Automotive Industry Key Account Manager - Detroit or Austin

Beckhoff Automation USA; Savage (MN); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid Time Off

Employer paid Medical plan

401(k) with employer match

Life Insurance

Disability Insurance

Professional Development

CarData Program: monthly reimbursement

Job summary

Beckhoff Automation USA is seeking an Automotive Industry Key Account Manager to lead and grow strategic global automotive accounts, aligning customer goals with Beckhoff’s automation capabilities. You will shepherd opportunities across the full sales cycle and coordinate with product managers, sales teams, and engineering to deliver measurable value.

The role requires excellent communication, strong technical understanding of automation technology, and the ability to manage multi‑stakeholder

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Engineering Technology, Business, Project Management, or related technical discipline.
• Proven experience in technical sales, key account management, or project leadership within automation, intralogistics, material handling, or industrial systems.
• Proven track record for growing sales at key accounts or complex multi-stakeholder projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and execution of strategic plans for high-value global automotive accounts.
• Build and manage a strong pipeline; advance opportunities through all stages with structure and disciplined follow-through.
• Coordinate with Product Managers, Regional Sales, Application Engineering, and Technical teams to ensure unified communication and delivery.
• Serve as primary contact for customer stakeholders across engineering and leadership levels.
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive account plan outlining growth strategies and execution priorities.
• Represent Beckhoff at industry events, customer workshops, and trade shows.

Skills

Engineering degree

Technical sales

Key account management

Automation technologies

Cross-functional collaboration

Executive communication

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related

Job description

The Automotive Industry Key Account Manager plays a strategic role in advancing Beckhoff’s automotive industry initiatives by leading and supporting key customer relationships. Reporting to the US Automotive Industry Manager, this individual is responsible for driving growth across high value accounts, ensuring strong alignment between customer objectives and Beckhoff’s technical capabilities, and maintaining disciplined follow through across all stages of the sales cycle. The Automotive Industry Key Account Manager serves as a central coordination point across internal and external stakeholders, ensuring clear communication, proactive engagement, and consistent execution.

This is a highly collaborative role for a strong communicator who thrives in technically complex environments and excels at bringing clarity, structure, and momentum to customer engagements. A successful Key Account Manager blends commercial insight with technical understanding to position Beckhoff’s solutions effectively, cultivate long term partnerships, and guide opportunities with accountability, professionalism, and customer focused discipline.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Account Leadership

• Lead the development and execution of strategic plans for high‑value global automotive accounts.
• Identify and pursue new business opportunities by understanding customer goals, technical requirements, and operational challenges.
• Align customer strategy with Beckhoff’s capabilities to drive long‑term growth and partnership.

Sales & Opportunity Execution

• Build and manage a strong pipeline; advance opportunities through all stages with structure, documentation, and disciplined follow‑through.
• Conduct proactive customer engagements, including discovery conversations, solution presentations, and business reviews.
• Ensure accurate scoping of opportunities and guide customers through solution, timeline, and commercial considerations.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Coordinate with Product Managers, Regional Sales, Application Engineering, and Technical teams in the country where group collaboration and team selling is needed to ensure unified communication and delivery.
• Facilitate internal alignment by sharing account insights, opportunity requirements, and critical timelines.
• Lead internal discussions to assign ownership, clarify expectations, and ensure coordinated action across teams.
• Work with US and German Product Managers to identify new products or other requirements to grow the key customer/s.
• Align closely with the Global Automotive Industry leadership and global sales teams to share account insights and drive global business.

Customer Communication & Relationship Building

• Serve as a primary point of contact for customer stakeholders across engineering and leadership levels.
• Maintain transparent, proactive communication regarding priorities, milestones, next steps, and changes affecting scope or timing.
• Support customer meetings, technical reviews, and milestone checkpoints to maintain clarity and momentum.
• Possess the ability to work across multi-disciplinary and multi‑departmental teams, including being comfortable interfacing with C-suite executives.

Territory & Forecast Management

• Develop and maintain a comprehensive account plan outlining growth strategies, target opportunities, and execution priorities.
• Partner with local sales teams to maintain accurate CRM records for forecasting, opportunity tracking, and reporting.
• Review account and territory analytics to identify trends, risks, and areas for improvement.

