Director of Strategic Account Management

Nortech Systems, Inc.; Maple Grove (MN); On-site; USD 130,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Nortech Systems, Inc. in Bemidji, MN, seeks an experienced customer and manufacturing leader to guide a customer account team, manage strategic relationships, and drive cross‑functional impact across Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, and Finance.

You’ll turn customer needs into successful product outcomes and lead new product introductions. The role emphasizes being at the intersection of customers, people, manufacturing, and business strategy, with opportunity for significant leadership

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience managing customer relationships in a technical manufacturing environment.
• Proven experience leading cross-functional teams across multiple functions.
• Strong business acumen with contracts, pricing, and invoicing knowledge.
• Experience using data and KPIs to drive better business outcomes.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead a customer account team and collaborate across functions to meet customer needs.
• Build and maintain strategic customer relationships and drive growth.
• Coach and develop a high-performing team in a technical manufacturing environment.
• Partner with Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, and Finance on new product introductions.
• Analyze data and KPIs to identify opportunities and resolve complex issues.
• Drive successful launches of new and expanded business.

Skills

Customer relationships

Team leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Data-driven

Business acumen

Contract pricing

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Epicor

Job description

Lead the Relationships Behind Products That Matter

What if your next leadership role gave you the opportunity to build strategic customer relationships while helping bring lifesaving and mission-critical products to life?

At Nortech Systems, our teams manufacture complex products used in medical, industrial, aerospace, and defense applications. We're looking for an experienced customer and manufacturing leader to join our team in Bemidji, Minnesota, where you'll lead a team, manage strategic customer relationships, and work across the organization to turn customer needs into successful outcomes.

This isn't a role where you'll simply manage accounts.

You'll have a seat at the table, partnering with Business Development, Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, and Finance to solve problems, launch new products, strengthen customer relationships, and grow the business.

Pay Range: $130,000–$160,000 annually, based on factors including local labor markets, education, experience, certifications, and other candidate qualifications.

Why Bemidji?

If you're ready for more space, less traffic, and a lifestyle that doesn't require waiting for the weekend to enjoy it, Bemidji is worth a look.

Located in northern Minnesota's lake country, Bemidji offers the chance to build a rewarding career while enjoying the kind of access to the outdoors that's difficult to find in a larger metro area.

Fishing. Boating. Hiking. Biking. Hunting. Snowmobiling. Quiet mornings on the lake. Four actual seasons.

It's an opportunity to take on a significant leadership role without giving up the things you want your life outside of work to include.

Why This Role?

This is a highly visible leadership position for someone who understands that great customer relationships aren't built by one department.

You'll lead a customer account team while working across the organization to ensure our customers get the quality, delivery, communication, and support they need. You'll dig into the data, identify what's getting in the way, bring the right people together, and help turn problems into solutions.

You’ll have the opportunity to:

• Own and strengthen relationships with strategic customers.
• Lead, coach, and develop a customer-focused team.
• Partner across Engineering, Business Development, Operations, Supply Chain, and Finance.
• Play a key role in new product introductions and the successful launch of new and expanded business.
• Use customer satisfaction, delivery, margin, quality, and operational metrics to identify opportunities and improve performance.
• Lead the resolution of complex customer issues instead of simply escalating them.
• Anticipate what customers and the business will need next and build the plans and teams to support it.
• Influence both the customer experience and the long-term success of the business.

If you enjoy being at the intersection of customers, people, manufacturing, and business strategy, this is that kind of role.

Why Nortech?

At Nortech, the work happening inside our facilities ultimately reaches far beyond them.

Our teams support products and applications across medical technology, industrial manufacturing, aerospace, and defense. That means the customer relationships you lead ultimately support work with real-world impact.

You’ll be joining a company where customer leadership means more than maintaining an account.

It means understanding the customer's business, helping internal teams execute, identifying opportunities for improvement and growth, and creating partnerships that last.

Who We're Looking For

You’ll likely thrive in this role if you’re the person customers trust when something gets complicated.

You understand technical manufacturing environments, but you’re just as comfortable talking about business performance, contracts, pricing, delivery, margins, and relationships. You know how to lead a team, navigate competing priorities, and bring different functions together around a solution.

We’re looking for someone with:

• 5+ years of experience managing customer relationships and leading teams in a technical manufacturing environment.
• Experience working cross-functionally with Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Sales or Business Development, and other business partners.
• Experience supporting new product introductions and new or expanded customer business.
• Strong business acumen and the ability to understand contracts, pricing, invoices, production information, and account financial performance.
• Experience using data and KPIs to identify issues and drive better business outcomes.
• Demonstrated experience coaching, mentoring, and developing others.
• A bachelor's degree, or equivalent experience as outlined in the position requirements.

Additional experience in high-tech manufacturing, customer service leadership, new product introduction, or Epicor is a plus.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. Certain Nortech positions are subject to ITAR and other U.S. government security requirements. Applicants must meet applicable authorization requirements for access to controlled information and technology.