Strategic Customer Relations Manager

ebm-papst•Farmington, CT

2d•$90,000 - $95,000

About The Position

The Strategic Customer Relations Manager leads the customer relations function supporting the company’s strategic OEM customers. The role provides leadership and direction to the Strategic Customer Relations team, ensuring a proactive, high-touch, and consistent customer experience. The manager acts as a key liaison between strategic customers and internal teams, including Sales, Planning, Operations, Manufacturing, Engineering, Purchasing, and Logistics. The position develops customer relationships, anticipates and resolves issues, communicates demand and supply information, and aligns customer requirements with internal capabilities. The manager leads and develops the team, coordinates customer strategies with Sales and account managers, oversees significant customer concerns and escalations, and works cross-functionally to address service, delivery, supply, order, quality, billing, shipping, and other issues. The role maintains visibility into customer and operational risks, establishes customer priorities amid supply or capacity constraints, and ensures effective processes and reporting for forecasts, orders, consumption trends, line-of-balance, and forecast-versus-consumption information. The manager also supports strategic customer projects, new product introductions, prototypes, and account changes; monitors key performance indicators; leads continuous improvement; and provides leadership with visibility into material customer and business developments.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain, Operations, Sales, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
At least 5 years of progressive experience in customer relations, customer service, inside sales, account management, supply chain, or a related function.
At least 2 years of direct people-leadership experience.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting OEM or complex B2B customers.
Experience supporting strategic, high-value, or complex customer accounts.
Experience in a manufacturing environment and coordinating across Sales, Planning, Operations, Supply Chain, and Manufacturing.
Experience with ERP systems, preferably SAP.
Strong Microsoft Excel skills.

Responsibilities

Lead, coach, develop, and manage the Strategic Customer Relations team, establishing expectations, priorities, account coverage, and performance standards.
Partner with SBF – ACV leaders and account managers to align customer priorities, account strategies, communication, and actions, with clear ownership between Sales and Customer Relations.
Develop relationships with key contacts at strategic OEM customers and serve as a senior contact for significant needs, concerns, and escalations.
Set expectations for customer meeting preparation, communication, follow-up, and accountability, and support significant commitments or issues requiring management involvement.
Coordinate with Planning, Manufacturing, Purchasing, Logistics, Engineering, Quality, and other functions to align customer requirements with operational capabilities.
Monitor customer service, delivery, backlog, and supply risks across strategic accounts, and provide prioritization and escalation support.
Identify emerging customer, supply, and operational risks and drive communication, mitigation plans, and corrective actions.
Lead cross-functional resolution of complex customer delivery, supply, order, quality, billing, shipping, or service concerns.
Establish and communicate customer priorities when demand, supply, or capacity constraints arise.
Ensure processes are in place to manage customer forecasts, orders, consumption trends, and demand changes, escalating significant risks as needed.
Ensure the team provides accurate and timely line-of-balance, forecast-versus-consumption, and other customer reporting.
Support strategic customer projects, new product introductions, prototypes, and significant account changes through effective coordination and communication.
Establish, monitor, and communicate key performance indicators for customer service, delivery performance, backlog, past dues, forecast alignment, and execution.
Lead continuous-improvement initiatives to enhance customer experience and improve tools, reports, processes, communication, and operating practices.
Provide leadership with visibility into significant customer developments, demand changes, supply constraints, service risks, and other issues affecting strategic accounts or business performance.
Perform other duties and support special projects as assigned.
Follow Employee Handbook policies and procedures, uphold organizational values, contribute to a positive work environment, report consistently and on time, and report unsafe supervision conditions or practices.