Account Manager (OEM/Auto)

Sanhua International; Auburn Hills (MI); On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Sanhua Automotive in Auburn Hills seeks an Account Manager with 2–3 years of automotive sales and account management experience. The role focuses on managing customer relationships, negotiating contracts, and driving sales strategies across projects from RFQ to EOP.

The successful candidate will lead cross-functional teams, perform cost analyses for quotes, and travel to customer sites as needed to ensure demand fulfillment and strong partnerships.

Qualifications

• 2–3 years of account management and automotive sales experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, engineering, or related field.
• Willingness to travel at least 20%.
• Strong negotiation and communication skills.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and strategic planning.

Responsibilities

• Manage customer relationships and key accounts from RFQ to EOP.
• Negotiate long-term contracts, pricing, warranties, and prototype terms.
• Oversee project management, cost analysis for quotes, and ECRs.
• Attend site visits and coordinate with engineering for tasks and logistics.
• Lead sales efforts and commercial discussions if no Key Account Manager.
• Monitor market trends and report to management to align programs.

Skills

Negotiation

Communication

Analytical thinking

Strategic planning

Leadership

Networking

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, engineering or related field

Job description

Sanhua Automotive is looking for an Account Manager to join our team in our Auburn Hills office.

The ideal candidate comes with 2-3 years of experience in account management and sales for an automotive component supplier. They posses a strong understanding of the fundamentals of the automotive industry sales process experience is a critical factor in this role.

Responsibilities:

• Relationship and Account Management: Manage the overall relationship with customers, cultivating key stakeholder relationships across sales and application engineering functions to ensure successful account management and support for all projects from RFQ to EOP.
• Contract and Pricing Negotiation: Negotiate long-term contracts, new production pricing, warranty terms, and prototype prices to secure new business and achieve yearly sales targets. Provide input for Automotive Forecast Preparation and obsolescence claims negotiations.
• Project and Quotation Management: Oversee project management for assigned customers, drive internal cost analysis for new project quotations, anticipate customer RFQ and RFI activities, and quote Engineering Change Requests (ECR).
• Customer Support and Site Visits: Attend regular site visits to customers, coordinate with engineering on assigned tasks, and ensure customer demand fulfillment in collaboration with the logistics team.
• Leadership and Strategy Implementation: Implement business sales strategies established by the Key Account Manager. With the account without a Key Account Manager, take the lead in driving sales efforts, facilitating commercial discussions and negotiations, and lead sales efforts to gain internal acceptance of customer strategies.
• Market Trend Monitoring and Reporting: Follow market trends, keep management informed on important issues concerning assigned accounts, and coordinate with the Program Manager to ensure program milestones and production capacity are on track.
• Sales and Accounts Receivable Control: Review weekly sales and AR amounts, follow up with customers to maintain company sales and AR targets, and provide input for the preparation of obsolescence claims.
• Major KPIs: Sales Plan setup and execution, On top of Account Receivable and Inventory control, New business pursuing.

Requirements:

Skills:

• Negotiation and Persuasion: Essential for closing deals and maintaining profitable relationships.
• Communication: Key for client interactions, presentations, and internal coordination.
• Analytical and Strategic Planning: Important for market analysis, forecasting, and developing sales strategies
• Leadership and Team Management: Useful if the role involves leading a sales team or coordinating with other departments
• Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, engineering or a related field is required, along with significant experience in sales, particularly in the automotive industry.
• Networking: Strong networking skills to build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders in the automotive industry. Ability to communicate effectively and engage with people at different levels within customer and corporate organizations.
• Willingness to Travel a minimum of 20%