Key Account Manager

American Electric Power•Tulsa, OK

About The Position

The Key Account Manager is responsible for retaining, expanding, and ensuring the overall satisfaction of the operating company's most influential and strategic commercial and industrial customers. The position combines an economic and business development focus with a strong customer experience approach, and is accountable for developing and implementing strategic programs and offerings, developing new business, providing exceptional customer service, and negotiating contracts. The role builds long-term partnerships with executive-level decision makers and serves as a single point of contact within AEP for resolving critical customer issues. The manager works with engineers, account managers, customer services, energy efficiency and economic development teams, operating company departments, and, when needed, AEP's Corporate National Account organization to meet goals. The role develops marketing strategies and outreach programs for products and services across identified industry segments, and works with operating company leadership on issues affecting assigned accounts. It also promotes energy efficiency, demand response, and energy conversion programs to assigned key accounts.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Business, Engineering, Communications, or a related field.
Eight years of experience in customer account management, business development, or economic development.
An advanced degree or professional certification, such as PE, CEM, PMP, MBA, JD, or Certified Associate Project Manager.
Demonstrated communication and presentation skills, including excellent written and verbal communication.
Ability to travel to various locations for extended periods and work late into the evenings.
Demonstrated ability to build strategic internal and external relationships, exercise political acumen, and manage resources, projects, and issues across business units, committees, and task forces.
Demonstrated successful leadership.

Nice To Haves

Utility industry experience.

Responsibilities

Establish and maintain high-level relationships with key decision makers at assigned strategic accounts.
Retain and expand the assigned client base and ensure customer satisfaction.
Serve as a single point of contact within AEP to resolve critical customer issues.
Develop and implement strategic programs and offerings, develop new business, provide customer service, and manage account initiatives and service issues.
Develop and negotiate contracts and build long-term business relationships with executive-level decision makers.
Coordinate with engineers, energy efficiency and economic development groups, and AEP and operating company business units to meet goals.
Develop strategies to market products and services to customers in identified industry segments.
Create and execute marketing outreach plans, including prioritizing outreach, identifying targets, and developing value propositions.
Engage operating company leadership on issues that may affect assigned key accounts.
Promote and support energy efficiency, demand response, and energy conversion programs for assigned key accounts.