Automotive Account Manager

Pasona N A, Inc.; Livonia (MI); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Unknown company in the United States seeks an Account Manager to support automotive customer accounts and coordinate with suppliers and Japan-based counterparts. This IC role covers customer relationship management, quality issue coordination, production demand planning, and sales budgeting.

The candidate acts as a primary contact for customers, develops plans and budgets, and travels occasionally to visit customers and suppliers.

Qualifications

• Experience in sales, account management, or supply chain coordination within the automotive industry.
• Experience coordinating with counterparts in Japan and understanding Japanese business practices.
• Experience with sales budgeting, forecasting, and customer production demand planning.

Responsibilities

• Maintain customer program information throughout the product lifecycle and use it to develop sales plans and budgets.
• Monitor customer production demand, program changes, and automotive market trends; prepare monthly updates and forecasts.
• Coordinate quality issues with customers, suppliers, and internal teams, following up on root cause investigations and corrective actions.
• Manage product change requests, customer notifications, and end-of-life processes.
• Track deliveries following product changes and provide handling instructions to the inside sales team.
• Prepare and submit customer quotations and respond to surveys, inquiries, and other support requests.
• Coordinate pricing, quality, and delivery matters to provide timely customer support.
• Visit customers and suppliers occasionally, including overnight travel as needed.

Skills

Account management

Sales budgeting

Forecasting

Customer relations

Quality coordination

Product change mgmt

Communication

Excel

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft Excel

CRM software

Job description

A Japanese company is seeking an Account Manager to support existing automotive customer accounts. This individual contributor role combines customer relationship management, quality issue coordination, production demand planning, product change management, and sales budgeting.

You will serve as a key contact for customers and coordinate with suppliers, internal teams, and counterparts in Japan to support customer requirements throughout the product lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Maintain customer program information throughout the product lifecycle and use it to develop sales plans and budgets.
• Monitor customer production demand, program changes, and automotive market trends; prepare monthly updates and forecasts.
• Coordinate quality issues with customers, suppliers, and internal teams, following up on root cause investigations and corrective actions.
• Manage product change requests, customer notifications, and end-of-life processes.
• Track deliveries following product changes and provide handling instructions to the inside sales team.
• Prepare and submit customer quotations and respond to surveys, inquiries, and other support requests.
• Coordinate pricing, quality, and delivery matters to provide timely customer support.
• Visit customers and suppliers occasionally, including overnight travel as needed.

Ideal Candidate

• Experience in sales, account management, or supply chain coordination within the automotive industry.
• Ideally, approximately 10 years of relevant experience, including customer quality issue coordination and sales budget management.
• Candidates with 3-5 years of automotive sales or account management experience are also encouraged to apply, particularly those motivated to learn quality processes and broaden their responsibilities.
• Experience handling customer quality concerns, preferably involving electronic devices or components.
• Experience with sales budgeting, forecasting, and customer production demand planning.
• Experience working for a Japanese company or studying in Japan, with an understanding of Japanese business practices and an ability to coordinate effectively with counterparts in Japan.
• Strong communication, analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and other Microsoft Office applications.
• A valid driver's license and willingness to travel occasionally by car and air.
• A bachelor’s degree is preferred; an equivalent combination of relevant education and experience will also be considered.