and regulated environments.
• Strong problem-solving, adaptability, and resilience in high-pressure situations.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute Key Account Plans for assigned customers.
• Detect customer needs and create favorable conditions for product selection, in alignment with internal directorates.
• Establish and manage NDAs, MoUs, and MoAs with customers.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with senior stakeholders.
• Measure customer satisfaction and manage potential issues proactively.
• Identify and pursue new business opportunities within assigned accounts.
• Influence RFIs and RFPs to align with company capabilities.
• Anticipate bid opportunities and ensure well-organized, competitive responses.
• Engage decision-makers relevant to customer programs.
• Represent the company at industry trade shows, technical events, and senior-level meetings.
• Provide customer insights, market intelligence, and competitive analysis to marketing, product management, and R&T teams.
• Align products and technical roadmaps with customer needs via Tech Days, and other forums.
• Coordinate actions across product line managers, sales, programs, technical, support, quality, and operations teams to ensure unified customer engagement.
• Participate in the preparation and presentation of commercial offers.
• Support contract negotiations and multi-program deal consistency.
• Ensure compliance with FAR/DFARS, ITAR, and export control regulations.
• Support overdue account recovery when required.
• Recommend communication actions to enhance visibility with the customer.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives within the Key Account Management function.
• Track KPIs, forecast accuracy, and account health metrics to ensure performance.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Industry: Transportation Equipment Manufacturing
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree