Sales Manager

Lear Corporation • Southfield, MI

13d • Onsite

About The Position

Lear Corporation is hiring a Sales Manager at its World Headquarters in Southfield, Michigan. The role manages and grows OEM customer accounts, leads commercial activities, and drives strategic sales initiatives for Lear, a Tier 1 supplier of automotive seating systems. The Sales Manager is the primary liaison between customers and internal cross-functional teams, supporting strong relationships, profitable programs, and customer satisfaction.

The position includes account management, pricing and contract negotiations, quote development, customer relationship management, support for seating program launches and life-cycle management, identification of business growth opportunities, RFQ support, sales forecasting, revenue projections, competitive analysis, and regular reporting to leadership. The Sales Manager collaborates with engineering, program management, manufacturing, product development, operations, purchasing, and finance. The role requires domestic and international travel, including travel of up to 25–40%, and work outside normal business hours in a high-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.
• High level of analytical, financial, and strategic thinking ability.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills and ability to understand basic finance.
• Highly organized, self-starting, motivated, and able to work well in a team environment.
• Strong leadership skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally, including for extended periods; travel may be up to 25–40%.
• Ability to work in a high-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 automotive seating or 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, representing customer needs internally and aligning 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 primary contact for commercial topics.
• Collaborate with engineering, program management, and manufacturing teams to support launches and life-cycle management of seating programs.
• Identify and pursue new business opportunities with existing and prospective OEM customers; support RFQs 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 support program feasibility and cost competitiveness.

What This Job Offers

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