Customer Director

Alstom; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading transportation company seeks a Customer Director to manage customer portfolios and ensure satisfaction. This critical role involves leading project execution, identifying new business opportunities, and fostering strong customer relationships. Applicants should have over 10 years of experience in the rail sector and possess skills in relationship development and business acumen.

Qualifications

• At least 10 years’ experience in rail or related business, or project engineering industry.
• High proficiency in organization’s products and services.
• Good knowledge and connections with Transport clients in the Country/Cluster/Region.

Responsibilities

• Act as the main point of contact for customer and address all customer issues.
• Manage Profit & Loss of the project in partnership with the Project Manager.
• Champion a customer-centric culture across the company.

Skills

Relationship Development

Competitive Awareness

Planning and Execution

Problem Solving

Business Acumen

Education

Graduate Degree in Engineering or Business field

Master of Business Administration or in Engineering

Job description

Req ID:[[487694]]

At Alstom, we understand transport networks and what moves people. From high-speed trains, metros, monorails, and trams, to turnkey systems, services, infrastructure, signalling and digital mobility, we offer our diverse customers the broadest portfolio in the industry. Every day, more than 80 000 colleagues lead the way to greener and smarter mobility worldwide, connecting cities as we reduce carbon and replace cars.

JOB TITLE & PURPOSE OF THE JOB

Job Title : Customer Director

Job Code : CM-CM-00

Purpose of the job:

Manage a customer or a portfolio of customers, and be the single point of contact (outside daily project matters) for customers. Grow business with his/her customer, monitor project execution and profitability and ensure customer satisfaction and loyalty.

POSITION IN THE ORGANISATION

Organisation structure:

Country/region (Sales department)

Reports directly to:

Country/Cluster Managing Director

Network & Links

Internal

• Product Platforms & Sub-systems
• Project Managers
• Sales & Tendering teams
• Business Development
• Market & Strategy (M&S) function

External

• Potential or existing customers

ACCOUNTABILITIES & AUTHORITIES

Key accountabilities:

• Act as the main point of contact for customer, and the prevalent authority on all customer issues
• Champion a customer-centric culture across the company
• Secure and regularly measure customer satisfaction
• Grow business by selling existing/new products to existing customers to maximize revenue and profits
• Contribute to negotiations during tender phase
• Contribute to the success of the project execution, in partnership with Project Manager
• Manage the Profit & Loss of the project, in partnership with Platform Director & Project Manager
• Apply ALSTOM rules on ethics and compliances in all selling & customer management activities

In Opportunity Phase:

• Identify new business opportunities with his/her customers, identify customer needs, gather customers’ key data including budgets
• Share customer information with Business Development, Sales and Tendering teams, Market & Strategy and Product Platforms
• Trigger and define the frame of Sales and Tendering teams’ intervention with the customer (or Business Development for the sale of new products/services)
• Identify customer’s decision-making process and lobby main stakeholders
• Leads the Business Opportunity Review (BOR), Go/No Go, and Tender Review Meeting (TRM)
• Agree with Platform Director and MPS on Go/No Go

In Tender Phase:

• Ensure the tender team is adequately staffed
• Participate/give input to the definition of the bid strategy
• Participate fully in the DFQ process for tenders as a permanent member of the Tender Gate Review decision-making board
• Inform Tender control of tender status, progress of blocking issues
• Contribute to the negotiation phase

During project execution phase:

• Ensure efficient hand over between tender phase & contract phase
• Give input to the Platform Director on the People Management Cycle activities for Project Managers (objectives, appraisal)
• Co-define the Project Strategy with the Platform Director
• Validate selling price
• Implement the Monthly Project Review (MPR) process and participate with Platform Director and Project Manager
• Ensure, with Contract Manager(s), that contractual/legal issues are properly handled
• Prepare financial forecast on his/her project (sales, margin, cash in, variation orders, etc)
• Prepare budget and 6QRF preparation
• Negotiate and agree any variation orders or contractual change
• Ensure timely invoicing of the customer based on contractual milestones
• Collect cash
• Secure project margin and overall margin trend

Performance measurements: (OTD, QCD, Sales, PMC, Orders, Gross margin, etc.)

• Order Intake, Gross Margin at Order Intake, Cash Curve (shared with CD and Bid Manager)
• Tender Spend Pay Back
• Sales, Gross Margin at Completion, Cash In, Customer Satisfaction (shared with PLD and PM)
• AT market share with the customer
• Variation Orders (volume, margins)

EXPERIENCE PREREQUISITES & REQUIRED COMPETENCES

Educational Requirements

Mandatory:

• Graduate Degree in Engineering or Business field

Desirable:

• Master of Business Administration or in Engineering

Experience

Mandatory:

• At least 10 years’ experience in rail or related business, or project engineering industry.
• High proficiency in organization’s products and services.

Desirable:

• Good knowledge and connections with Transport clients / customers in the Country/Cluster/Region

Competencies & Skills

• Relationship Development: Build strong relationships with customers, government authorities, and internal stakeholders
• Competitive Awareness: Gain knowledge of competitors’ strengths, weaknesses and offerings, to be able to defeat competition and convince the customer of ALSTOM’s value
• Planning and Execution: Identify new opportunities and lead a winning team to maximize ALSTOM’s value in those opportunities
• Excellent problem solving, critical thinking and decision making
• Proactive and efficient responses to pressing issues and challenges
• Business Acumen
• Aptitude in communicating, public speaking and interpersonal skills
• Global & Cultural Awareness
• Relationship Management
• Resilient and able to deliver operationally in a demanding and changing environment
• Strong ability to convince, influence & persuade
• Good planning and organization skills
• International mind set with good language skills

You don’t need to be a train enthusiast to thrive with us. We guarantee that when you step onto one of our trains with your friends or family, you’ll be proud. If you’re up for the challenge, we’d love to hear from you!

Important to note

As a global business, we’re an equal-opportunity employer that celebrates diversity across the 63 countries we operate in. We’re committed to creating an inclusive workplace for everyone.