Sales Manager
About The Position
The Sales Manager at Lear, a Tier 1 supplier of automotive seating systems, manages and grows customer accounts, leads commercial activities, and drives strategic sales initiatives with OEM clients. The role serves as the primary liaison between customers and internal cross-functional teams, supporting strong relationships, profitable programs, and customer satisfaction. The position is based at Lear’s World Headquarters in Southfield, Michigan. The Sales Manager works with OEM customers and internal engineering, program management, manufacturing, product development, operations, purchasing, and finance teams. The role requires travel, including domestic and international travel, and may involve work outside normal business hours in a fast-paced, demanding environment.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering, or a related field.
- Minimum 5–8 years of sales or account management experience in the automotive industry.
- Proven ability to lead negotiations and manage OEM customer relationships.
- Strong understanding of automotive product development and manufacturing processes.
- Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
- Strong analytical, financial, and strategic thinking abilities.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills.
- Ability to communicate and understand basic finance.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
- Highly organized, self-starting, motivated, and able to work well in a team environment.
- Strong leadership skills.
- Willingness and ability to travel as required, including extended domestic and international travel; travel may be up to 25–40%.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, demanding environment and outside normal business hours.
- Legally authorized to work in the country where the position is located.
Nice To Haves
- MBA.
- Tier 1 seating or automotive interior experience.
- Experience with GM Global Purchasing Systems (GPSC), Ford WERS/PPAP systems, or similar OEM tools.
- Working knowledge of APQP, PPAP, and automotive launch processes.
- Familiarity with lean manufacturing and cost reduction principles.
- Experience with Microsoft Project.
Responsibilities
- Manage assigned OEM accounts, such as GM, Ford, and Stellantis, serving as the internal voice of the customer and aligning customer requirements with company capabilities.
- Lead pricing negotiations, quote development, and contract discussions.
- Analyze cost structures and support margin improvement initiatives.
- Develop and maintain relationships with OEM purchasing, engineering, and program management teams, serving as the first point of contact for commercial topics.
- Collaborate with engineering, program management, and manufacturing teams to support the launch and lifecycle management of seating programs.
- Identify and pursue new business opportunities with existing and prospective OEM customers.
- Support the RFQ process and track new business wins.
- Prepare and maintain sales forecasts, revenue projections, and competitive analyses.
- Report sales performance and market trends to leadership.
- Work with product development, operations, purchasing, and finance to ensure program feasibility and cost competitiveness.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
