Account Manager -Japanese OEMs 73686

ZF LIFETEC; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

ZF LIFETEC in the United States seeks an experienced Account Manager to own a NA portfolio for JOEMs, including airbags, seat belts, and steering wheel restraint systems. You will drive sales from planning through launch and manage profitability.

The role requires 5+ years in automotive sales, strong negotiation and cross-functional teamwork, and English fluency (Spanish/Japanese a plus). Based in Washington, MI with travel as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in Business or Engineering.
• 5+ years of sales experience in the automotive industry.
• Preference for those with prior experience working with the JOEM customer base.
• Strong understanding of customer needs with excellent negotiation skills.
• English fluency required; Spanish or Japanese a plus.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for a portfolio of customers, products and/or projects within the NA region (USA, Mexico, Canada) for the JOEM global account within ZF LIFETEC - airbags, seat belts, and steering wheel restraint systems.
• Responsible for sales tasks throughout the product lifecycle: from business planning to business acquisition (RFQ) and until and after the launch of the product.
• Responsible and accountable for the performance of the portfolio including sales plan, business acquisition and financial profitability in line with the global account strategy; manage the negotiation process with the customer.
• Reports to and supports the JOEMs NA Sales Manager developing battle plans, account strategy, and presentations for new acquisitions, conducting customer negotiations aligned with the global account strategy, reporting internally within sales and to the business units.
• Coordinate closely with the Global JOEM Sales team, notably but not limited to Japan, as well as other internal departments – engineering, finance, operations, product line to prepare customer quotations and achieve successful negotiations.

Skills

Sales experience

Negotiation skills

MS Office

Analytical

Project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Word

Job description

Your journey to a meaningful career starts with ZF LIFETEC

Country/Region: US

Location: Washington, MI, US, 48094

At ZF LIFETEC, we save lives through cutting-edge technology. With over 60 years of automotive safety innovation, we blend start-up agility with corporate stability to drive meaningful impact worldwide. Operating across 51 locations in 22 countries, our global presence amplifies our mission to make roads safer and save lives.

Join us in a supportive and dynamic environment committed to safety, innovation, and reliability. As a part of our international team, your contributions spark industry-leading innovations in automotive safety. Our inclusive and diverse working environment promotes creativity, career growth, and continuous development.

Role Objective:

This is a role which requires commercial savvy and business acumen. The Account Manager will be responsible for a portfolio of projects for our Passive Safety Systems business in North America with Japanese OEMS. There is tough competition in our business sectors and rigorous financial pressures, so the position requires financial aptitude and a comfort level working with highly technical products. The position is in Washington, Michigan.

Your Tasks

• Responsible and accountable for a portfolio of customers, products and/or projects within the NA region (USA, Mexico, Canada) for the JOEM global account within ZF LIFETEC - airbags, seat belts, and steering wheel restraint systems.
• Responsible for sales tasks throughout the product lifecycle: from business planning to business acquisition (RFQ) and until and after the launch of the product.
• Responsible and accountable for the performance of the portfolio including sales plan, business acquisition and financial profitability in line with the global account strategy; manage the negotiation process with the customer.
• Reports to and supports the JOEMs NA Sales Manager developing battle plans, account strategy, and presentations for new acquisitions, conducting customer negotiations aligned with the global account strategy, reporting internally within sales and to the business units.
• Coordinate closely with the Global JOEM Sales team, notably but not limited to Japan, as well as other internal departments – engineering, finance, operations, product line to prepare customer quotations and achieve successful negotiations.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in Business or Engineering.

Your Profile

• Requires 5+ years of sales experience in the automotive industry.
• Preference for those with prior experience working with the JOEM customer base.
• Strong understanding of customer needs with excellent negotiation skills required.
• Experience in working in a global, cross-functional organizational structure. Proactive cooperation to work with a wide variety of functions/individuals within and across the organization at all levels; internally and externally.
• Ability to juggle competing demands and adapt to different situations. Must be able to perform under stressful conditions and meet immediate or short-lead time deadlines.
• Thinks strategically and considers the long-term view.
• Analytical approach with experience creating business cases for management review and approval.
• Be able to work in a high dynamic organization and to work under pressure. Team player as part of a global sales team.
• Strong in MS Office (Excel/PowerPoint/Word).
• Solid analytical, project management, facilitation, and problem-solving skills.
• Winning mentality and persuasion skills as well as a high level of integrity and professionalism.
• Energetic, responsive team player who is keen to take initiatives.
• Proactive, organized, and accuracy with attention to detail.
• Professional communications skills both verbally and in writing.
• Fluency in English required; Spanish or Japanese a plus.
• Flexibility to support global virtual meetings outside of NA core hours on an as needed basis.
• Domestic/International travel required on an as needed basis. Frequent travel required to support customer.

DIVERSITY COMMITMENT:

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are more than just words for us. They are at the core of the ZF Way that propels our team members towards their utmost success. We strive to build and nurture a culture where inclusiveness is a natural reflex. We actively seek ways to remove barriers so that every member of ZF can rise to their full potential. We aim to embed this in our legacy through how we operate and build our products as we shape next generation mobility, safety, sustainability and social justice.

With four generations across 118 nationalities in 41 countries, ZF combines a unique variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and ideas. Together, we solve problems, drive innovation and shape next generation mobility.

Our company is committed to the principles of Equal Employment Opportunity and to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with physical and/or mental disabilities. If you are interested in applying for employment with us and are in need of accommodation or special assistance to navigate our website or to complete your application, please contact us. Requests for reasonable accommodation will be considered on a case-by-case basis. ZF is an Equal Opportunity and Affiliation Employer and is committed to ensuring equal employment opportunities for all job applicants and employees. Employment decisions are based upon job-related reasons regardless of an applicant's race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, marital status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other status protected by law. Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer M/F/Disability/Veteran

Why ZF LIFETEC?

• Innovative Impact: Shape the future of safety with life-saving technology that truly matters.
• Dynamic Workplace: Thrive in an agile, collaborative environment where every idea counts.
• Culture of Excellence: Be part of a team with over 60 years of high standards and groundbreaking achievements.
• Growth & Empowerment: Advance your career with strong support for personal and professional development.

Diversity & Inclusion

At ZF LIFETEC, we are committed to building a culture where inclusiveness thrives and diversity is valued. We welcome unique perspectives and actively work to remove barriers, empowering all employees to reach their full potential. Guided by this vision, we innovate and create life-saving technology that makes a real impact on automotive safety.The ideal candidate will be able to appropriately identify the needs of both new and current customers in order to aid customers in their success using our product. This will be done by developing an appropriate level of communication with clients and internal team members to better understand and mitigate any issues the customers may face.