Key Account Representative - Commercial Specialty Tire Original Equipment

Continental; South Carolina; Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Immediate Benefits

Hybrid Work

Employee Discounts, including tire

Sales Bonus Programs

401k Match

Tuition Assistance

Volunteer Time Off

Paid Time Off

Diverse & Inclusive Environment

Job summary

Continental is seeking a Sales & Account Management professional to manage OEM accounts, drive growth, and optimize profitability. You will work with cross-functional teams to negotiate contracts, develop forecasts, and ensure on-time delivery.

The role requires a strong client focus, pricing discipline, and effective collaboration with multiple internal stakeholders. The position emphasizes hybrid work within the United States, with travel up to 50% and an emphasis on maintaining strong

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or 6+ years of related experience if no degree.
• 2+ years of professional experience in sales, customer service, account management, engineering, business development, or a related commercial function.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Excel and PowerPoint.

Responsibilities

• Manage assigned OEM accounts to achieve sales growth, market share, profitability, and customer satisfaction.
• Develop and execute account growth strategies to identify new business opportunities and expand the OE customer base.
• Prepare and communicate monthly sales forecasts, including volume projections, risks, opportunities, and financial impacts.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to manage the complete business process from quotation through payment, including logistics, customer service, finance, supply chain, and credit management.
• Establish and maintain pricing strategies for assigned customer accounts while ensuring consistent execution.

Skills

Communication

Organization

Problem solving

Relationship building

Cross-functional teamwork

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Microsoft Office

Job description

THE COMPANY

Continentalis a leading tire manufacturer and industry specialist. Founded in 1871, the company generated sales of €19.7 billion in 2025 and currently employs around 78,000 people in 54 countries and markets.

Tire solutions from theTires group sectormake mobility safer, smarter, and more sustainable. Its premium portfolio encompasses car, truck, bus, two-wheel, and specialty tires as well as smart solutions and services for fleets and tire retailers. Continental has been delivering top performance for more than 150 years and is one of the world’s largest tire manufacturers. In fiscal 2025, the Tires group sector generated sales of 13.8 billion euros. Continental's tire division employs more than 56,000 people worldwide and has 19 production and 16 development sites.

HOW YOU WILL MAKE AN IMPACT

SG11

Sales & Account Management

• Manage assigned Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) accounts to achieve business objectives related to sales growth, market share, profitability, and customer satisfaction.
• Develop and execute account growth strategies to identify new business opportunities, increase specification opportunities, and expand Continental's OE customer base.
• Identify and pursue profitable growth opportunities through value creation, pricing initiatives, and cost optimization efforts.
• Support the development, negotiation, implementation, and management of customer contracts and long-term agreements (LTAs).
• Prepare and communicate monthly sales forecasts, including volume projections, risks, opportunities, and financial impacts.
• Ensure achievement of annual sales objectives and budget commitments in accordance with Continental sales policies and business strategies.
• Support commercial negotiations with customer purchasing teams and key decision-makers in cooperation with OE Key Account Management leadership.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to manage the complete business process from quotation through payment, including logistics, customer service, finance, supply chain, and credit management.
• Establish and maintain pricing strategies for assigned customer accounts while ensuring consistent execution.
• Monitor customer financial performance, credit status, and outstanding receivables while supporting collection efforts as required.

Customer Relationship Management

• Build and maintain strong relationships with customer purchasing, engineering, manufacturing, quality, and leadership teams.
• Serve as the primary commercial contact for assigned OEM customers.
• Document customer visits, business activities, market intelligence, competitive activity, and opportunity pipelines within CRM systems.
• Provide timely communication and support to customers regarding product availability, business updates, and issue resolution.
• Represent Continental professionally at customer meetings, industry events, and trade shows as appropriate.

Business Development & Product Planning

• Identify and develop new OEM opportunities within targeted market segments.
• Collaborate with customers and internal product management teams to identify future product requirements, market trends, and growth opportunities.
• Evaluate the commercial viability of new products, programs, and applications within assigned territories and accounts.
• Support specification growth initiatives and demand-generation activities in partnership with replacement market and business development teams.
• Maintain an active opportunity pipeline and support strategic planning activities for future business growth.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Coordinate activities among engineering, supply chain, operations, quality, finance, and customer service teams to support customer programs and business objectives.
• Support new product introductions, application development projects, and program launches.
• Facilitate effective communication between OEM customers and Continental functional teams.
• Coordinate engineering and technical resources to ensure customer requirements and project milestones are achieved.

Sales Operations & Supply Chain Coordination

• Prepare customer quotations and manage pricing activities for assigned accounts.
• Support demand planning and forecasting activities to ensure alignment between customer requirements and production capabilities.
• Monitor order intake, inventory levels, and product availability to support on-time delivery performance.
• Partner with supply chain and operations teams to identify and resolve potential shortages or supply risks.
• Support development and maintenance of customer communication platforms and business systems, including EDI and web-based customer interfaces.
• Monitor business performance metrics and recommend actions to improve service, efficiency, and profitability.

WHAT YOU BRING TO THE ROLE

• Bachelor’s degree and 3+ years of related experience OR 6+ years of related experience if no degree
• 2+ years of professional experience in sales, customer service, account management, engineering, business development, or a related commercial function.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Excel and PowerPoint.
• Strong communication, organizational, problem-solving, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and work effectively in a cross-functional environment.
• Ability to travel up to 50%.
• Must reside within reasonable access to a major airport.
• Continental is not able to offer relocation assistance for this opportunity.
• Legal authorization to work in the United States is required. Continental will not sponsor employment visas for this position now or in the future.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree and 2-5+ years of experience in OEM sales, account management, technical sales, business development, or related commercial roles.
• Experience working with industrial, construction, material handling, agricultural, ground support equipment, or specialty vehicle manufacturers.
• Technical or engineering sales experience.
• Experience managing customer quotations, pricing, contracts, or commercial negotiations.
• Experience using CRM systems and sales forecasting tools.
• Experience coordinating projects and activities across engineering, supply chain, operations, customer service, and finance functions.
• Prior experience identifying and developing new business opportunities.

THE PERKS

• Immediate Benefits
• Robust Total Rewards Package
• Paid Time Off
• Volunteer Time Off
• Tuition Assistance
• Employee Discounts, including tire discounts
• SalesBonus Programs
• Employees 401k Match
• Diverse & Inclusive Work Environment with 20+ Employee Resource groups.
• Hybrid Work
• Employee Assistance Program
• Future Growth Opportunities, including personal and professional
• And many more benefits that come with working for a global industry leader!

EEO-Statement:

EEO / Disabled / Protected Veteran Employer. Continental offers equal employment opportunities to all qualified individuals, without regard to unlawful consideration to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law. In addition, as a federal contractor, Continental complies with government regulations, including affirmative action responsibilities for qualified individuals with a disability and protected veterans, where they apply. To be considered, you must apply for a specific position for which Continental has a current posted job opening. Qualifying applications will be considered only for the specific opening(s) to which you apply. If you would like to be considered for additional or future job openings, we encourage you to reapply for other opportunities as they become available. Further, Continental provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with a disability. If you need assistance in the application process, please reply to [e-mail] or contact US Recruiting at 800-821-2727. This telephone line and email address are reserved solely for job seekers with disabilities requesting accessibility assistance or an accommodation in the job application process. Please do not call about the status of your job application, if you do not require accessibility assistance or an accommodation. Messages left for other purposes, such as following up on an application or non-disability related technical issues, will not receive a call back.