Key Account Manager

HENSOLDT South Africa; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 2,000,000; Full time

Job summary

HENSOLDT South Africa is seeking a seasoned Key Accounts Manager to drive growth across key markets and strengthen customer partnerships. The role focuses on strategic account leadership, bid management, and market development in a customer-centric environment.

The candidate will manage end-to-end sales cycles, engage senior stakeholders, and ensure accurate CRM data while delivering value through long-term relationships.

Qualifications

• Minimum degree in Business, Marketing, Engineering or related field.
• 5+ years in marketing, sales or commercial roles.
• Experience in key account leadership or B2B commercial roles.
• Proven bid management, contract negotiation and business development experience.
• Experience with senior stakeholders and cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Own and manage account plans to drive growth, satisfaction and retention.
• Lead opportunities through full sales lifecycle, including proposals and contracts.
• Coordinate compliant, competitive bids across sectors and territories.
• Identify opportunities to expand market presence and support product positioning.
• Maintain key stakeholder networks and facilitate onboarding, training and support.

Skills

Relationship management

Sales leadership

Negotiation

CRM proficiency

Strategic account planning

Education

Degree in Business/Marketing/Engineering

Tools

CRM systems

Bid management tools

Job description

About The Role

Are you a strategic, relationship-driven professional with a passion for delivering value to customers? We are looking for a Key Accounts Manager to join our team and drive growth across key markets, strengthen customer partnerships, and maximise commercial opportunities. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a customer-centric environment, is commercially astute, and excels at building long-term, high-value relationships.

Are you a strategic, relationship-driven professional with a passion for delivering value to customers? We are looking for a Key Accounts Manager to join our team and drive growth across key markets, strengthen customer partnerships, and maximise commercial opportunities. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a customer-centric environment, is commercially astute, and excels at building long-term, high-value relationships.

Qualifications & experience

• Minimum technical qualification, preferably a Degree in Business, Marketing, Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum 5+ years of experience in a marketing, sales, or commercial environment.
• Proven experience in customer relationship management, key account leadership, or B2B commercial roles.
• Demonstrated capability in bid management, contract negotiation, and business development.
• Experience collaborating with senior stakeholders and cross-functional teams in complex commercial environments.

Key technical skills

• Strong customer relationship knowledge and commercial awareness.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence at all organisational levels.
• Competence in contractual and commercial processes, including negotiation, compliance, and contract award.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data, market trends, and customer needs.
• Ability to manage Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools and maintain accurate market, opportunity, and pipeline data.
• Knowledge of market research practices and techniques.
• Proven storytelling ability - able to transform data and insights into compelling business narratives.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Account Management

• Own and manage account plans to deliver business growth, customer satisfaction, and retention.
• Drive sustained customer engagement through proactive relationship management and value delivery.
• Lead qualified opportunities through the full sales lifecycle, including proposal development and contract award.

Bid Leadership & Commercial Delivery

• Ensure compliant, competitive, and profitable bids across assigned sectors and territories.
• Support proposals and bids through effective collaboration with engineering, finance, legal, and project teams.
• Manage bid submission accuracy and timeliness.

Market & Business Development

• Identify and drive opportunities to expand market presence and grow business in target sectors.
• Support product and solution positioning based on competitor analysis and customer insights.
• Conduct customer need assessments to support upgrades, training, and future growth initiatives.

Customer Relationship & Support

• Establish and maintain key stakeholder networks (technical, procurement, executive, end-user).
• Support customer onboarding, product training, and after-sales requirements.
• Facilitate customer feedback loops to strengthen long-term partnerships.

Reporting & Governance

• Maintain accurate CRM records, market intelligence, and pipeline transparency.
• Provide structured reporting on opportunities, forecasts, and customer insights.
• Ensure compliance with export controls, security, legal, and contractual requirements.

Our recruitment values

HENSOLDT South Africa focuses on diversity, equity, and inclusion in our organizational strategy. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive corporate culture that benefits our employees and delivers better outcomes for our clients. In line with our commitment to equal employment opportunities and our focus on diversity in the operational environment, we welcome applications from all ethnic groups. In line with HENSOLDT's commitment to equal employment opportunities and our focus on diversity in the operational environment, preference will be given to suitable candidates from designated groups.

Application Deadline

12 October 2026.