Market Engagement & Technical Enablement

• Represent Beckhoff at industry events, customer workshops, and trade shows.
• Build and maintain strong technical knowledge of Beckhoff products to articulate value in customer‑specific terms.
• Support technical processes such as bill‑of‑materials generation and handoff coordination as needed.

Disclaimer:

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications associated with the position. The company reserves the right to modify duties or assign additional responsibilities as necessary to meet business needs. Other duties as assigned.

What Makes This Role Unique

• Best-in-Class Tech: Represent a highly differentiated automation platform.
• Emerging Tech: Be the first to work with emerging technology and its applied use case.
• Key End User: Gain valuable experience working with one of the most influential end users in the Intralogistics market.
• Cross-Functional Impact: Influence outcomes by aligning engineering, sales, and applications teams toward shared goals.

What We’re Looking For – Required Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Engineering Technology, Business, Project Management, or related technical discipline.
• Proven experience in technical sales, key account management, or project leadership within automation, intralogistics, material handling, or industrial systems.
• Proven track record for growing sales at key account/s.
• Strong understanding of automation technologies and the ability to translate technical capabilities into customer value.
• Demonstrated ability to manage large, strategically important accounts or complex multi‑stakeholder projects.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, able to engage both technical and executive audiences.
• Strong organizational discipline with the ability to manage multiple priorities in fast‑moving environments.
• Analytical and big thinker with the ability to identify risks, dependencies, and actionable opportunities.
• Effective collaborator experienced in working across distributed and cross‑functional teams.
• Must reside within the territory supported by the role and be able to meet required travel expectations.

Work Location

The ideal candidate would reside in one of two strategic areas, Greater Detroit Metro or Austin. Depending on location, the position will follow a hybrid work model, requiring the employee to be on-site at the local Beckhoff office a portion of the work week with the flexibility to work remotely on other business days. This schedule supports collaboration while offering a work-life balance.

Travel

This position requires varying travel ranging from 30-50% which may include day trips, overnight stays, and occasional extended travel depending on business needs. Travel may be local, regional, national, or global. All travel-related expenses will be reimbursed in accordance with company policy. Candidates must be able to meet the travel requirements of the role, and reasonable accommodations will be provided as needed in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

What We Offer

At Beckhoff Automation, our privately held, family-owned culture empowers candid collaboration, the freedom to create innovative solutions, and strong relationships built around cutting-edge technology and shared purpose.

• Generous Paid Time Off + 12 Paid Holidays
• Employer paid High-Deductible Medical plan, Dental, and Vision for Employee + Family!
• 401(k) with up to 6% employer match
• Employer-Paid Insurance: Life, AD&DD, Short-Term and Long-Term Disability
• Elective Benefits: Accident, Critical Illness, Indemnity, and Pet Insurance
• Professional Development Opportunities
• CarData Program: Fixed monthly reimbursement + Variable monthly mileage
  
  
  
  • Additional $200.00 to $800.00 (Disclaimer: dependent on location)
  
  

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job, with or without reasonable accommodation:

• Ability to stand and sit for extended periods.
• Ability to use a computer screen for extended periods.
• Ability to lift and carry items weighing up to 50 pounds occasionally.
• Ability to bend, stoop, reach, and move as needed to perform job duties.
• Manual dexterity for operating tools and equipment.
• Adequate vision and hearing to perform essential tasks safely.

About Beckhoff

At Beckhoff, automation is our calling. We empower engineers to differentiate and succeed as industry leaders –– to harness new technologies, embrace open standards and solve the world’s most complex problems. Founded and led by engineers, we organically create advanced controls, communication, IoT, and motion technologies that become unique tools for your one-of-a-kind challenges in an age of digital transformation.

As a global partner, we remain committed to sustainability, inclusivity, and support for the people behind the automation. So, whether you’re accelerating the expansion of e-commerce, powering the EV revolution, dazzling on Broadway, launching satellites, or developing fusion energy solutions – you can reach new heights for your business, industry, and humankind.

Beckhoff is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate against any applicant or employee based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other legally protected status. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and applicants. If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process, participate in an interview, or otherwise take part in the recruitment process, please contact our Talent & Culture Team.